Fanfiction Based On Characters From Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Series

Rated MA for Mature Adult Content

Full Circle

By circe290

Summary: Set five years after Edward left, Bella and Jasper have formed a tentative

friendship, and she finds herself coming full circle, immersed in the Cullen family

once again, but under very different circumstances.

~*~

Chapter One

BPOV

The decision to open my own bookstore came easily. It had always been my dream. Recent college
graduates do not usually have the funds for such endeavors, and that particular decision, the one
to accept the grant, did not come easily.

I left Forks after I graduated from high school. I pretty much survived senior year by sleepwalking
through it. Edward's disappearing act, while causing months of grief, was the catalyst for the
events which led me to the woman I have become. I was crushed, of course. First love, and all of
that. When I began to resurface seven months after he left, I went through a several week period
of very difficult self-evaluation. I learned a lot, and in retrospect that act was more painful than the
preceding cause. I came to realize what an unhealthy, obsessive relationship it had been, that I
hadn't been seen as an equal partner (obviously), and that while I knew Edward had loved me with
everything he had and in the only way he knew how, it was undoubtedly for the best that it was
over. I had learned quite a bit in that dark time in my life, and I was a better person for it. It didn't
matter now whether he left to keep me safe or because he truly didn't want me any longer. I'd
gotten over it, moved on, and I now look back at our time together fondly. In fact, I remember all
of the Cullens with a faint nostalgia and a lot of smiles. Yes, at the time I'd felt I'd lost not only my
heart and soul, but my family and my future life. That painful re-evaluation did wonders for me and

my outlook.

I went to college in Alaska, as I had originally planned. I spent four years doing the usual "college
student" things--classes, parties, friends, and dating. I graduated, got a job managing a book store
and began to plan for the future. I knew I would eventually own my own store, but I wasn't

prepared, even in my daydreams, for this vision coming to fruition at the age of 23.

The letter from Carlisle came as such a surprise that I dropped my coffee in the middle of the
kitchen. Well THERE'S a sticky mess to clean up...ugh. I had only, in the last five years, spoken to
one of the Cullens. I knew that Edward had forbidden them from contacting me, and Alice wasn't
supposed to look for me in her visions. I also knew that Edward left five years ago because he

loved me and thought he was doing what was best for me (nevermind the fact that it was just one
more choice he made FOR me). Jasper had told me these things in the first year we reconnected. I
know, right? Jasper, of all the Cullens, seemed the least likely to have continued any type of
communication with Bella Swan, the fragile human who caused so much discord in their
harmonious family unit. We'd discussed the fact that he couldn't possibly be held responsible for
the events of my fiasco of an 18th birthday as well as the reasons behind the Cullens
disappearance and Edward's fleeing the state.

The Cullens were currently residing in Maine. Jasper, oddly the most computer literate of the
family, found my email address on a literature discussion forum, and we began a cautious
dialogue. Carlisle and Esme were the only two aware of this correspondence, and only fairly
recently had they become aware of it. Jasper and I had exchanged the occasional email for a few
months, sporadically chatting via instant messages, until the day two years ago when we finally
took the big step of talking on the phone. We'd developed such an easy friendship, talking about
everything in our lives, that it was almost hard to reconcile my friend Jasper with the Jasper who
resided with the Cullens and rarely had exchanges with me during my time with them. Neither of
us questioned it or thought it odd, although I did occasionally wonder why he kept making such an

effort to talk to me. The old Bella self-esteem issues seeping in, I suppose.

At any rate, I'd come up in conversation during Edward's most recent visit with the Cullens. He
spent most of his time traveling, but did try to check in a few times a year. He'd heard my name in
Esme's thoughts, and when she apologized for bringing me up, she wondered aloud how I was
doing. I guess despite Alice trying valiantly to keep me locked from her visions, she'd had a few
leak through, and the family was aware of the semi-catatonic state I'd spent my 19th year in.
Engrossed in a book and clearly not thinking, Jasper distractedly piped up that I was doing well and
was graduating college, having earned my degree in double majors of English Lit and History. I
sure would have liked to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation! The memory of him

sheepishly explaining this whole scene to me makes me crack up even now.

Carlisle wrote to me and, diplomat that he is, didn't linger on ancient history, stating merely that
he and Esme still thought of me often and considered me a part of their family, despite the fact he
was sure I no longer considered myself a part of them. Well, that was true at least. He said he
knew my dream was to own a store of my own, and he wished to help me realize that dream,
reasoning that if I'd remained with the family this entire time they'd have paid for my college, cars,
clothes, etc., anyway.

After a few weeks of serious thinking (and some very animated discussions with Jazz), I agreed.

And now here I was, readying my shop for its grand opening next month. As I worked with dealers
on inventory (thank heavens for the Internet), I was almost completely content with where my life
had taken me, and even glad to have some limited contact with the Cullens. It was normal and
easy and as simple as old friends keeping in touch. There was no underlying resentment or
weirdness. At least, until I looked up from my PC and found myself looking into a pair of amber-

colored eyes.

~*~

Chapter Two

JPOV

I tend to think part of the reason we'd slipped into such an easy-going friendship was that we
didn't question it. We didn't talk about Edward leaving her. We didn't talk about my subsequent
split from Alice. We didn't talk about how out of all of the Cullens, I would seem the least likely to
form this friendship with Bella. We did jokingly refer to "when we see each other again", but it
never went any further. We made no plans to meet, and we made no plans to make plans to meet.
We'd spent over four years emailing, instant messaging, and chatting on the phone, sometimes for

hours at a time.

I don't think I made a conscious decision to go be with Isabella for her opening. I just somehow

ended up there.

What the fuck, Whitlock? Are you nuts? How in the hell is she going to react to this? You KNOW she
isn't ready for this, and you're not even giving her the option of gracefully declining.

Well it was too late. I was here. It was the first time I'd been back to Forks since we left, and I was
surprised she'd decided to come back here after college. I ended up at the back door of the house
she'd shared with Charlie before his death. I was terrified at the enormity of what I was about to
do and the impact it could have on our "easy-going" friendship. Her scent was heavy around the
house, and for a moment I just closed my eyes and breathed her in. I was already at the point
where I had to admit to myself that Bella was far, far more than just a friend. I'd convinced myself
that even if she wasn't ready to take the step of getting together or addressing our relationship,
surely she at least was aware that we were the first the other turned to with good news, when we
needed to talk, or just to watch a TV show together on the phone. Easy to convince yourself of this

kind of crap when you're across the country having warm, fuzzy feelings from the latest phone call.

For Christ's sake, you're a vampire, not a 14-year-old boy! Get a grip, man!

I found myself on the back patio and as I raised my hand to knock, I saw her through open back
door. Clearly, she still has no self-preservation. This girl is a danger magnet, and her door is
hanging open? I swear I meant to knock, but the site of her right here in front of me after all this
time completely blew my mind, and I stepped over the threshold and found myself in front of her.
She lifted her eyes from the computer screen, sensing movement, and Isabella Swan and I came

eye-to-eye for the first time in five years.

I heard her sharp intake of breath and had a moment to wonder whether she was going to yell at
me for startling her, for taking the liberty of showing up and crossing the "seeing each other in
person" line that defined our friendship, for walking in without knocking.

"Hello, Isabella." I meant to sound reassuring, friendly, happy. Instead, it came out like....well, like

a 14-year-old boy.

"Jasper! Oh my God, what are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you, of course,
but....holy cow Jazz, you're HERE!" She was squealing, and sounded a bit like a babbling 14-year-

old herself.

I breathed a sigh of relief, grinned at her, and swooped her up in the biggest hug that ever existed.
It just seemed so natural, despite the fact that we'd never had any physical contact in the time we

both lived in Forks before. She giggled and threw her arms around my neck, and I again closed my
eyes, just reveling in the feel of her, the warmth of her, Christ her scent. Yep, I'm in over my head
here.

When we drew back from the hug I couldn't help it, I kept my hands on her hips, holding her at
arms length. "I thought you'd be angry with me, just showing up, and honestly Bella, if I'd thought
it through I probably wouldn't have just shown up unannounced, but damned if I'm not glad I
came," I said to her, and shit, there's that blush. She really is going to be the death of me. If I was
enamored on the fuckin' phone, what was she going to do to me in person?!

"I'm so glad you're here...I can't even believe you're standing here in front of me!," Bella said,
"How long are you in town? Do you need a place to stay? Oh...are you...alone?" An uncertain
expression crossed her face as this last question occurred to her, and I knew she was worried I was
descending into her life with the full complement of Cullens behind me. Dammit, I should have
thought of that. Her emotions were all over the place--joy, apprehension, excitement, love.

"It's just me, and I do have a house here, ya know," I chuckled, half at the relieved expression
that I was alone and half at the regretful feeling I had when I declined a place to stay. "I'm here

indefinitely, darlin'. I came to see if I could help with the opening and offer some moral support."

"Oh, Jazz, you are the absolute best! I'm just so glad you're here. You're really here!! Why did we
wait so long to get together? We were so silly! This is so natural, being together!" I felt the sudden
spike of embarrassment surge through her. I caught the smile trying to spread over my face and
quickly hid it. That would definitely make her more embarrassed, and let's face it, we both knew

the filter between her brain and her mouth didn't always keep up.

Wanting to ease her awkward feelings, I pulled her back into a hug, noticing the blush rising in her
cheeks before tucking her head under my chin. Christ she's so small. How did I forget that? My
memories of her didn't do her justice at all, and the five years did wonders for her. She was a
woman now, and she was far more confident and sure of herself than she'd been as a teenager. I'd
known all this, already, but the site of her still shocked me a bit. I'd been picturing the 18-year-old
Bella in my head, and now I was holding the 23-year-old Isabella in my arms. "You're right," I
replied, trying desperately to keep the husky tone out of my voice and keep things easy and light.
"This is natural, and we should have done this sooner." I smiled into her hair, gauging her
emotions to make sure she'd relaxed and quit worrying she'd said something wrong. Love,
affection, happiness, apprehension, lust. Lust? Well, that's different. A wave of relief washed over
me, and I mentally kicked myself. I knew she loved me--we were close friends. Lust didn't mean
she was feeling anything deeper than friendship with me. There's a big difference between falling in
love with someone and wanting to fuck them, and while I most definitely couldn't deny wanting
her....Christ I want her.... I also couldn't deny at this moment that I was in danger of falling in love
with her. Well shit. Now what? This SO cannot end well for you, Whitlock. I wanted to protect her,
hold her in my arms, love her. And I wanted to claim her. I had no right to want those things, but
that didn't change the fact that I did, in fact, want them. I carefully reigned in my emotions for fear
of broadcasting them. That's just what I need. I hadn't even taken into consideration what
Edward's reaction would be. Not now, I mentally chastised myself, just be with Bella, and worry

about that when the time comes....if the time comes.

Smiling at me as she pulled back from the embrace, she asked if I'd return tomorrow so we could
spend the day together. How could I deny her, especially when it was something I wanted so badly
myself? With the promise of returning the following afternoon, I said goodnight, knowing I'd spend
the next 15 or so hours in bliss and torture. I bent down to kiss her forehead....Fuck. She's so

small, and soft, and WARM.....and slipped out the door, running to the Cullen mansion.

~*~

Chapter Three

BPOV

It's probably better we'd never planned to meet up again in person. I think there would have been
weirdness, and I didn't want weirdness with Jasper. I never paused to think it odd that I considered
someone I hadn't seen in person for years and wasn't close to when I had seen him in person my

best friend.

I swear my heart skipped when I saw him gazing at me over my computer screen. I didn't have
time to think, saving me from turning it into some awkward, "how am I supposed to act" moment.
Before I had time to consider the enormity of him standing a few feet away, I gasped, babbled like
an idiot, and threw my arms around his neck.

God, I'd forgotten how beautiful he was. He'd always been on the fringes of the family, and we'd
never spent much time together. He looked exactly the same, of course, aside from his clothes, but
he was just so startlingly gorgeous. Gone were both the preppy clothes I'd remembered and the
pained expression he wore at Forks High. I knew Alice used to pick out everyone's clothes, which
explained the wardrobe, and he'd become second only to Carlisle in terms of control, which
explained his easy grin despite my close proximity. He looked better in his own style, anyway--the
distressed jeans slung low on his hips and the form-fitting but not-too-tight black T-shirt looked
amazing on him. Holy hell, had he always been built like that? Mentally shaking my head I realized

of course he had; I'd just never noticed. Breathe, Bella.

Our earliest conversations had gotten the topics of Edward's reasons for leaving and Jazz's
subsequent split from Alice out of the way, leaving us free to explore our friendship without the
nagging undercurrents of loose threads that needed explained. IMs were a good way to have what
might have been uncomfortable situations because we weren't face-to-face, but it was also a bit
hard because I couldn't read his face or tone of voice to gauge how he felt about what he was

telling me.

*******

JWH: We've been talking for a few weeks, Bella, and you haven't asked the things I thought you

would...

BSwan: I was wondering when you'd bring them up. I'm curious, of course, Jazz, but it's not
something I dwell on. He's in the past.

JWH: I'm part of that same past, and yet here we are.

BSwan: Yes, here we are. I really have moved past it. It doesn't matter what he's doing, really,
although I hope he's happy and content.

JWH: I'm not sure I'd use the term "happy". He's relatively content, though.

BSwan: Why isn't he happy?

JWH: I thought it didn't matter?

Bswan: JAZZ! =P

JWH: JK Bella... =) ... He's in Europe, and is at peace with the decision to leave you behind,

although of course he still loves you. I imagine he always will.

BSwan: Umm. Jasper? I'm not sure where you're getting your info, but he left because I wasn't

good for him and he didn't want me.

BSwan: Jazz? You there?

JWH: Sorry darlin'. You caught me off guard. He told you that? What an ass. He left because he
wanted you to move on and have a normal life, a life without vampires and all the dangers inherent
to that.

BSwan: Wow. I'll mull that over later, but I'm glad no one told me that right after he left or the few

months following. I'd have found him and begged him to come back. Yikes.

JWH: You really have moved on, haven't you? I'm proud of you Bella. =)

BSwan: Thanks Jazzy. Now tell me about Alice. I mean, if you wanna talk about it. You don't have

to tell me what happened, but how is she?

JWH: She...wait a sec...let me think how to word this...

JWH: She.... UGH. Ok, she immediately agreed with Edward that we should leave after your
birthday. I had a hard time with that. I mean, she was supposed to be your best friend. We grew
more distant in the ensuing weeks, and we mutually agreed to her leaving the family for awhile. It
was supposed to be six months, but as you know she met someone. She left because she couldn't
get past what happened, and don't you DARE blame yourself for that because it wasn't your damn
fault!, and because I couldn't get past her lack of faith in me. Frankly, we'd been drifting apart for
years. I don't think we were meant to be together forever.

BSwan: Aw Jazz...I'm sorry.

JWH: Don't be. I'm not. And now, I think it's time for the human to get some sleep. Why didn't you

tell me you were tired?

(a glance at the clock told me it was 3 a.m.)

*******

As I watched him blur through the yard and into the forest, my mind went in two different
directions. First, I couldn't help wonder at how easy it had been to be in his company. Apparently,
hanging out with vampires was like riding a bike. It didn't seem weird at all to feel his hard body,
his cold skin. It was effortless, slipping back into that world. Second, I wondered vaguely what
seeing each other would mean. We were already as close as possible, and this added dimension

would surely be wonderful as long as he was around, but did it mean I'd eventually be seeing the
rest of the family? I missed and loved them, as they'd been such a huge part of my life for awhile,
especially Esme, Carlisle, and Emmett. But did that mean I wanted to see them and open that can
of worms again? I wasn't worried what it'd do to me emotionally. I wasn't the same girl I was then.
I was more worried what it'd do to their family unit, opening it up again to accept the human girl
who brought them so much grief, and over whom their oldest son and brother was still in pain. I
mentally brushed that thought aside. Jasper was here, and everything else could wait.

I already couldn't wait to see him tomorrow. One thing I had forgotten, or at least overlooked
during our phone and computer conversations, was Jasper's gift. I'd really have to work on
controlling my emotions better. I'd become used to him not being able to "feel" me because of our
physical distance. As I replayed his appearance and our brief exchange, I found myself
remembering his beautiful face, the sculpted muscles under that T-shirt I was already hoping he'd
wear again tomorrow, and how it felt to be in his arms. Oh crap. I'm lusting after my ex-
boyfriend's brother, who is also my ex-best friend's ex-husband and the guy who tried to eat me
on my 18th birthday. I dissolved into semi-hysterical giggles on my bed at the absurdity of it, glad
I was alone both because I probably looked like an idiot and also because Jasper would have felt
the spike in lust. That thought sobered me up immediately. I'd really have to find a way to control
what I was feeling. Nothing would make him sorry faster for coming to see me than feeling me
lusting after him. God. I really am an idiot. He'd probably think I just had a thing for vampires,
particularly those of the Cullen coven. This thought cracked me up all over again, and I gave up

rational thought and decided sleep was in order.

JASPER POV

It was strange being back in the Forks house. I had earlier dumped my bag in one of the spare
bedrooms. It didn't bother me to be in the room I'd shared with Alice. I'd had enough time to just
be glad she was happy now without any resentment over our parting. The room had never really
reflected me, though, and now just looked like a room that belonged to Alice. I was more

comfortable in the spare room.

I paused while hanging up my clothes in the wardrobe, feeling the smile flit across my face as I
thought about seeing Bella. Ah, Bella. She was such a surprise to me. All those visits to this very
house years ago, and we'd barely spoken. I'd considered her part of the family and would have
protected her from anything as such, but I didn't really know her. Seeing her again after getting to
know her had been a shock to my system. I'd got it into my head that she was different, and so I
really didn't picture teenage Bella when I was talking to her on the phone. She was such a
contradiction that it was exasperating at times....I sometimes didn't know whether I wanted to roll
my eyes at her or just give her a really big hug. Neither was possible, obviously, but those were
still the feelings she evoked in me. I added in the dimension of her physically to what I already
knew. She was still somewhat shy, as evidence by the way she ducked her head to hide that
breathtaking blush. Yet she was bold, far less reserved than she used to be, so much more
confident and sure of herself, and not afraid to make fun of herself. And she was a smart-ass. I

loved that about her.

It occurred to me that had I taken the time and effort to get to know her back then, I'd have
realized she and I were a far better match than either she and Edward or Alice and myself. Or
maybe I wouldn't have. Maybe fate was being kind, working things out this way. Shit. I have to
stop thinking of her like this, or I'm going to be projecting love, adoration, and lust all over the

damn county when I see her tomorrow.

I relaxed back onto the couch and closed my eyes, wishing I could sleep to make the time go
faster. I settled for daydreams, since I couldn't have the real kind, and smiled as I dreamt about
tomorrow. A whole day with Bella. Ah...Isabella.

~*~

Chapter Four

BPOV

I slowly came awake, and I use the term "awake" loosely, and carefully opened one eyelid to check
the time. Just a couple of minutes before my alarm went off. Fabulous. I hate that. I became aware
that the sheet was twisted around my legs, and I was wrapped in the blanket like a burrito. I
evidently did some tossing and turning. I felt a surge of excitement when I thought about Jasper
arriving soon. My alarm blared from the dresser a few feet away, and I struggled to untangle
myself from the mess I'd made of my bed. Sliding one leg to the floor, the sheet tightened around
the other leg and I sprawled onto the carpet. I lay there for a few moments, noticing the shoes I'd
been looking for tucked under the bedside table and wondering briefly if my mother had had any
kids who lived. If this was a sign of how the day was to progress, maybe I should crawl back in

bed.

I silenced the alarm, got my shower, and nibbled on a bagel while assessing my wardrobe. Blue
jeans, a V-neck red jersey. All set. I fixed my hair and makeup and began pacing in the living

room.

The car door slamming in the driveway was followed by several gentle knocks on the door.
Breathe, Bella. I opened the door and stood there for what seemed like forever, probably looking
like the village idiot with my mouth hanging open. Jasper stood there in his low-slung jeans, black
button-down with the sleeves rolled up, and cowboy boots, his wavy blonde hair spilling over his

forehead and into his eyes.

"G'morning, darlin," he drawled.

Fuck. Me. That damn accent.

He cocked an eyebrow at my expression, his mouth forming half a grin. Stupid empath. Ugh, get a
hold of yourself woman! I mumbled a quick good morning, shooting him a grin before grabbing my
keys and phone, stuffing them in my pockets. Today was going to be Bella and Jasper day, and I
was going to enjoy his company without worrying about anything, and certainly without throwing
off any inappropriate vibes.

Yeah, right. This is going to be an interesting day.

JASPER POV

Well, this will be interesting. I was so used to feeling the emotional climate of whatever situation I
was in that I wasn't used to being thrown by someone else's emotions and not knowing how to
proceed. My mind flitted to the parallels I'd made the day before about feeling like a teenager, and
I brushed the thought away before it could make me nervous. Nervous? You're a fuckin' VAMPIRE.

You don't get nervous. You don't fidget or stumble or stutter. I quickly stopped my hands from

trying to tug at my collar again.

When I'd pulled up to Bella's house, I took a second to see how she was feeling before I knocked.
Nervous and excited. That was okay. She pulled the door open to greet me, and I'm sure she saw
the shift in my expression. Oh holy Christ. Red. She's wearing red. She IS trying to kill me. Look at
the way that shirt clings to her curves. Oh man...red. I felt a spike of lust and quickly clamped
down on my gift, afraid I was projecting. The fleeting thought that it might have been her lust was
gone before I could grasp it. I wasn't going to set myself up to believe that.

Bella was a vision. Glowing and happy, the red shirt against her skin and her dark hair. Wow. She

was just such a ...such a woman.

"G'morning, darlin'." Stupid accent.

With such a tight grip on my power, I had no choice but to acknowledge the next surge of emotions
as Bella's and not my own. Surprise, desire, love, affection, lust, guilt, chagrin. I raised an eyebrow
in surprise, trying to decipher that strange mix of feelings she was throwing off. Lust, huh? I
couldn't stop the half grin from forming when I felt the quick rush of embarrassment. She'd just
remembered I was feeling everything she was. I felt her resolve, wondering briefly what that was

about, and squashed the desire that flowed through me when she smiled at me.

After she'd grabbed what she needed, I led her to the truck. The plan was to stop at the new book
store in Port Angeles that would be collaborating with Bella's endeavor, grab some lunch, and then
spend the afternoon working to set up her store. I was completely tickled to be helping in what I
knew was the most important thing in her life. We hadn't made plans for the evening. I was going
to ask her to come back to the house for a movie, but I hadn't worked up the nerve yet. I wasn't

sure how she'd react to being there despite it being ancient history.

The owner of the shop spoke with Bella for about half an hour while I walked around. Bella already
had a layout planned for her store, and honestly I was surprised at how well she'd thought it out.
My Bella was one smart woman. Wait, "my" Bella? I refused to let that thought continue or even
question it, shoving it away as I'd already done with countless other thoughts already today. She'd
planned the history section to be separated by time periods and asked for my help with regards to
that. When I asked her why she quipped it was because I'd lived through so much of it. I rolled my

eyes and agreed, secretly delighted because it meant more time with her.

After the book store we ate (well, she ate) a quick lunch and headed to her shop. Located between
a coffee shop and an antique store, I thought it was the perfect location. She really did know what
she was doing. We worked side-by-side for hours, setting up shelves, unpacking some of the early
inventory, and hanging artwork and signs on the walls. By 7 p.m. we were both dusty and
disheveled, and I laughed when Bella absent-mindedly wiped her face, leaving a large smudge on

her left cheek.

"What?" She looked at me questioningly.

I moved closer to where she was sitting and knelt down to get on her level. "You're dusty," I
replied, swiping my thumb across her cheek, the rest of my fingers resting in her hair below her
ear. I heard her heart speed up and saw the blush that crept up her cheeks, feeling a little giddy
that I at least affected her a fraction of the amount she affected me. She bit her bottom lip, and I

had to close my eyes for a second. She really seemed to have no idea what she was doing to me.

"Thanks Jazz," she smiled.

"Anytime, darlin'. Can't have you walking around Forks with your face all smudged up." I was
rewarded with the site of her sticking her tongue out at me, which was so damn adorable I almost

neglected to think of what she would taste like...almost.

The day had been spent in easy-going banter, teasing and talking, and I didn't want to make her
uncomfortable, so I shifted thoughts quickly and stood up. I felt the flash of disappointment and

filed that away with the rest of the things I was refusing to contemplate just now.

"How do you feel about coming over and watching some movies?"

"Sounds great! Can I clean up there or do you wanna swing by my place first?" I felt the surge of
relief at my question, and wondered for the millionth time today why she was feeling what she was

feeling.

"You can clean up there. Alice left clothes, so you'll have something to change into."

We headed home after locking up, chatting about Esme and Carlisle and how the rest of the family
was doing. Aside from everyone knowing that Bella and I kept in touch after the fabulous "Jasper
should really think before he speaks" debacle, only Carlisle and Esme were aware of how close we
really were and that I was in Forks with her. Edward was in Europe, Alice in South America.
Emmett and Rosalie were in New England with Carlisle and Esme. The family was different, which
took some getting used to. We'd lived apart before, but this was different--a more permanent

change--and change doesn't come often for vampires.

When we reached the house, I carefully watched her reactions and emotions. I'd be damned if I
was going to do anything to upset her. It was odd how protective I felt of her. She felt some
nostalgia and regret, but the overwhelming emotions coming from her were love and contentment.
Good enough for me. I let us in and told her I'd order her a pizza while she showered. After

throwing me a quick grin over her shoulder, she headed up the steps.

I was curious whether she'd avoid Edward's room. I listened carefully and heard her walk past his
door, pausing only for a second before continuing on down the hall to what had been mine and
Alice's room. I felt more regret coming from her, slight sadness, and more love. I didn't know
anyone else who even came close to the amount of love this woman felt. Well, maybe Esme came
close. It was sometimes exhausting feeling weighed down by all the emotions of the family, and to

be basking in constant love with Bella was relaxing.

I ordered her pizza and paid for it when it came, and settled onto the couch to decide what movie
to play. I had heard the shower turn off a few minutes ago, so I knew Bella would be down soon.
Feeling the smile on my face, I had to think about the strange turn of events that brought us to our
present place, and I couldn't help thinking of all the time we'd be spending together. I had no plans
to leave Forks any time soon. I wanted to stay with Bella as long as she'd have me. I was letting
these thoughts progress, probably further than I should have, when I glanced up and saw the blur

of white that streaked past the window.

Instantly in defense mode, I mentally berated myself for being so wrapped up in my own thoughts
that I didn't even notice anyone right outside. I was terrified that any harm could come to Bella,
annoyed with myself, and furious at the thought of anyone putting her in danger. I sensed Bella
coming to the top of the stairs, and before I could whisper a warning to her to stay put, a flurry of

hard raps sounded at the front door. I sensed Bella's surprise and hesitation and another emotion

that wasn't coming from either Bella or myself. It was the darkest rage I had ever felt.

~*~

Chapter Five

BPOV

I showered quickly and found a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt. Alice was smaller than me, but the
fit wasn't too bad. Gathering my dusty clothes so I wouldn't forget them, I headed back down to
the living room. Before I started down the stairs, I saw Jasper's head jerk up, and within about half
a second his entire posture had changed. I didn't even have time to formulate the thought that he
looked wary before I heard someone rapping on the door. The sound surprised me in the quiet

house, and I started down the steps.

"Stay there!" Jasper barely glanced at me to make sure I stopped and turned his attention back to
the door. I couldn't figure out why he seemed so tense.

"Go back to my room please." He murmured in a tone of quiet authority. It didn't even occur to me
to ignore it. I'm not a fan of people telling me what to do or treating me like I'm a fragile doll, but I
trusted him, and something in his voice had me pivoting on my heel to return the way I came. I
wasn't afraid, but I was cautious. Jasper wasn't really one to over-react, and it seemed obvious to
me that he was gauging the emotions and mood of the unknown and very unexpected visitor.

The knocking came again, more persistent, and the voice from the other side of the door stopped
me in my tracks in surprise. "Where is she?", the husky voice roared. What the heck was he doing
here? It occurred to me at that point that I probably should have mentioned to him that Jazz and I
stayed in touch, and likewise warned Jazz about my friend. I don't even think the Cullens knew the

wolves were back.

Jasper had lowered into a defensive crouch and threw a sideways glance to make sure I was gone,
a constant, low growl rumbling in his chest. He looked absolutely terrifying. And sexy as hell. Shit.

Pay attention, woman!

"Jazz, it's..."

"Isabella, go BACK to my room!" Jasper was growling his words out, the tension in his posture

unmistakable.

"Jazzy, it's okay." How the hell was I going to explain that it was my friend, that he was a
werewolf, and that he wouldn't hurt me, in the time it'd take for these natural enemies to rip each
other apart? "It's Jacob Black. He's a friend." The look he threw me was one of surprise,

exasperation, and anger.

Jake had apparently felt he'd waited long enough. The door frame splintered in a deafening thud,
the door flying open and hitting the wall. Jacob caught it with his hand as it bounced back and
stood in the doorway glaring, his white T and track pants blinding in the darkness and against his
copper skin. "Where. is. she?? WHERE? And why are you here, Cullen?" Jake spat out the surname
of the only vampire family in Forks in recent history, the surname of the vampire family that had
caused the latent gene to kick back in, bringing the wolves back to La Push. He was shaking so

violently it looked like his whole body was quivering. I hadn't seen him so close to inadvertent
phasing because of his rage since the first year of the wolves return, when they were all young and
volatile. I knew I could calm him down, if only Jasper would let me get anywhere near him.

Jasper remained crouched, situating himself between the door where Jacob stood and the stairs
where I still hesitated, afraid to move too suddenly in a room with two mythical creatures who
were mortal enemies by nature. Jake had never been fond of the Cullens at any rate, and since his
change he had absolutely no tolerance for them, refraining from terms like "leech" and
"bloodsucker" only because he couldn't bear to upset me.

I was utterly perplexed at this point, and couldn't do anything about the situation until I could talk
to them both. Jasper had yet to stop growling, and Jacob was glaring and quivering, and I did the
only thing I could at that point. Frustration winning out, I yelled. "Would you two stop this? You're
both my friend! Neither of you would ever hurt me, and if you hurt each other I'm gonna be pissed
off! Now knock it off so I can explain!"

They both looked at me incredulously, like I was some mental patient they had to handle with
extreme care. I rolled my eyes and descended the last few steps. I knew enough about the nature
of them both to understand their behavior, the natural enemies thing aside. Jasper was protective
of those he cared about and, as a vampire, territorial by nature, and Jake....well, Jake had matured
a lot and wore the Alpha title well, but when it came to me and the "leeches", he was extremely
overbearing and rigid. Apart from his purpose of protecting people from vampires and his inborn
hatred of them, he resented them for having my love and my unwavering support and loyalty even
after they'd hurt me so badly by leaving.

I inched closer to Jasper with my hand outstretched and spoke in a quiet voice. "Jazz, he won't
hurt me. It's okay, honestly. He's a friend. He'd never hurt me, I promise. I trust him just as much
as I trust you." This earned me a look of complete disgust, but at least he'd relaxed his posture a

bit and stopped growling.

Raking his hand through his casually messy hair, a habit I already recognized as an expression of
frustration, he murmured quietly enough so that only I could hear. "Do you think it might have
been prudent to let me in on the fact that not only were the wolves back, but that you're friends

with them? Although why I'm surprised...." He let the sentence hang.

I approached Jake and saw Jasper stiffen out of the corner of my eye. Men. I cautiously put my
hand out and moved just within reach of Jake's chest. Laying my hand over his heart and looking
him directly in the eyes, I spoke calmly and quietly. "Jake, relax. I'm okay. I should have told you I
was in contact with Jasper. I'm sorry." This earned me another disgusted look from Jasper along
with a snort. I shot him a glare and turned back to Jacob. "Are you calm now? Can we talk?" Jake
nodded nearly imperceptibly, his entire body rigid, only his hands trembling now. "What are you
doing here?"

Jacob took a deep breath to calm himself down and then grimaced at the scent. "This is the one
that messes with peoples' feelings, right?" Ignoring the near-constant muttering coming from
Jasper's general direction, I nodded. I had no idea if Jazz was trying to diffuse the situation with his
powers or not. I didn't feel calm at all. My guess was he was so tense himself he was finding it
difficult to throw a calming influence at us. Jake turned his full attention on me, and the expression
on his face warned me exactly what was coming. "I've been calling you all day, Bells. Would it kill
you to check your phone once in awhile?! When you ignored my texts and calls, I stopped at your
house to make sure you were okay, and caught the bl-....his scent all over the place. I followed it
here." My phone. I'd turned it off while talking to the proprietor of the book store in Port Angeles

and forgot to turn it back on. "Are they all back?" I knew that he really did want to know so he

could keep the pack informed, but a part of him was really asking if Edward was back.

Before I could answer, Jasper spoke up. "No, we are not. I came to Forks alone to see Bella." Jake

stumbled backward like he'd been pushed.

"I just told you we'd been keeping in touch, Jake." But it was too late to reason with him. He was
hurt. He'd do his pack duties, but I'd have to deal with him on a personal level later.

"I'll let the pack know you're here," he directed at Jasper, and then, looking at a point somewhere
over my left shoulder and refusing to meet my eyes, he said, "Let me know when he's gone. I can't
patrol by your house with him here, and I can't allow the others to either. Better hope he protects
you." He turned and walked out the door, ignoring me when I called to him, and phased halfway
across the yard in a shower of white cotton.

As usual when I was distraught at the thought of having hurt someone, I reacted with some out-of-
place and misdirected anger. "Seriously, Jazz, I know you didn't know there were wolves, or that I
was friends with one, and I know you're only looking out not only for me but yourself, but what
was with the testosterone fest?! Can you vampires and wolves not grasp the fact that I don't care if

you're natural enemies? I refuse to stop being friends with either of you!"

I couldn't even count the emotions that crossed Jasper's face during my outburst. He replied in
typical Jasper fashion, and very calmly and quietly his velvety voice reached my ears. "I didn't ask
you to stop being friends with him, Isabella." And I burst into tears. Christ, I'm SUCH a girl. I was
just so frustrated.

Jasper was suddenly in front of me, pulling me into him. I sobbed into his chest. "Only you would
make friends with vampires and werewolves and then expect them to get along," he sighed. I let
out a watery chuckle and started to apologize, but Jasper placed a finger to my lips. "Shh, darlin'.
Everything's okay." He pulled me back into his arms and I heard something that sounded like
"Anyone else would have been better off when the vampires left town. She makes friends with the
first monsters she can find." I let that one go. I figured I could argue that point more later, but by
now I was exhausted. I'd still have to fill him in on the wolves, and I'd also have to deal with Jacob,

but for now, I just wanted to enjoy the rest of the evening, or what was left it.

I put the pizza in the fridge and we settled in to watch Tristan & Isolde, which I knew he'd picked
for me. Despite only being together in person for the last day, our closeness made it so very
comfortable and easy. When I returned from the kitchen he'd put his arm out, and I happily curled
into his side. He draped his arm around me, pulling me in a bit closer, and I smiled against his
chest. About halfway through the movie my thoughts started to drift. It occurred to me that
Edward would have reacted very differently to tonight's episode. He'd have flat-out forbidden me to
see Jacob and would have acted like I was a wayward child. Why the hell am I comparing them?
They're nothing alike. Besides, I've never compared anyone else to Edward. I realize the lop-
sidedness of that relationship now and have moved past it, even able to look back on it fondly. And
why would I compare a friend to an ex-boyfriend? I didn't want to delve into that lost thought any
further. I wasn't sure I wanted to know what that meant. I just knew I felt secure and safe and

happy, and as I drifted to sleep it didn't feel unnatural at all to be cradled by those cold arms.

JASPER POV

For the first time in my very long life, I was so at a loss for words that all I could do was observe
this ridiculous situation. This woman exasperated me to no end. Wolves, for Christ's sake. Who
could have seen this coming? The boy's emotions were all over the map. Fury, fear, jealousy. I
assumed the fear was for Bella's safety, as he didn't seem afraid of me. Idiot. I could rip him to
shreds. And if he hurt her, that's exactly what I'd do. Jealousy was a common emotion for humans,
and I'd felt it from them often. As a vampire I couldn't really relate to it, although it was definitely
in my nature as such to be territorial and want to claim what was mine. I didn't really have any
right to lay claim to Bella, but I'd be damned if I was going to let this child claim her. Every time he
looked at her (once he calmed down, that is), the love and adoration he felt were enough to
engage my instinct to claim her as my own. When I told him I'd specifically come to Forks to see
Bella, the hurt radiating off of him very nearly dropped me to my knees. I needed to keep an eye

on this Jacob.

An overwhelming sense of nervousness was coming from Bella. Only when she could see we
weren't going to go for each other's throats did she relax a little. It took every ounce of strength I
possessed not to interfere as she moved toward him, reaching out to touch him when he was
shaking like a leaf. If he phases that close to her... I couldn't even continue the thought.
Werewolves. Ugh. Volatile, animalistic, immature....acting on base instincts and completely

untamed. The thought of Bella spending time with him bothered me beyond belief.

I'd learned, however, from the mistakes of my uptight brother. I knew he'd meant well, but his
over-zealous need to keep Bella safe had caused him to forbid her to do even mundane things like
gardening for fear of her getting hurt. It drove me nuts, and I didn't even really know her at the
time. It had to have driven her crazy. I wouldn't do that to her. I'd protect her, yes, to the death if
necessary, but I refused to treat her like she was some fragile piece of china, placed on a shelf to
be admired and worshiped but never touched.

I knew she was aware we needed to have a chat about this entire wolf situation. I'd all Carlisle

later tonight to let him know they were back.

Sitting on the couch with Bella's soft, warm body curled up next to me was one of the highlights of
the day. Her emotions were all over the board, as usual. Her emotions seemed so much stronger
than other humans, or maybe it was just that I was so in tune to her. In the span of five minutes
she went through amusement, annoyance, confusion, and then contentment. Her heart rate slowed
and her breathing evened out, and I knew she'd fallen asleep. I thought about carrying her to one

of the bedrooms, but I couldn't seem to make myself move just yet.

I sat on the couch with Bella until 4 a.m., so many thoughts in my head as I gazed at this
beautiful, amazing, strong woman in my arms. When the thought that I was in very real danger of
falling in love with her crossed my mind, I carried her up the stairs to put her to bed.

~*~

Chapter Six

BPOV

Jasper and I spent nearly every day together for two weeks. For two weeks we worked in the shop,
organizing, getting things ready, cleaning the dust from all the cardboard boxes and packing

materials. For two weeks we spent our evenings together, taking walks, watching movies, talking,
or just sitting quietly, each engrossed in a book. It was unbelievably easy-going, but there was an
undercurrent of anticipation. There were several occasions when we were close, or our hands
touched, that the sexual tension was palpable. I knew I was attracted to him, and I knew he was
attracted to me. Even more deliciously agonizing, he knew I knew he was attracted to me, and

he'd have to be blind not to see how I reacted to him.

I don't even think he could be more beautiful. When I first me the Cullens, I was struck by all of
their beauty, but my attention was so wrapped up in Edward, that I didn't realize that Jasper is
even more breathtaking. He was taller than Edward by an inch or two, which put him at nearly a
foot taller than me. The way his wavy blond hair fell into his eyes was at once adorable and
insanely sexy. He favored jeans and Ts over the preppy clothes all the Cullens wore when Alice was
choosing their outfits, and I'd bet my bottom dollar Edward still dressed the part with perfectly
creased slacks and preppy shirts. I knew Jasper was self-conscious of his scars, not only because
they were so numerous, but because of what they represented. I thought they made him more
beautiful...more real. They also showed the amazing journey of his long life....what he fought back
from...what he overcame. Ever since we'd discussed that, he'd been so much more comfortable in
his own skin that he'd taken to wearing short sleeves or leaving the top few buttons of his shirt
open. And that voice coupled with that accent that came out so much more when he was feeling
any strong emotion. He was also fun to be around, playful, witty, and so much more open and less

rigid than Edward had been with me. Yeah, I wanted him.

I'm not an innocent schoolgirl any longer--not that girl who would have assumed she wasn't good
enough for someone so beautiful, so perfect, so...so mythical. I knew he wanted me, and so I
began to pay very close attention to how he reacted to me, the way I moved, a touch. I knew I
was playing a dangerous game. I had no qualms about friends with benefits or a sexual
relationship without strings, but it was a bit late for that. I wasn't ready to admit anything more
than deep affection and the distinct possibility I could fall in love with him, but that was enough to
make this a slippery slope indeed. I had no doubt he wanted to fuck me, and I had no doubt that
was all it would be. I knew he loved me--our friendship was the best and healthiest relationship I'd
ever had. I also knew he wasn't in love with me. First, I'm human. Second, I was his brother's ex-
girlfriend. Third, I was his ex-wife's ex-best-friend. Weird. Lastly, despite knowing he wanted me, I
wasn't completely sure he'd give in to his desires. Those Cullen men are masters at self-denial.

Well, except maybe for Emmett.

As I chose my outfit for tonight, I couldn't help the tingle that went up my spine.

Possibilities....what a beautiful word.

JASPER POV

I didn't need to be an empath to know Bella was as attracted to me as I am to her. The question
I'd been wrestling with for two weeks, after every single spark that coursed between us, was
whether that was enough. Was I risking getting hurt? I had no way of knowing, although I strongly
suspected I was. Would the risk be enough to stop me from taking her? Claiming her as I longed

to? I couldn't kid myself....probably not.

After our first day together, I noticed that Bella was getting increasingly good at keeping her
emotions stable, or at least she had been. The last couple of days I've felt them stronger, but it
almost seems like she's letting me feel them. I had a gut feeling that instead of just controlling
them, she was controlling what I could feel of them. Hers being the only mind Edward couldn't read
led me to to think that perhaps she was able to stop my gift as well, although she'd never seemed
to have control over it before and was never able to "lift" the shield in place over her thoughts.

People can control their emotions to a degree, but they still feel them, even if just briefly. Bella
wasn't sending out those little spikes of emotion she always had. I added this to my list of things to
discuss with Carlisle, interested in his opinion....that is, if we ever got past the wolf conversation.

When Bella and I talked about her friendship with Jacob, it was easier to understand what he'd
been feeling that night at my house. He was in love with her, and she couldn't bear that she was
causing him pain by not feeling the same and yet being unable to give him up. I was selfishly glad

he was upset with her, because I had no intentions of sharing her attention.

We'd not repeated another overnight, thankfully. I don't think I could take it again. Her peaceful
face with her long, dark hair spread out around her....I'd had to leave the room after placing her in

bed, lest I be tempted to screw up everything right there on the spot.

We planned to an outing to a local club tonight, and tomorrow we were going to the clearing where
we used to play baseball for a picnic and a walk in the woods. I knew of a trail leading to the cliffs
that could be seen from the field...huge outcroppings of ancient stone that made even me feel
young and small somehow. I'd never have attempted this if I hadn't noticed that Bella was no
longer the clumsy girl she used to be. I hadn't seen her trip once; she was sure-footed and

graceful.

I pulled up to her house a little bit early, mostly because I couldn't wait to see her. As I got out of
the truck I heard the thumping of bass. She must have her music on really loud. I grinned when I
heard what she was listening to. Christina Aguilera? Really?? Bella was a rock girl. I started up the
walk when I realized it was Dirrty she was listening to....which I realized when I began to really
pay attention, which was soon after I caught sight of her in the huge living room window. Fuck. Oh.
My. God. Bella was dancing. Bella was grinding, her hips moving in a manner that had me hard
instantly. Who the fuck knew she could move like that? Jesus Christ! She was singing along, "I
need that...uh!....to get me off; sweat until my clothes come off." I leaned forward and rested my
hands on my knees, trying to take in air I didn't really need just to calm myself the fuck down
before all coherent thought left me and I ended up crashing through her window, throwing her
down, and taking her right there. I hadn't even noticed what she was wearing. I glanced up and
immediately returned to my hands on the knees, head down position. Holy God. Fuck. VERY low
rise black jeans, a scarlet halter top of some stretchy, clingy material that was completely open in
the back, giving me a clear, unobstructed view from her neck to the waistband of her VERY low
pants, and black heels that made her legs look like they went all the way up to her neck. Fucking

red again. Give me strength, because I'm never gonna make it through this evening otherwise.

I finally got something of a grip on myself and realized if Bella saw me doubled over out here she'd
wonder what the fuck I was doing. She'd also wonder if I'd seen her, and she'd probably be
mortified. I raised my head again in time to see her roll her hips in a way that made my knees
weak and throw her head quickly over her left shoulder, long hair flying. She looked directly into
my eyes and she fuckin' winked. She knew I was watching her, and she did it anyway, and she
fuckin' winked. How goddamn sexy is that? Breathe, Whitlock. For the love of all things holy get a

handle on yourself!

As this entire thing played out in about three seconds, I winked back and gave her a cocky half-
grin as she sauntered over to the door, the high heels giving her a swagger that was probably

going to be the cause of my death.

"Hey, darlin'. Gonna do all your dancin' now, or save some for later?" I asked her, still smirking.

"Hey yourself, Whitlock. You're early."

"And it's a damn good thing, or I'd have missed the show," I raised an eyebrow and looked her
over appraisingly. Apparently, when I got wound up enough from her brazen behavior, I suddenly
had balls.

"Was all for you, cowboy, now giddy-up," she smirked, and for about the fourth time this evening,
which so far had lasted all of about three minutes, I was ready to take her on the spot.

"Yes, ma'am," I drawled, leading her to the truck.

The ride to the club was a short one, and we talked mostly about her drunken college parties and
my stories about Emmett trying like hell to get intoxicated at least once every few years. She
laughed until tears ran down her face. We had to park a few blocks from the club, so as I helped
her down from the truck I slid my arm casually around her waist, noticing how she leaned into me
as we were walking. We passed a video store with posters in the window, and Bella, noticing one
for Transformers, remarked that she'd enjoyed that movie. She had the weirdest, most eclectic
taste in movies, including a fondness for comic book movies and action flicks. I dragged one
eyebrow up and said, "Transformers? Really Bella? Isn't that a little, well, too far-fetched to even

be enjoyable?" I prefer movies based on actual events.

She snorted and rolled her eyes, "Says the sparkly vampire."

"Smart-ass", I growled, although I had to admit she had a point.

Inside the club I ordered us both a beer. Bella looked me at me questioningly, and I shrugged. One
beer wasn't going to kill me, even if it would be moderately unpleasant to have to rid myself of it
later. We sat side by side in a small booth at the back of the club, just enjoying each other's
company and the music. Bella refused when I offered to get her another beer after her third,
switching to water. We'd exchanged lingering glances several times over the course of the evening,
laughing and talking and commenting on the dancing techniques of strangers. There was electricity
between us, and we both knew it. At about midnight she gave me a sideways glance with a small
smile playing on her lips, excusing herself from the booth. I wondered what she was up to for only
a moment. She was at the DJ booth, apparently requesting a song before we left for the night. I
instinctively knew I was in trouble. I realized that very second that not only had she known I was

watching her dance earlier at her house, but she knew exactly how she'd affected me.

She walked slowly across the dance floor towards me, her hips swaying, grace like a goddamn cat.
There was something so fucking fluid about her movements. The song started and I had to close
my eyes for a minute. If I could get through the next few minutes, I was pretty sure I could endure
anything. Bella stopped about five feet from where I was sitting, and I knew she could see how
dark my eyes were. In a few minutes I was afraid she'd see exactly how aroused I was, because
there was no way in hell I could watch Bella dance for me in that outfit to this song. She raised an
eyebrow and said, "What? You don't like Nine Inch Nails?" I couldn't help the growl that escaped as
Closer began playing and Bella bent her knees and raised her hands to her hair, rolling her hips
and looking at me through her lashes. I made it through the first verse and thought I might survive
with my technique of listing important dates of the Civil War in my head when she reached out her

hand to me. All my willpower went right the fuck out the window.

I took her hand and stood up, pulling her hips towards me and moving with her. She draped one
hand around my neck, twisting her fingers into my hair. When she looked up at me, mouthing the
words....I want to feel you from the inside....rational thought was gone. I pulled her hips forward,
and I was positive she could feel my arousal. Suddenly I could feel her emotions again, and
swirling all around us were our mixed feelings of lust, desire, and love. She pushed her hips

forward and I couldn't stop the low growl that came out, and I felt the spike in her desire. Oh God.
We were holding on to one another, grinding our hips together, staring into each other's eyes. She
pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and bit down, and I nearly came undone. Please let this
song end. Please God. I can't hold on much longer. Oh Christ she's rubbing up against me, her
body so warm and soft and beautiful, my hands on the bare skin of her lower back....Fuck, her skin
is so hot, and shit, she's pushing into me again. Does she WANT me to take her right here? Those
few minutes passed in a fog of lust and desire. It was like only the two of us existed in the world.

When the song ended, she gave me a sexy little smirk and side-stepped around me to get her
purse from the booth while I stood there barely able to form a cohesive thought. I couldn't believe
she wasn't affected by that insanely sexy dance. I turned to see if she was ready, and when I
placed my hand on the small of her back to guide her out of the club I noticed she was trembling. I
fuckin' KNEW she was just as affected!

The streets of Forks were pretty much empty at this hour, and my truck was the only one parked
on the dark block. We'd walked mostly in silence, but I could still fill the desire swirling between us.
I searched desperately for something to say that would lighten the mood, but all I could think of
was how her body felt pressed up against mine. When we got to the truck, she turned towards me
before I could open her door, eyes blazing. I didn't even think. In half a second I had her pushed
up against the door, hands on her waist, my face beside hers, rubbing my nose along her cheek
and jaw. I heard her breath catch, and that sound dissolved any semblance of control I still had.
My hands grazed over her ass to her thighs, lifting her up against me. Her legs went around me,
clasping tightly at the small of my back, her arms around my neck. I pushed into her, hard. She
gasped and murmured my name, which was the single most beautiful thing I'd ever heard. I
ground into her again, feeling the heat of her pressed up against my erection. The heat of her....oh
my God. We were both breathing heavily, and half of my mind was trying desperately to get myself

under some control before I ended up fucking her up against the truck. Christ.

I brought my head up to look at her, and her beautiful face was flushed, her gorgeous eyes locked
on mine. "Fuck. Isabella, give me a minute, please." She seemed to know I was struggling hard to
regain control. She unclasped her legs and slid down my body, which very nearly wrenched away
the last ounce of my self-control. I closed my eyes. She put her hands on either side of my face
and waited patiently for me to look at her. I took a few deep breaths, fighting all my instincts,
determined to remain in control of the animalistic urge to claim her right here, right now. Finally I
was able to open my eyes.

"Okay?", she asked.

"Shit. Yeah. Sorry about that, babe." Babe? How many times are you gonna fuck up tonight?

"I'm not," she said simply, hopping into the truck.

I gathered my wits while I walked to the driver's side, torn between grinning at her response and
mentally smacking myself senseless for that little display of lust. Yes, I wanted her. Badly. And
yes, I was helplessly in love with her. How the fuck did I let this happen? Ah hell. Now things are
going to be weird. Maybe we should both just give in to the desire. We're adults, we both feel it,
we want each other. And then what? Then I go back to Maine? Pick up the pieces of my empty
immortal existence and pretend I haven't left my heart here with her? She's not in love with you

Whitlock. She wants you, yes, but is that enough?

When we got to Bella's house, I walked her to the door. She bit her lip and looked up at me, "Will

you come in?"

"That's maybe not the best idea tonight, darlin'." Disappointment, lust, love, and a quick pang of
rejection. Shit. I'm doing what that asshole brother of mine did to her. "Maybe for a little?" I asked,
raising the end of it like a question. Why the hell am I acting like a kid again?

Happiness, love, desire, and relief flooded through her. She smiled and let us into the house.
Curled up on the couch, I knew it would only be minutes before Bella fell asleep. I carried her to
her bedroom, removing her shoes before tucking her under the blanket. She opened those big

brown eyes as I pulled the blanket up to her shoulders and caught my hand in her own. "Jazz?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"Stay with me?" She sounded so young in her sleepiness, so unsure of herself and innocent. It was
such a sharp contrast to the sexy self-confidence she displayed the rest of the evening, which was
strangely appealing and further tugged on my heart. I bent over and kissed her forehead,
smoothing her hair back, and slid in next to her. She curled up into my chest and fell asleep, and I

spent the night praying for strength and thanking God she was in my arms, if only for tonight.

~*~

Chapter Seven

BPOV

Slowly ascending through levels of awareness, I awoke gradually. Several thoughts hovered at the
edge of my consciousness, briefly coming to the surface only to be replaced by another.

This shouldn't be so comfortable, waking up in his arms.

What are you DOING girl? This is JASPER for God's sake. Of the CULLENS. Gah!

Oh my God, I'm in over my head. I wanted to affect him, a playful flirtiness that could be passed
off as some ornery fun between friends, and it turned into the single most erotic experience of my

life.

Arousal flooded through me at the memory of him grinding into me, pressed up against his truck.

Holy fuck, that was hot.

Oh good. There's the blush. 'Cause I was afraid I might not blush.

I'm falling in love with him.

My eyes popped open as that thought made its way to the surface, elated and terrified. I felt
Jasper stiffen, I'm sure due to the what he was feeling from me, and I quickly clamped down on at
least the terror. My sensitive Jazz would think it was him that I feared, and I never, ever wanted
him to think I could be afraid of him.

I shifted my head from his shoulder back to the pillow, facing him. He was silent, a small smile
playing at the edges of his lips, but his golden eyes were cautious. He was waiting to see how I'd
react to waking up beside him.

"Hi," I said softly.

"Hey," he replied.

We just looked at each other for a few moments, trying to fit the enormity of our obvious attraction
to each other, as evidenced by last night's foray into...whatever that was, into our easy-going,
casual friendship. I struggled for something to say, anything to break the silence without plunging
us into awkwardness. He tentatively extended his hand to brush my hair back, tucking it gently

behind my ear, and I melted. How is he so damn perfect? He always knows just what to do.

JASPER POV

That brief, beautiful moment this morning was interrupted by her phone chirping. I felt her
wariness as she glanced at the display and untangled herself from me and the bedclothes. With an
apologetic glance at me, she walked far enough into the hallway that I could only hear her side of
the conversation. It's wonderful to have someone I can share my secret with and be myself with,
but make no mistake, it's also a pain in the ass sometimes. Like now. She knew I could hear the
other end of the conversation, and she obviously didn't want me to.

Hey Jake...tentative. A pause, and then a rush of words...Jacob wait. Wait! You don't
understand...this has nothing to do with him, or any of the rest of them really. This is

separate...NO!...it's on its own merit, and completely....Jake, don't...please don't....

I was coiled so tightly from the stress, sorrow, guilt, and desperation in her voice that I'd have
joyfully ripped Jacob Black limb from limb, which would probably upset her, so I'd have to work on
repressing that particular impulse. She returned to the bedroom full of such guilt, just beating
herself up like it was her fault Jacob was acting like a second grader who had his damn cookie
stolen by a big, mean fourth grader. I couldn't help it; I was pissed off. After the extreme emotions
bouncing between Bella and me, no way in hell was that fucking dog gonna give her shit, and

worse, she was feeling guilty, like she'd done something wrong. Goddammit, keep cool.

Our relationship was such that when she was being silly, I called her on it, and likewise she let me
know when I was being an ass. I spoke quietly, but I don't think I succeeded in keeping the disgust
out of my voice or features, "Now what the fuck is his problem?" Way to keep cool. "And why do
you put up with that bullshit from that pup?" She looked at me like I'd smacked her, turned on her
heel, and went down the steps to the kitchen. Clearly, this could have been handled better. God,

I'm an asshole. "Bella, wait!"

She rounded on me like a pit bull. "Wait for what, exactly, Jazz? Wait for you to point out that I

feel bad when people I care about are hurting, like that's such a bad thing?"

I was surprised, and frankly, a little turned on. Damn she's feisty. Fuck. She's HOT when she's
pissed. "Wait a minute, Bella... I never said that was a bad thing! I just can't tolerate you feeling

guilty, especially for spending time with me."

"Jazz....", her voice softened.

"No, Bella. How you handle this is up to you, and I'll butt out and let you deal with it unless you
ask for my help, but I will not let him make you feel badly for this...for us. Darlin', I never want to
be the cause of your guilt, and guilt is just one step up from regret, and babe, I couldn't stand it if
you regretted me." Shit. Way to say too much. I pulled her against me, tucking her head

underneath my chin, and rubbed small circles on her back.

"I couldn't ever regret you," she said softly. "And I know it's not my fault, but I do feel bad that
he's hurting." She paused for a minute. "He asked me when you were going back, and I realized
we don't talk about that." Anxiety had edged into her voice.

"Trying to get rid of me already?" I asked, keeping my tone light.

She smiled at my playful tone, but it didn't reach her eyes, and I knew the time had come to have
this conversation. Damn. I wasn't ready for this. "How about we get packed up to head to the

clearing, and we'll talk about it over lunch?"

"Deal", she smiled, but I could still feel the apprehension coming off of her. Shit. She's without a
doubt WAY over Edward, but she's still afraid of people she cares about up and disappearing on

her. Fucker. I swear I could kill that bastard of a brother for all these legacies he left her.

"About an hour, darlin'?"

"You bet. I'll be ready," she was smiling, and I could no longer tell what she was feeling. I really
need to make time to call Carlisle. How in the fuck is she doing that? I ruefully thought that now I
knew how Edward had felt when he discovered her thoughts were closed to him. I didn't like it, not

one fucking bit.

BELLA POV

We spent a beautiful afternoon, sitting on a blanket, talking about anything and everything. The
question I'd asked him earlier hung in the back of my mind, though, and it weighed heavier by the
minute. The slightly overcast day began to darken around 3 p.m., and as the first distant rumbles
of thunder sounded, we packed up everything so we wouldn't have to rush when the storm came
in. Neither of us were ready to go, though, and the question bubbled to the surface again before I

could stop it. Damn. And I was doing so well.

"Jazz?"

He gave me a small smile and sighed, "I know, darlin'. I haven't brought it back up because
honestly, I'm not sure how to answer that." He paused, as if unsure how, or whether, to continue.

"I'm not ready to leave you."

I couldn't even hold back the wave of relief I felt at his words. It didn't completely alleviate my
anxiety, but it made me feel better that he wasn't leaving just yet. He smiled again and lightly
traced my cheekbone with his fingertips. "Why do you affect me so much?" I wasn't even sure he
meant for me to hear the question, but I did, and it shot a jolt through me. My breath caught, and
I was so very close to just babbling everything in my heart and mind, consequences be damned. I

took a deep breath to still my thoughts, turning my head to watch the lightning race across the

sky, closer than before.

"Shit," he muttered. "Time to go, Bella, or we're gonna get wet."

Dammit. Can we ever have a conversation about what's going on between us without interruption?
Or maybe it's a blessing. Maybe we're not ready yet. I know he feels it, too, but I'm not prepared
to hear that he doesn't feel as strongly for me as I do for him. We began making our way back to
the truck, and about halfway there the sky opened up. Jasper picked me up in a split second and

headed for the edge of the clearing, to the outcropping of rocky ledges.

The air was charged with electricity, the storm raging around us. As a light drizzle began, Jasper
pulled me back against him under a ledge sticking out overhead just far enough to provide some
shelter. My clothes and hair were damp, and I was having difficulty controlling my breathing at the
close proximity to him. We stood there for a few minutes that seemed like a few days, and the air
grew heavier with rain, electricity, and the unspoken emotions. I could actually feel the
atmosphere changing from playful to sexual tension so thick you could cut it with a knife to all-out
lust. With my back pressed up against his chest and his arms around my waist, it was completely
instinctual, the need to get even closer to him, and I pushed my hips back against his evident
arousal, wondering fleetingly if I'd ever be able to control myself around him. He growled, low and
sexy, and tightened his arms around me, dropping his head to my shoulder and breathing deeply.

"Jazz..." It came out in a whisper, almost a plea. I have no idea what I was planning to say after
that, but it suddenly didn't matter. In the blink of an eye I was turned around, flush against the
rock face. He had both of my hands twined in his, and he raised them above my head, clamping
them to the rock above me. His onyx eyes bore into mine, water dripping off his wavy hair. We
stood that way for a few seconds before he untangled his fingers from mine, holding my hands flat
above my head against the rock, without moving his body away from mine. I could feel every

contour of him, my body fitting in with his like we were designed for each other.

I was trying valiantly to remember to breathe; it was difficult to even function with him that close
to me. His eyes never leaving mine, the lust so thick in the charged air, he ghosted his fingertips
down my arms to my sides, the edges of his thumbs barely grazing the sides of my breasts,
following the curves of my body until he reached my hips. My hands dropped to his hair as he
pulled my hips further into his, a low hiss escaping his lips at the contact, the friction. He buried his
nose in my hair, inhaling deeply, and I turned my face into his, both of us inching back just
enough....and when our lips touched, I was done in. Any rationality, any restraint, any hope of
maintaining control were lost, and all I knew, all I felt were his lips on mine. And this was no gentle
kiss, no. This was raw passion, want, and need, and I knew that we'd hit the point of no return.
Whatever else happened between Jasper and me, there was an attraction of such enormity that we

couldn't fight it, and I no longer wanted to in the least.

JASPER POV

I have never, in all my long existence, ever wanted anything as badly as I wanted her. Every ounce
of discipline was stretched to its limit as I struggled mightily to keep from ripping off her clothes
and fucking her senseless. Yes, I loved her, and yes, I wanted to make love to her, slow and
intense, but this was clearly not the time for that. Fuck it, there'll be plenty of time for slow and

sensuous later.

When she whispered my name, barely audible above the storm, even for my vampire hearing, I
broke. Flipping her around and pushing her against the rock, I captured both her hands and pinned
them above her head. She was looking right into my eyes, her cheeks flushed, her breathing
heavy, her skin damp. Christ, she smells so fuckin' good. I was completely dizzy with desire, acting
on pure primal instinct. I ran my hands along her arms, tracing her body down until I reached her
hips, pulling her harder against me, lowering my head to her hair. Oh God...I don't think I can
continue to survive if I don't taste her. As if she could hear my thoughts, she turned her head
towards me, and I captured her lips with mine. Oh. My. God. How can anyone taste this good?
Deepening the kiss, our tongues intertwining, I was convinced that Carlisle was right: There must
be a heaven. If I didn't get a handle on my ability, there was no fuckin' way I was going to be able
to stop from claiming her right there. We were feeding off each other's emotions, and I struggled

to reassert at least some control.

Pulling back slightly, our foreheads touching, both of us panting, I slid one hand up her back to
tangle in her hair. I kissed her again, more softly, gentler. She slid her hands from my hair to my
face and looked right in my eyes. I couldn't wait any longer. Whether this was the right time for
this or not, and as terrified as I was she may not feel as strongly or want me as much, and despite
that this is so not how I fucking wanted to do this, I couldn't keep myself from doing this right

now, right here, in the rain and thunder.

~*~

Chapter Eight

JPOV

"Bella... Fuck... Baby, this is not how I wanted to do this." Brilliant Whitlock. You're turning into a
fuckin' girl. What, you gotta declare your undying love and make sure she reciprocates before you
fuck her? I wanted her so fucking bad I wasn't sure I could stop, and I didn't want to, never mind
the fact it was purely physical for her. Yep. You're gonna get crushed. Fuck it. I'll worry about that

later.

She was breathing so hard, and she looked so beautiful, wet hair, eyes hooded with longing, lips
swollen from our kisses. "Jazz...", she whimpered...she fucking whimpered...and I was instantly

harder than I already was. "Please... I want to."

Well, that fucking settles it then. I threw every rational impulse to slow this down right the fuck out
the window and leaned in, grabbing her bottom lip, sucking on it gently before claiming her lips
again in a kiss. She moaned into my mouth, and I swear it was the most beautiful sound I ever
heard. I moved my hand from her hair to her collarbone, moving it slowly down and cupping her
breast. Leaning in, I ran my tongue lightly along her jaw to her earlobe, tugging it between my
lips. When I moved my mouth to the spot below her ear...She's so soft...and her skin...God...the
taste.... she gasped, "Oh God," and let out a throaty, husky moan in the form of my name. I
changed my mind. THAT is the most beautiful sound I ever heard. Fuck. I was vaguely aware that

even my mental babbling was becoming quickly incoherent.

Our hips were moving, seemingly on their own. It was as thought we couldn't control the need to
be closer. I had one arm wrapped around her waist, and I dropped my other from her breasts to
her ass, grinding her against me even harder. I could hear the constant, low growl rumbling in my

chest. I had one last fleeting thought that I should stop this while I still could, and then Bella
pushed away from the rock face with surprising strength, turning us around and pushing hard on
my chest to get me to sit on the shelf of rock I hadn't even fucking noticed. She climbed on top of
me, straddling me, never taking her eyes off my face, and began to grind her hips into mine in an
excruciatingly slow rhythm. I could feel her need and her arousal as well as her determination. The
site of her in this position, the lightning silhouetting her breathtaking form as she moved up and
down, grinding against me, was so fucking sexy. God she's so beautiful. I grabbed her hips,
probably too hard, and pulled her down hard against me. She threw her head back and moaned. I
swear every sound made my fucking dick harder. I didn't even know how that could be possible at

that point. It was nearly painful.

"Fuck....Bella..."

"Jasper, please...I need this...I need you....please." Oh fuck. Fuck.

I lifted her up and set her on her feet, kissing her hard, my hands all over her body and hers on
mine. She tugged my shirt out of my jeans and I whipped it over my head, tossing it. Her hands
immediately went to my jeans, tugging the button loose and she grabbed my bottom lip between
her teeth, tugging and letting out a primal growl of her own that weakened my knees. She slowly
pulled my jeans to my knees, kissing her way up my chest as she stood back up. I pulled her shirt
over her head, and crashed my lips into hers again, running my thumbs over her nipples and
feeling them harden even more. I slid my hands to her jeans and pulled back enough to cock an

eyebrow at her, silently questioning her. Please be sure. Oh God don't stop me now.

She batted my hands away, giving me the most seductive, devilish look, causing me to groan. I
was going to fucking explode with desire. She kicked off her shoes, standing on the damp stone,
and unbuttoned her own jeans, sliding them slowly down her legs and stepping out of them. The
desire coming from her coupled with my own had us both panting, and when I reached for her she
sidestepped me and pushed me again against my chest. As much as I had the barely controllable
desire to claim her, I instinctively knew she needed to be in control of this, and I dropped back
down to the ledge I'd been sitting on moments ago. I could sense her determination, lust, and
need, and understood that this was what she needed, for whatever reason. I also understood in

that moment that I'd always give her whatever she needed.

She pulled my head to her stomach, and the smell of her arousal about undid the tenuous restraint
I'd managed thus far in my attempt to give her the control she wanted, but Bella in charge was so
fucking sexy. I slid my fingers over her panties, feeling her heat, how wet she was through the
fabric. Christ. I tugged on the waistband with my other hand, and she wiggled her legs, sliding
them off. Pushing me back, she placed one knee on either side of my thighs, her heat just touching
my erection. Holy God. Can a vampire drop dead of arousal? It took every ounce of strength in me,
strength I wasn't even aware I had, to keep from grabbing her hips and slamming her down onto
me. She leaned down and ran her tongue in a blazing path up my neck to my ear. She took my
hand in hers, guiding me, running both of our index fingers over her hot, wet folds, and whispered
huskily in my ear, "Can you feel what you do to me?" Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. That was fucking

sexy.

"Bella...you're so fuckin' wet....God'.." I growled.

Without giving me a chance to even think about what she was doing, she positioned herself over
me, hesitating just long enough that I thought I could end this existence happily at that moment,
the tip of my cock resting against the heat of her. I realized I was repeating her name over and
over, like a benediction. I seemed to have lost complete control of any form of coherence, rational

thought leaving me with only the feel of her damp skin on mine, the smell of her, the heat of her,
the fact that she was fucking naked and on top of me. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Ahh fuck. I was fucking
twitching trying to keep from thrusting up into her. She gave me a wicked smile and began to
lower herself, inching her way onto my cock. Christ every fucking ridge, every fucking muscle....I
could feel everything, all of her. It was exquisite torture, the feel of her enveloping me so slowly
with her heat, eye to eye, our breathing coming fast. When I was fully inside her I groaned, unable
to stop myself from grabbing her hips. She held in the position for a moment, and said the most
beautiful words I was convinced I'd ever heard, at least at that particular moment. "Fuck me,

Jasper. Make me yours."

In about a tenth of a second I'd spun her around and pushed her up against the rock. She clasped
her ankles behind my back, her hands in my hair, eyes closed. "Nuh-uh Isabella. Open your eyes. I
wanna see what I do to you." Her lust increased at my words, and she opened her eyes, looking at
me with undisguised desire. It was the hungriest look I'd ever seen. With her pinned between me

and the rock, I thrust into her. Hard. "Is this what you want, Isabella?"

"God...yes! Jasper...oh God." She was moaning and panting...hell, we both were, intent only on
each other and our need to be one. Watching the lightning reflect in her eyes, I thrust into her as
hard as I dared. I couldn't even believe the heat of her, how fucking wet she was, how fucking
tight she was. There was no fucking way I was gonna last. I slid a hand between our bodies, lightly

pinching her clit, causing her to tighten up even further.

"Cum for me, Isabella."

"Now....I'm gonna....right now....oh...oh GOD..." I felt her walls clamp down on me, which caused
me to completely fucking lose it, and we rode out orgasms out, breathing hard, bodies trembling
together. I kissed her with every ounce of passion I felt for her, letting her feel my satisfaction,
contentment, and love. When I pulled back her eyes were shining, and a small smile graced her
face. It was the look of a very satisfied woman, and I felt a surge of pride at that. I'd satisfied her,
and by God she sure as shit satisfied me. Kissing her softly on the nose I set her down gently,
disentangling our bodies. I already missed being inside her. My mind was going a hundred
directions, thinking of all the things I wanted to do with her, to her....to take my time exploring her
whole body, touching her, tasting her. I felt the insane urge to fuck everything up and tell how
fuckin' hopelessly in love with her I was. I came to the conclusion I was helpless to do anything but
show her how I felt about her, and fuck the risk of her not feeling the same. It was inevitable.
There was no way I could contain my feelings indefinitely, much less if we continued on this
particular path, and I honestly didn't see how it was even possible not to.

She shivered against my cold skin, and I swore softly. "Shit. You're cold...let's get you dressed
before you get fucking pneumonia." I gathered up her clothes quickly. As I pulled her shirt back
over her head, I was again taken with how confident she was. No embarassment or awkwardness.
No feelings of inadequacy, which I'd always felt from her years ago. This was a woman. A beautiful,
self-assured woman who had no qualms about her own needs or the steps she took to meet them,
confident enough to take control, to take what she needed. Fuck, that's hot as hell. I pushed that

thought away before it could take hold, or else I'd be hard all over again.

The rain had diminished by this point with distant flickers of lightning the only remnant of the
storm. I couldn't stop myself from kissing Bella as we rearranged our clothing, both of us quiet and
relishing what had just passed between us. I knew, and I'm sure she did, too, that we had some
serious shit to discuss. Even if there was no chance of her returning my feelings, and I was afraid
to hope she might despite the love I felt radiating off of her all day, I wasn't about to give her up
and go back to being fucking pen pals. That meant further implications than just our changed

relationship, including what and how much I'd tell my family, whether we'd see them, her damn
werewolf friend, whether this would affect the treaty...Jesus Christ in a taxicab...the fucking
treaty!....whether she still harbored a desire to be changed...way to get ahead of yourself there
dipshit....the things I could do to her once she was changed...apparently my dick is taking over this

train of thought...lovely.

I gave up trying to make a mental list of things to address with Bella, wondering if I could bear to
let her go now that I had her here with me. That thought caused so much pain that I lost control of
my ability for a second, and I knew I'd projected when she looked at me quizzically. I pushed the

thought away, giving her a reassuring smile, and kissed her forehead before bending for her shoes.

I was sliding her shoes back onto her feet when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and

glanced at the display. Oh, fuck no.

"Hello, Edward."

BELLA POV

I couldn't seem to keep the satisfied smile off my face. I didn't stop to contemplate my brazen
actions and refused to let myself feel like I should be embarrassed because I went after what I
wanted. And wow. Really....wow. I knew it would be amazing, and it was beyond anything I'd
imagined, and I'd imagined a lot. I knew then, without a shadow of a doubt, we'd do it again...and

again.

Jasper was perfect...rough and gentle. The way he moved, the things he said, the way he'd fucked
me turned me on all over again just thinking about it, and the soft kisses and gentle movements

when he redressed me were just what I'd needed after the roughness of him, of me...of us.

He was as lost in thought as I. It was rare for him to broadcast emotions unless he meant to, and
even rarer for him to broadcast them for more than the second it took him to realize he was doing
it, but he was radiating waves of adoration, bliss, and love so strong they nearly took my breath
away. I momentarily felt what I thought was pain and I curiously glanced over at him. He was so
beautiful, damp golden curls in his beautiful eyes. He smiled at me and kissed my forehead

sweetly.

I felt his burst of annoyance when his phone vibrated, but when he looked at it the annoyance
changed to possessiveness, anger, and....fear? Before I could wonder what would cause him to be

afraid, he flipped open the phone with a terse, "Hello, Edward."

My eyes shot to his and I immediately clamped down on my emotions, not wanting him to feel my
apprehension, regret, fondness, curiosity. I looked back on that time in my life with so many
feelings. Many of them were positive, but it was still a blow to my system to suddenly be that close
to Edward again. He didn't know how close Jasper and I had become. He didn't know that Jasper

was here with me. What would his reaction be? I couldn't help but be curious.

I carefully kept my face neutral, only raising my eyebrows slightly to express my curiosity. I was
able to hear Jasper's side of the conversation.

I'm not in Maine. ----- I'm visiting a friend. ----- What is it you want, Edward? ----- Why does it
matter where I am? ----- I'm not trying to "hide" where I am, I'm just intentionally avoiding it
because I don't want to hear your shit. Now what do you want?

There was a pause so long I thought Edward must have hung up....and then, in a voice dripping
with rage, venom, and an undercurrent of fear that scared me to death, Jasper growled out one

sentence before slamming the phone shut.

I'm on my way.

~*~

Chapter Nine

JPOV

I swear my mind was going nuts. When I saw Edward's name I was pissed. To be honest, I'd have
been annoyed at the timing no matter who it was, but he was the last person I wanted to talk to
right now. We'd never been particularly close, and things in the last few years have been slightly
more strained. I resented him for what he'd done to Bella, what he'd forced the rest of the family
to do to Bella. If I were to be completely honest with myself, I'd also resented him for having her
love, even if he didn't any more. How fucking stupid would you have to be to have her love, and
walk away from it? I couldn't fathom that.

I also didn't know how Bella was going to react to him being on the phone. It doesn't matter how

much time passed or how far a person has moved on, this shit was going to be weird.

"Hello, Edward."

"Jasper. Where are you?"

"I'm not in Maine."

"No shit."

"I'm visiting a friend."

"I know. I came home, and Esme was having thoughts about your little trip."

"What is it you want, Edward?"

"WHERE are you?"

"Why does it matter where I am?"

"I already knew you were keeping in touch with her, Jasper. What I can't figure out is what the
fuck you're doing there, and why you're trying to hide it."

" I'm not trying to "hide" where I am, I'm just intentionally avoiding it because I don't want to hear

your shit. Now what do you want? "

"I'm at the house. I returned because I need to speak with you, Jasper, and it concerns Bella. I
knew you were here in Forks, I'll explain how later. Jasper, You of all people know how I feel about
her. I need to speak with you, and I need to see her. Please."

I'm not sure how I kept the growl from erupting, but I was pissed OFF. He's here? Jesus. And what
the fuck? He needs to see her? I'm not sure he'll think spending all her time with the one vampire
most likely to drain her, then fucking said vampire in a massive thunderstorm against some
goddamn rocks....no, not a chance he'll consider that "having a normal life." This cannot end well. I

gave up counting how many times that sentiment has gone through my head the last few weeks.

She won't go back to him, will she? She can't. Ah God...I can't lose her. What if she takes him
back? What if she gives him another chance? I know he loves her. He may have a fucked up way of
showing it, but he was really trying to do the right thing when he left, and I never doubted the
emotions I'd felt from him when he was with her. And this had to happen right now?! Christ.

And then I heard the statement that was the last straw.

"Jasper? I need to talk to you about something that happened in Italy, and then we need to have a
talk with Carlisle, the two of us. Soon. They're coming, Jasper, and Bella can't be anywhere around

us when they do."

"I'm on my way."

I didn't have time to think of how to discuss this with Bella, and I wasn't about to lie to her out of a
warped sense of protecting her like that idiot had done, so I quickly recapped the basis of the
conversation for her. "Edward is here, and he wants to talk to me." Her expression tightened, but
her face gave no other indication of what she was feeling. Her emotions were almost completely
absent; all I could feel was a strong sense of calm with occasional spiky peaks of panic. I grossly
misinterpreted those, I'm afraid. "You're still afraid to see him? What the fuck, Bella? What hold
does he have on you?" I tried vainly to keep the bitterness out of my voice.

Her eyes flashed furiously. She lifted her chin defiantly. "You know what Jazz? Being an empath
apparently doesn't make you any smarter than the average human! If I had a dime for every damn
time you misinterpreted the reasons behind my feelings, I'd have....I'd have.....I'd have a lot of
dimes!" She was sputtering in her anger and indignation, and it was so fucking cute that I couldn't
help it, I started laughing. She blinked at me for a moment, trying desperately to hold on to her
anger, and then gave it up as a lost cause, dissolving into giggles herself. "What are we doing,

Jazzy?"

Well wasn't that a loaded question. What indeed? I sighed, "I don't know, Bella, but we have a lot

of things we need to talk about, darlin'. Okay?"

"Yeah, okay," she replied, obviously relieved and a little apprehensive about the conversation that
would change so much.

"I have to go meet Edward, babe. Do you want me to drop you off at home?" Fuck if I was going to

make the decision for her.

"Sure. You guys have things to discuss, and I think my presence might...hinder that. Will you come
over later, though?" I could hear the underlying current of doubt in her voice. She thought I was
going to fucking leave her. Even if she didn't fully formulate the thought, it was there.

I gently lifted her chin with my finger, raising her face so I could look her in the eyes. "Isabella, I
will come over later. And I will always come back." I bent down and brushed my lips against hers

softly.

*******************

I did everything but mentally translate the Bible into Gaelic to keep Edward out of my thoughts. I
wasn't ready for him to know the extent of my relationship with Bella until she and I had a chance
to talk about that ourselves. We had enough to discuss without adding Edward and his theatrical
tendencies to the mix. Also, as possessive as I felt of her, and as much as a small part of me
wouldn't mind him knowing we'd been intimate, I didn't want him to see her like that. He gave up
his right to see her like that when he left her, and even before that when he'd refused to have any
sort of physical relationship with her out of his own fear.

When I entered the house, Edward was in the living room, his posture rigid. Good. An easy-going
brotherly reunion. Fabulous. He rose to greet me, pausing for only a split second when he
registered Bella's scent all over me, the pain crossing his features almost too quickly to see.
"Enjoying your afternoon, brother?" he asked, and I instantly felt the regret behind the sarcasm
and disgust in his voice. I kept my face neutral, only raising my eyebrow, hoping he'd understand I
wasn't going to be goaded, nor would I apologize for spending time with his Bella. She's NOT his
Bella. Not anymore. He flinched, sighed, and spoke again, "I'm sorry. I told myself I wouldn't do

that. We have more pressing things to discuss, at any rate."

Edward started to fill me in on his travels, and his visit to Volterra. Aro had gotten wind that
Edward was in Italy, and wanted to finally meet Carlisle's first companion. He was aware of
Edward's ability, and despite the different mechanics their abilities were similar enough they
formed something of a grudging respect for one another. Aro respected Carlisle greatly, but we'd
feared in the past that our family was large enough to draw the Volturi's attention. Seven vampires
co-existing together was extremely uncommon, and it made us a threat to them. When Bella came
into our lives, we'd feared any Volturi involvement could mean her death sentence. She was a

human immersed in our world, after all, and that was strictly against the rules.

Aro had seen my history in Edward's mind, and seen my ability and how it worked, its limitations
and strengths, the dynamics of it and what it meant to be able to either incite or calm large groups
of people or individuals within a large group. My ability at this point in my life was focused and
honed, and Aro was able to see that easily. Edward, hearing his thoughts, knew more than Aro
meant for him to, including Aro's plan to visit Forks to "observe" me. Upon returning to Maine,
Edward immediately told Carlisle everything Aro had told him, and everything Aro hadn't told him.

Alarmed, Carlisle told Edward where I was, and would be arriving shortly himself.

By this point, I figured either Edward wasn't explaining everything well enough, or that I was so
obtuse I rivaled Newton in the dumb-as-a-post category, because other than the risk of the Volturi
being anywhere near Bella, not to mention the fucking dogs we haven't even discussed yet, what
was the big fucking deal? Great. I haven't even had a chance to tell Bella how I feel, and now we
have to put that off for a full-fucking-fledged family reunion I don't even know if she's ready for.

Fuck.

Edward raised his eyebrows at that thought, and I quickly went back to blocking my thoughts. He
was doing amazingly well not asking me questions about her. I knew his patience was endless, but
still, to be here in Forks, so close to her, with her scent in the air around us, how the hell was he

doing it?

"It's not without effort," he said in a tight voice. "But this is slightly more pressing at the moment,

and it involves her safety as well."

I couldn't understand how this involved her safety. Yes, Aro would see her in my mind, having
already seen her in Edward's. He would know she knew our secret, but there was no way in hell I'd
ever let him find her or harm her. I'd rip the fucker to shreds and take out his whole fucking guard
alone if I had to. "You don't know the worst of it yet." Edward spoke up. Fuck. I forgot what a pain
in the ass it is to keep him blocked. Smiling faintly, he continued, "Carlisle's here. Let us explain it

all."

*******************

A fucking prophecy. How do they keep that shit a secret for centuries? Oh Christ...Bella. How in the
fuck are we going to keep her safe in all this? Edward's head jerked up, and the quiet tone of his
voice didn't hide the intensity behind his words, "They won't touch her Jasper. I'll protect her with

my life." Good. That makes two of us.

Carlisle explained the prophecy: There is a legend, a prophecy among the oldest of the vampires,
of a vampire stronger than any other, existing mostly unrecognized and unknown among our kind.
Charismatic, strategic, intelligent, strong. Able to control large crowds, and eventually, it is said,
whole countries. This vampire would fall in love.....Carlisle looked at me pointedly... with a human
girl, nearly unheard of in all the long history of the vampire, save for a few occasions, all of which
ended badly. He would turn this woman who would show amazing abilities as a shield against other
vampires' powers even in her human form. As a vampire she'd have the strongest defense known,

and combined with her sire, they'd be unstoppable, more powerful than any in the vampire world.

Carlisle paused for a moment and spoke again, "You can see, then, how they'd feel threatened if
they believed there was any possibility that this ancient story was coming to pass." I could feel his

underlying fear.

I directed my question to Carlisle, "What does that have to do with us?"

But it was Edward who answered, "When I met with Aro in Italy....you're aware of his ability...he
...saw things. The Volturi were as yet unaware of your powers Jasper, of your history."

"So they're interested in us because I'm an empath? You'd think Alice's power would be more

beneficial to them, and certainly yours would be, Edward."

Carlisle looked at me with such seriousness and gravity, "Jasper. They think you're this vampire

from the prophecy."

Stunned silence. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or what. "You're kidding. I mean c'mon." The looks
on their faces were enough to convince me they were not, in fact, kidding. I needed time to
process this. I mean seriously, who could have seen this coming? I saw the look that passed

between them. They weren't done. "Wait. Wait just a fucking minute. You guys agree?"

Carlisle replied, "Well, in seemed unlikely, although obviously with your history and abilities I guess
we'd have to realize they would consider the possibility that the prophecy was about you, at least
once we learned of it. It was a closely guarded secret of the Volturi, and I never heard a whisper of
it in all my time there. I suppose it makes sense, since they obviously fear this coming to pass;
they'd want to watch for this quietly, stop it from happening before it threatened their power. And
while it may have been possible to convince them otherwise, Jasper, when you add Bella into the
equation, especially with the things you've told me about her consciously blocking your

power...well, surely you can see...?"

He was pleading with me to understand that he wasn't laying this at my feet. He was just trying to
figure this whole mess out, too. I blew out the breath I'd been holding, slumping forward to drop
my forearms on my knees. I couldn't even wrap my fucking mind around this shit. Edward had
remained quiet since his admission that Aro had gleaned the information he'd used to make this
ridiculous assumption out of Edward's head. He was feeling guilt and fear. The guilt I understood.
The fear I had to assume was for Bella's safety, because it was barely a fraction of the terror I was
feeling.

Edward had been right all along. She was better off without us in her life, even if she did hang out
with fucking werewolves. I'd put her in this danger. My mere existence, my mere presence had

threatened not only her well-being, but her very life. Oh fuck me. Bella.

Edward and I looked at one another, his tortured gaze telling me everything I needed to know
without a single word passing between us. I didn't need to read his mind to know that he, too,
would protect her at all cost. Instead of jealousy at his love for her, I was profoundly thankful.

Whatever it took, we'd keep her safe.

Carlisle flipped open his cell phone. "It's time to call the rest of the family to Forks. Jasper, you
must tell Bella what is happening. She needs to be aware of the danger, and that once again she's
going to have to deal with being in the presence of at least one vampire all of the time. We can't
leave her alone, not even for a short time." Amazingly in all the tension and raw emotion in the

room, he smiled. "Go get my daughter, and bring her home."

~*~

Chapter Ten

BPOV

I wondered what on Earth could bring Edward back to Forks at this point and how he knew that
Jasper was here. I'd felt nervous when Jasper cut our day short and left to meet Edward. I couldn't
help it. Our worlds were so different, it seemed impossible I'd be lucky enough that he'd stay with
me. He never said he'd stay with you forever. I pushed that thought away, suppressing the anxiety

that came with it.

Jasper had dropped me off a few hours ago. The sun had set, and I started wondering how late
he'd be. Would he just show up even if it was late, or would he assume I'd gone to bed? I mentally
chastised myself. Jasper had never left me hanging or broken his word. He'd be here. I couldn't
stop myself from pacing, though. If he was gone much longer, I was going to wear a path in the

carpet.

I heard the a light tap on the front door, and it opened quietly. I felt the smile tugging at my lips
and the relief wash through my body. He was here. He was worried I was sleeping, so he was
being quiet enough to not wake me, but loud enough that he wouldn't scare the hell out of me if I

was up. I forced myself to walk, not run, down the stairs to meet him. "Hey, cowboy."

There was evident tension on his beautiful face, but at the sight of me he flashed a delighted grin.

"You're still up." It wasn't a question.

I looked at him with mock exasperation, "Of course I'm still up. You thought I'd crash before you

got here?"

He smiled again, but I could tell he was worried, and I felt anxiety wash over me again. "We need

to talk, darlin'," he drawled.

JASPER POV

This was gonna be a long fucking night. I refused to avoid talking about what was going on
between us just because hell was approaching. If there was any chance at all we weren't going to
get through this, I wanted to die knowing that I'd told her how I felt. With any luck, I could die
knowing she loved me as well. Yeah, blind faith and hope are going to keep you from getting

pulverized if she doesn't feel the same way. Idiot.

I could see and feel how anxious she was. I shot her an apologetic look and a wave of calm,
because I know she hates when I play with her emotions without asking her first, but if we were

both anxious, this was going to be a mess, and there were too many important things to cover.

"I want to tell you about my meeting with Edward, because it concerns you, but I also wanna talk
about what's going on between us, and babe, I don't want either topic to get lost in our discussion

of the other. Does that make sense?"

She nodded, her bottom lip between her teeth. She's so fuckin' adorable. Fuck. Focus!

"Now, the question is...what do we discuss first? I'm afraid the whole fucking conversation is gonna
get derailed before we cover everything." I grinned, because this was just so fucking surreal. What
the fuck was I going to say? I love you, and by the way, we might all die when the psychopathic

power-hungry vampires from Italy get here. Brilliant.

Looking up at me with those big brown eyes that turn me into a puddle, Bella said, "Can I say
something before you begin?" Like I'd deny her anything. I nodded. She took a deep breath, not
sure how to start now that we were both here and needing to have this conversation. She held up
one finger, requesting a minute, and I grasped her free hand in mine and smiled encouragingly at
her. "I don't even know where to begin," she mused. "Okay. Whew. I'm not going to go into a
whole big explanation, because we can get through the logistics of it later," she glanced up at me
with a half smile on her face, almost apologetic because she knows how big I am on details. I got
her point, though. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable, and even more, I don't want you to
ever feel obligated when it comes to me." I opened my mouth to protest that ridiculous statement,
but she gave me the half smile again and raised her fingers to my lips, effectively shushing me.
Well shut my mouth. Little miss hundred and ten pounds soaking wet just shut me up. I grinned
behind her fingers and shushed. "You can protest in a minute, but you already know and have

pointed out that I worry about what everyone else is feeling, although from an empath, that's
pretty ironic," she said, smiling that smart-ass smile of hers. "You're my best friend, Jazz. I don't
know if that's weird for you or not, having a human consider you her best friend, let alone a human
who dated your brother," she grimaced and continued, "but since you've been here, well.....I don't
think I need to point out we've been acting like a little more than friends." Hello, understatement of

the year.

She paused again, and I twitched my lips under her fingers. I don't know whether I was dying to
have my chance to speak, or dying to hear the rest of what she wanted to say. The hope was
burning inside me, but so was the terror. This could end with me being on top of the world or in
the very depths of hell. She glanced up me again and went on, "I didn't know how to tell you this
without making things ...weird. And then I thought, after this afternoon, that we'd already crossed
the line into what would make this weird, so...in for a penny, I guess." She was half talking to
herself almost, as though it gave her the courage to continue. She took a deep breath and dropped

her gaze once more, and I could feel her resolve. "Jasper, I'm in love with you."

The world actually stopped fucking turning. I wanted to laugh, weep, jump for joy....fucking
something. I gently moved her hand from my lips and held it in my own, now holding both of her
hands in mine. "Look at me, Isabella." She peeked up through her lashes, and I melted. "I'm
completely and hopelessly and wretchedly in love with you." The relief was palpable, and the grin
that lit up her face was glorious. She opened her mouth to speak and it was my turn to shush her.
With a cocky grin....shit, I can afford to be cocky now...I let go of one of her hands and placed my
fingertips on her lips. I could see the merriment dancing in her eyes, and I couldn't keep myself
from kissing the corner of her mouth beside my fingers. "I think I was in love with you before I
came out here. I was terrified we were going about this backwards," cocking an eyebrow and
giving her a wicked grin, "but darlin' I couldn't help myself. I don't know what it is, but I can't
fucking keep my hands off of you." I dropped my fingers from her lips and cupped her face, "I love
you, I think I've always loved you, and I will love you forever, and Isabella, I mean forever, if you'll
let me."

Her gorgeous eyes were shining and I could feel the love and happiness...hell elation...she was
feeling, and I was pretty sure I was putting out some serious vibes myself. There was so much
more to say, but right now all that mattered was....she fucking loves me! Me! I leaned toward her
and kissed her softly, running my tongue over her bottom lip, deepening the kiss. It quickly
became more urgent, and if we didn't stop this shit right now we were both going to be naked and
saying, "What Volturi?" Not good. I reluctantly pulled away, but fuck if I could stop grinning like an
idiot, and apparently neither could she. She looked a little punch-drunk, like my words had stricken

her loopy. I chuckled softly and kissed her again. I know, I know, but I can't fuckin' help it!

BELLA POV

It took every ounce of courage I had to tell him. I kept resisting the urge to meander all around the
topic, hoping to lead him to it without actually having to say it. I gathered my courage and just
blurted it out, terror and hope and anticipation making me dizzy. Breathe, dammit. And he loves
me. Oh thank the gods and all things holy, he loves me. I don't even know how that's possible, but

I don't care.

I knew he had something of grave importance to discuss with me, and when I felt him trying to
reign in his emotions and his lust, I pulled back a little myself to help him. I knew the look on my

face made me look like a flaky teenager at a Jonas Brothers concert, but I couldn't seem to help it.

He laughed quietly and kissed me again. God I love this man.

Pulling me closer to him, he sighed. "I don't wanna do anything but take you upstairs and make
love to you," he shot me a burning look that sent a rush of heat through me, "but we have to talk
about something else." I nodded and waited for him to continue. "Before I tell you what Edward

wanted, I need to know if you'll be okay with him being here in Forks for awhile."

He sounded so unsure of himself, and I'd never heard that tone of insecurity in his voice before.
"Jasper," I began gently, "I don't have any problem seeing Edward. In fact, I'd like to see him
again. He was a big part of my life for awhile. I loved him. Part of me will always love him, but I
can't ever be in love with him again. Maybe we'd still be together if he hadn't left, but I doubt it. I
love you, cowboy, and I think a part of me knew even then that yes, I was destined to be part of

your family somehow, but not with Edward."

I knew he could feel my emotions, the sincerity of my statements. The pure relief he sent out
proved that before he regained control and stopped projecting. He dropped his forehead against
mine for a moment, just gathering his thoughts and calming himself down before pulling back and
giving me the sweetest smile I'd ever seen. Smiling in return, I reached up and brushed his hair

out of his eyes.

"That's not quite all, Bella. Carlisle's here, too; he just got in, and I didn't know he was coming, but
he's called the rest of the family in as well. Babe, they'll be arriving over the next couple of days."
Wow. I wasn't sure if I was ready for everyone at once, but if I planned to be with Jasper, I'd have
to see them all eventually anyway. I nodded to let him know I was okay with this so he could move

past it and get to what he was really worrying about.

It didn't take me long to be sorry I'd been impatient to hear what was on his mind. I knew of the
Volturi, of course, from Carlisle and Edward. I also knew about Jasper's history both as a human
and a vampire, including his service in war and the military, his years training newborns, that bitch
Maria I'd gladly rip limb from limb if I ever had the opportunity, and how he came to be with the
Cullens. I couldn't quite come to terms with the enormity of what was happening. A prophecy, for
Christ's sake. This kind of shit doesn't happen in real life. Right, and I'm sitting across from a tall,

heartbreakingly beautiful, blond vampire.

"But Jazz, I need to work on things at the store to get it ready, and I can't just pick up and

disappear, hiding at your house," I reasoned.

"You can do whatever you need to for the store and at the store, but you're going to be doing it
with supervision. I have no idea what kind of schedule Carlisle is setting up to make sure someone
is with you at all times, but it doesn't matter, because I don't plan to leave your side until this is
over," he said grimly. "And by the way, two more things. First, Carlisle wants me to bring you back
to the house. He misses his daughter." I couldn't help but smile in response to the way her face lit
up. "Second, just because I may leave your side when this is over, doesn't mean I'm leaving you."

I crawled into his lap, straddling his legs, and wrapped both my arms around his neck. "I love you,
Whitlock," I cocked my head to the side, "or do I have to call you Hale now that the rest of the

family is returning?"

He grinned. "Whitlock is just fine, darlin', as long as you don't go shouting it in the bustling,

crowded streets of Forks. And I love you, too, more than I could ever express."

I was happier than humanly possible. Seriously, I felt like I could float. "Are you gonna be okay

with Alice here?"

"Yep. We've talked a few times, though I haven't seen her. Darlin' I have a great affection for Alice,
and I'm thankful she brought me to the Cullens, but she's happy now, and so am I. I'm glad she's
happy, and she'll be glad we are. She loves you, Bella, and it never sat well with her either what
we all did to you. I had a hard time forgiving her for going along with it, but I think we can be

friends."

I bit my lip, unsure how to say this. "I'm not sure I can be her friend, Jazz. I can be friendly, but I
don't see shopping sprees and makeovers in our future. I'm not that same shy girl who used to let

her boss me around."

"Actually, darlin', I can't fucking wait to see you dig your heels in and refuse the manic little pixie."
And with that, he lifted me in my arms, carrying me upstairs to gather my things for an extended

stay at his house.

Within 20 minutes we were running through the forest, my face buried in his neck, and as we came
into view of the mansion and I saw Edward's Volvo, I felt him tense. "I love you..." he whispered so
low only I could hear him. "This is going to be difficult for him, and for me, but I'll try to keep the
jealousy in check, okay darlin'?" I smiled against his neck, letting him know I'd heard him, and he

slid me to my feet. We clasped hands, and with a deep breath, went inside.

~*~

Chapter Eleven

JPOV

Walking into that house was excruciating. Bella may have fine with it, but I was nowhere near
ready for her and Edward to be in the same county, much less the same damn room. I'd spent so
long being jealous of him for having her love, even if he was stupid enough to let it go. I knew he
suffered because of it, but that didn't stop me from resenting him, albeit slightly irrationally. It
wasn't his fault that I fell in love with her, and to give the devil his due, he did love her with all of
his heart, and this would be far more difficult for him than it would be for me.

Bella seemed completely calm, and I didn't know if that was because she was or because she was
suppressing her emotions. We have to get to the bottom of this shielding ability of hers. I've had

about enough of this shit. Christ, there's too much to do!

We walked inside and it was just the scene I was afraid of: I could hear Carlisle in his study, but
there was Edward. Fuck if he was going to miss that first site of Bella. I felt a pang of nerves from
her, and she gripped my hand tighter. Edward's eyes drifted to our clasped hands and jerked back
up, landing everywhere but on Bella's face. He was putting out some serious waves of regret,
apprehension, confusion, dismay, love, jealousy.... Shit, I'm going to drown in his emotions. Bella
gave him a tentative smile, but didn't move from my side. That's my girl. "Hello, Edward. It's so
nice to see you again." She was so fuckin' polite I almost cracked up. Seriously, this was one

majorly fucked up situation.

He moved forward cautiously, putting that goddamn crooked grin on his face. I wanted to punch
him. His eyes darted to me for a brief moment before finally coming to rest on Bella. "Bella, the
pleasure is mine. How are you?" He was being careful, which was a good thing for him, considering
my mood. I had to get this under control. The poor guy didn't even do anything wrong, and I didn't
have any reason not to trust him, but now that he was back I knew he'd do whatever he could to

win her heart.

Bella replied, "Good, good. Things are going well, thanks." There was an awkward pause, and I was
fucking delighted.

"I'm glad to hear it. I'll go get Carlisle."

We all knew Carlisle heard us perfectly well, but Edward was making an escape again, and I could
see the wry humor flitting over Bella's face. She saw right through his ass. I led her to the couch,
and she kept perfectly silent. I knew she didn't want Edward to hear anything she had to say in
regards to seeing him again. I heard Carlisle getting ready to come downstairs, and then ask
Edward if he was okay. Edward mumbled something about things being perfect, just the way they
were supposed to be, and that there was some composed, self-assured woman downstairs where
he'd expected his Bella. I couldn't contain my grin. Bella let me feel her curiosity....Jesus she's

getting good at controlling that....and I shook my head and mouthed "tell you later."

BELLA POV

This was insanely surreal. In just a few weeks I was not only with Jasper, but now in the presence
of both Edward and Carlisle as well. It was like a Cullen hat-trick. I fought back a giggle and was

thankful for the hundred-thousandth time that my thoughts were closed to Edward.

I knew seeing him would be awkward. He loved me, left me, and devastated me. He still loved me,
and I knew that. I'd moved on and was now, although unknown to him (as far as I knew), with his
brother, who was probably the last person he wanted to see me with. And I was different. Five
years worth of different. He was as beautiful as ever, breathtaking in his perfection, exactly as he'd

been when last I'd seen him in the woods outside of mine and Charlie's house.

Our conversation was stilted, and I could feel Jasper struggling to reign in his gift. He kept shooting
amusement at me. Actually, that's not even strong enough. He was sending out waves of
glee....clearly delighted that seeing Edward didn't affect me any more than seeing any other old
high school friend.

As Carlisle and Edward entered the room, Edward's eyes again went to my hand clasped in
Jasper's. Jasper looked pointedly at him, dropping my hand and putting his arm around me, pulling
me closer to him. Edward maintained his expression, the cool facade that kept those of us who
weren't empaths from knowing his feelings, but I saw his lips moving and knew he was speaking to
Jasper. Despite his nonreaction, Jasper sent out a wave of smugness before he stopped projecting
again. Wow, I've never, ever witnessed Jasper so worked up that he's accidentally projecting his
own emotions. I made a mental note to ask him what the hell was going on during that
little...episode. I heard Edward's low growl, followed by Jasper's. I'm not sure why Edward's
possessiveness never affected me, but Jasper growling in a menacing way made me instantly wet.
It was just so fucking sexy. I'd yell at him later for this little "whoever has the biggest club gets the

woman" ridiculousness, but right now I just wanted him.

Carlisle, ignoring them both, walked straight to me, beaming from ear to ear. I rose from the sofa
to greet him, and he enveloped me in a hug. "Bella, you look even more beautiful, if that's
possible. How are you, dear? I trust Jasper's taking good care of you?" he glanced at Jasper, and I
swear there was some serious orneriness going on in Carlisle's eyes. Glancing at Jazz myself (he
was deliberately avoiding my gaze), I turned back to Carlisle and gave him the biggest smile I
could. I knew he felt badly for what happened, but I didn't want to rehash this with every Cullen
that arrived. Ancient history people....let's move on.

"I'm well, thank you Carlisle. It's wonderful to see you. You'll need to come to the shop so I can
properly thank you for your gift, and yes, he's taking good care of me." I shot a smirk at Jazz, who

was working hard to keep from grinning.

"Well, the rest of the family will be filtering in over the next couple of days. We'll talk more
tomorrow. They're all delighted you're staying with us and can't wait to see you, Bella. There are
several empty spare rooms on the second floor. You can choose whichever is to your

liking...unless...." he trailed off, turning his gaze back toward Jasper.

I could feel Edward's glare from across the room as he pieced together the bits of information
coming to him, confirming his suspicions. I opened my mouth, not entirely sure what was going to
come out in reply to Carlisle's question, when Jasper intervened. "She'll be staying with me,
Carlisle," he stated matter-of-factly, shooting daggers at Edward as if daring him to object. Carlisle
was trying valiantly to suppress his delight in front of Edward and failing miserably. At that point I

just started praying for the floor to swallow me.

I murmured my thanks and my "so wonderful to see you both" bullshit and made tracks for the
stairs. Of course I didn't make it even three steps before being scooped up by a grinning Jasper,
who spoke a phrase that set me on fire. "C'mon darlin'. Let's see what it's like to finally do it in a

bed."

JASPER POV

I really was gonna fucking kill him. The jealousy and longing he felt on entering the room shifted
quickly to include lust and determination when he saw us holding hands, and that just pissed me
off to no end. I was not going to have a testosterone-fueled pissing contest with him, but I'd be
damned if I'd let him think he had even a hope of winning Bella's love. I looked right at him,
refusing to drop my gaze until he'd seen everything I wanted him to see. It was cruel, but very,
very effective, and I'd had just about enough shit today without dealing with his lusting after my
woman. I quickly shifted through flashes of memory in my mind: Bella with her legs around my
waist and against my truck, Bella doing the sexiest fucking dance ever at that stupid club, Bella

wet and aroused, asking me to fuck her. Shit, I'm gonna get hard. This is NOT the time Whitlock!

Edward spoke so low Bella couldn't hear him, and probably didn't even see his lips move. "I'm

going to rip you to pieces."

I rolled my eyes and thought, I'd like to see you try that, Edward. You know damn well you could
never take me, and the only reason you ever even came close was because you could read my
thoughts. I'll shred you before you so much as pounce. Stay the fuck away from her. You had your

chance, and you fucked it up. She's not yours any longer.

Edward growled....fucking pansy growl, what the fuck was that?....and I let mine rumble out of my
chest, deep and low and menacing. The smell of Bella's arousal touched my nostrils, and I was
instantly hard. That fucking turned her on? Oh, this woman....I'm in so much trouble.

The paternal love radiating off Carlisle was amazing. He really did love her like a daughter, and he
was so happy to see her. He was clearly pleased she was doing so well. Carlisle has a serious
ornery streak, but even I was surprised when he asked if I was taking good care of her, and where
she wanted to sleep. He was usually quite careful about other people's feelings, and he and Edward
were particular close. He had to be aware this was destroying Edward.

I didn't want Bella to have to answer Carlisle's question, and I wanted to make absolutely certain
there was no room for question on Edward's part. "She'll be staying with me, Carlisle." I glared at
Edward, who was for once quiet, having trouble processing his fears come to life and Carlisle's

obvious happiness at the state of things. Poor Bella was blushing furiously, which made me grin.

She tried for a quick and graceful exit, but I caught her before she could get away. Edward's
jealousy was hard to separate from my own, and the feeling was weighing on me. I drove the last
nail in with a finality I know he heard in my voice, grinning at Bella, "C'mon darlin'. Let's see what

it's like to finally do it in a bed."

EDWARD POV

I had thought that being away from her, not seeing her, not knowing if she was okay, would get
easier with time, but every single day, hour, minute that passed was harder than the last. Knowing
she was keeping in touch with Jasper made it worse, not because it was Jasper in particular, but
because I'd wanted a clean break, and here she was, accessible. I knew seeing her tonight would
be the sweetest torture, heaven and hell. I hadn't made the conscious decision to get her back, to
beg for forgiveness and tell her how very much I still loved her, but it still gutted me to find out
that my suspicions were true.

I'd wanted her to have a normal life, children, marriage...a mortal life. If she'd moved on with a
human man it would have broken my heart, but I'd have accepted it. This though....there was no

way in hell I was accepting this.

She was so different. She was grown up, a full fledged woman in front of me, radiating confidence
and beauty. And happiness. Yes, she was happy. That was what I wanted more than anything, but
it hurt so badly that she'd found it with Jasper. I held onto a small thread of hope that I was

reading into things.

When they continued holding hands even after sitting down, I made my decision. I would win her
back. We were happy once, and we'd be happy again, Edward and Bella, like it was supposed to
be. Jasper's eyes flashed to mine and he began sifting through thoughts....they were
memories....of Bella. There she was....glorious Bella, but Bella like I'd never seen her. I could only
watch in awe and pain until he came to the last memory. A wet and sexy Bella begging Jasper to
fuck her. I saw red. I made my threat quickly and quietly, and he thought his response without
missing a beat. She couldn't possibly be lost to me. I refused to accept that. I growled before I

could stop it, and he growled in return, low and rumbling.

I smelled Bella's arousal, and was simultaneously in heaven and hell. I wanted her, and the scent
was unlike anything I'd imagined, but it was for my brother. My monster of a brother's growling
possessively was turning her on. It was more than I could bear.

I was completely ignoring Carlisle speaking to Bella until I heard him ask about guest rooms. I
could sense Carlisle's happiness at having Bella back, and couldn't begrudge him the sheer joy he
was feeling. I'd have gladly given my room up to her, but Jasper stepped in. The thought of her
staying with him broke me, and I forced myself to remain still as a statue until I could get away
from the house...run, hunt, whatever. Bella's cheeks colored and I fought the wave of memories
threatening me, barely aware of Jasper sweeping her up. I fled the house, and the last thing I
heard was Jasper's voice, "C'mon darlin'. Let's see what it's like to finally do it in a bed." And I ran,
shutting out everything, not knowing where I was going, just trying to escape this hellish reality
that had twisted everything wonderful and good into this nightmare that was of my own making

and mine to bear.

~*~

Chapter Twelve

JPOV

I didn't need to be an empath to know I was going to hear it from Bella, and she didn't let me

down. The moment I set her on her feet, kicking my door shut behind us, she whirled on me.

"Jasper Whitlock!" She was trying valiantly to look fierce, but she was having a hard time

supressing the giggles that kept threatening to break through her determination.

"Yes, ma'am." I figured it couldn't hurt to lay the accent on a little thicker, right? I shot a quick
burst of mirth at her, and she dissolved into laughter, her whole body shaking. I honestly couldn't
help myself; she just really brings out my tendency to be...evil. And she seems to like it, so we end
up feeding off each other. I watched her giggle helplessly for a moment, grinning, and then calmed
her down so we could talk. She shot me a look that told me I was going to pay for that, and sat on

the edge of the bed, patting the spot next to her.

I sat down, raking my hand through my hair, and started, "I'm sorry darlin', and I'll let you talk,
but can I explain something first?" She nodded. "I promise I'll do better, and I won't rage around
like a jealous madman. This was the first time we were all together, and all the emotions coming
from Edward, including his jealousy, were overwhelming. And babe, in case you've forgotten, I'm a
vampire. It's my very nature to claim you and be a little possessive. I'll honestly try to tone that
down, but darlin' it's gonna show itself once in awhile, especially in extremely emotional

situations."

Her face softened as I spoke. "Jazz I know, and it's okay, really. I'm not angry. I just...I wish this
wasn't so hard. I don't want to hurt him, and I especially don't want the two of you at each other's
throats. It's a weird situation Jazz. He hurt me, I'm over him, I'm in love with you....he has to

know he brought this all on himself, but I doubt that makes it any easier to deal with."

This didn't surprise me at all, but at least she wasn't making herself responsible for Edward's
feelings, or worse, Edward's situation. She was feeling sorrow, pain, regret, love...but no guilt. I
was so proud of her.

"I know that darlin'. And to be perfectly reasonable, he's not done anything to provoke my
jealousy." Except throw off waves of lust every time he looks at you. "We'll take this a day at a
time and it'll work out. Now... Carlisle's busied himself in his study, and Edward's...out. So," I
paused, hiking up one eyebrow, "about this bed." She lay back, pulling me with her, and I lost
myself in Bella.

I knew I should go talk to Carlisle while Edward was out of the house and Bella was sleeping, but I
was having a hard time pulling myself away from her warm, sleeping form. That led to thoughts of
the unbelievable make-out session we'd had before she went to sleep, and I got hard all over
again. I was going to be the first vampire aroused to death if we didn't get this under control. I
wanted nothing more than to make love to Bella, slowly, sensuously, exploring her whole body with
my hands and my lips and my tongue, but I was grimly aware that if we went any further last
night, I was going to end up fucking her brains out in the least gentle way possible. While I sure as
hell had no aversion to that, and I doubt she did either, I didn't want to put off ravishing her entire
body just because Edward elicited a primal desire in me to mark her as mine.

Kissing Bella's forehead and slipping out from under the covers, careful not to wake her, I pulled on
my jeans, grabbed a T-shirt, and headed to Carlisle's study. It was oddly comforting being back
with Carlisle. His emotions were always so straightforward. I paused at the door, knocking quietly
though I know he heard me coming, and went in, sitting in the chair across his desk from him. He
was exuding worry, of course, but also a deep love and affection as well as contentment. He was

happy he was getting his whole family back together under one roof.

We sat in companionable silence for a bit. I was wondering about the family dynamic once
everyone was here, and I broke the silence with a question. "Carlisle? How...Is this going to work
out?" I didn't need to be any more specific.

"Jasper," he began. "I think it will be an exercise in tolerance and patience, especially on the part
of Edward, Alice, and of course yourself. Bella has matured so much. If this had all come to pass a
few years ago, things may have been very different, but now..." he trailed off, thinking. I waited.
"Now, I think this is an opportunity for a lot of healing. Bella's going to be sensitive to Edward's
pain, and you're going to have to be patient with that, son. If you don't control your reactions and
jealousy, you'll push her away. Edward is going to have the toughest time of it, I think. He laid the
groundwork himself, and he knows it, but Jasper, he left her with the best of intentions, he loves
her with every ounce of his being, and being without her has been hell on him. Try to imagine for a
minute what it'll be like to be back in her presence, and still not be able to have her, and worse,
have to watch her not only with another man, but with his brother." I flinched. I fucking hate

having to be reasonable, but he was right.

Carlisle continued, "Bella loves you, and you love her. I'm so happy for you both I can barely
contain it, but I have to ask you to please be respectful of Edward while we're all here together.
He's done nothing wrong Jasper, and he can't help how he feels any more than you can." I nodded
my understanding. "Now, Esme will arrive this evening, and before she does I'd like to speak with
you and Bella as well as Edward. Perhaps we can come up with some answers of our own before
we all sit down as a family. And Jasper," he looked at me and grinned, "thank you for bringing

Bella back to us. It's amazing to be here and have her in the house again."

Smiling and feeling fairly good about things, I suddenly felt a wall of despair. Edward. Fuck. I gotta
fix this, or at least attempt to. Steeling myself, I headed through the house to meet him. As I
approached, I felt his resolve, and I called to him mentally before this could turn into a fucking
circus. Edward, can we talk? I know this is difficult for you, painful even, but I'd for us to at least
try to make this easier on the rest of the family, and on her. I felt his fury and jealousy, and then

his acceptance. He'd talk. Good. Let's get this the fuck over with.

We eyed each other for a moment from opposite sides of the living room, him testing my thoughts,
no doubt, and me testing his emotional barometer. Now what?, I thought, and one corner of his
mouth lifted slightly. I blew out a frustrated breath. "Dude. This is fucked up." Eloquent. I mentally

rolled my eyes at myself.

To my surprise he chuckled. "Yes, it is." We paused again, not sure what the hell to say, but
knowing something had to be resolved here if we were all going to coexist. "Jasper, look... I know
this is hard for you, too, and I'm trying very hard to control my jealousy and anger. I know you
can't help who you fall in love with, and you better be in love with her, because if you're not
serious about her I will rip you apart." He stopped a minute, breathing deeply and calming himself.
"Sorry," he said, more softly. I nodded. "I'm in love with her Jasper, as much now as the day I left
her. I know that I brought this one myself....not all of this, obviously, but her moving on. That's
difficult enough...excruciating actually...but that's not the hardest part." I noticed he hadn't yet

said her name.

"What's the worst of it, then?" I asked, honestly curious.

"That I made the decision for her, like so many others. That I thought I knew what was best for
her, when clearly I didn't know her at all. That is very, very difficult to swallow. I wanted her to
have a normal life, get married, have kids..." he trailed off, agony all over his features. "And again,
that would have been hard enough to deal with. But then she found you." His eyes flashed, and I
could feel him struggling to control his anger. I waited. "You Jasper, of all people. The one man,
the one vampire who was even more dangerous for her than me. And she didn't move on and have
a normal life, did she? No, instead I get the combination that causes the most pain: She moved on,

yes. She moved on with you."

I stood quietly, looking at the broken man before me, and I couldn't help the sympathy I felt. I
already didn't know how I'd ever live without Bella. She'd become my entire world. I couldn't
imagine the pain of not only not having her, but of having to watch her with another man. Edward

nodded, hearing my thoughts.

"Edward, did you ever think maybe she was destined to be part of this family? And even barring
that, did you ever think for a moment it might be better to let her make her own choices and
decisions? To trust her enough to do that?" I paused, dragging my hand through my hair. "I know
this is difficult for you. I can't even imagine how much pain this will cause you. But I need you to
know something, and it's absolute. I love her. I'm in love with her." He nodded again, unsure or

unable to voice a response at first.

"Can I talk to her, Jasper? Alone? Will you...allow that?" I watched him rip the words out; it was
clearly difficult for him to ask me this after all the times he'd made such a huge fuss about never
leaving her alone with me. "I need to know she's happy. I can live with anything, I will live with
this, as long as I know she's happy." Everything in me fought the urge to blurt out "Abso-fucking-
lutely not." I was struggling with an answer, knowing he'd heard my initial answer in my thoughts
anyway, when I heard Bella coming down the stairs. Christ she moves like a fucking cat. How did I

not hear her?

Edward met my eyes, chuckling, and murmured, "She's so different. So changed." His expression
darkened briefly before he rearranged his features into a smile. There's that fucking grin again.
Jesus, is he going to try my patience at every goddamn turn? I ignored his fucking smirk and

greeted the love of my life.

"G'morning, darlin'. Sleep well?"

She smiled that amazing smile that lights up her whole beautiful face, and Edward and I both
sighed. I shot him a glare, he shot me an apologetic look, and we both cracked up. In that very
moment, I knew that things would work out. There were going to be some serious rough spots; it
was going to take Edward some time, maybe a lot of it, to accept this completely, but we could all

be a family again eventually. Bella looked alarmed for a minute, and then smiled tentatively.

Edward, apparently determined to piss me off again already, said, "Bella? Do you think you and I
could spend some time alone? I'd like to talk, if that's all right with you, love." The endearment
was out before he could call it back, and I felt his spike of panic, which is probably the only thing
that kept me from putting him through a fucking wall. Bella blushed, glancing at me to gauge my
reaction, to the word or the request, I'm not sure which. I wasn't fucking happy about either, but I
wasn't going to let her make decisions based on how they affected me. I sent her a wave of love

and kept my face carefully neutral.

"Um, sure, Edward. Now?"

I felt her apprehension and his relief, and I was struggling against the urge to throw her over my
shoulder and bolt for the fucking hills. Christ, what a cluster fuck. Edward smirked at me,
murmuring a barely audible "I'll keep her safe, Jasper, and thank you." He put his hand on the
small of her back to lead her out the door, and I clenched my hands into fists at my side to keep
from ripping his arm off at the shoulder. Bella glanced back, mouthing "I love you." Watching them
walk out the front door was tremendously difficult, and I was forced to acknowledge that it was

probably only a tiny fraction of what Edward would have to endure in the coming weeks.

BELLA POV

I was glad to have the chance to talk with Edward, surprised as I was that Jasper hadn't balked. I
loved him even more for that, although I had to admit that possessive, jealous Jasper was kind of
sexy. Skip that train of thought right now, Bella. We reached a small, fenced off area at the back of
the garden, far enough away that Carlisle and Jasper wouldn't hear our conversation. While happy
to have this opportunity I'd never have imagined just a few weeks ago, I didn't want to rehash old

crap.

Edward turned to me and smiled, "Thank you for agreeing to talk with me. I know I don't deserve

it."

And here we go. "Edward, don't. Really."

"I don't want to cause you any more pain, Bella, but I need you to understand my reasons."

Pain? Oh fuck me. And he NEEDS me to understand. Good Lord, he is really is self-absorbed in his
own ego, isn't he? "Uh, Edward? Do you think maybe just this once you could actually listen to

what I say instead of what you think I'm saying, or worse, what you want to hear? Because this is
important, and I only want to do this once," I really tried to keep the edge out of my voice, but for
the love of all things holy. He was just so irritating sometimes. I didn't want to get angry with him

and speak harsh words. There just wasn't any point to it.

A look of surprised passed over his perfect features. Hah. Young Bella would have never spoken to
him in that tone. I had to quit this inner monologue. I wasn't being fair to either of us, and he

obviously needed some sort of closure. "Of course, love, go ahead."

Swallowing my exasperation, I started, and heaven help me if it didn't turn into a mini rant,
although I tried very hard to keep my tone gentle and the smile on my face. "What I need for you
to understand, Edward, is simple. You were my first love, and you will always have a place in my
heart. Yes, you hurt me terribly, although I do understand your reasons for doing what you did. I
don't want to rehash all this old stuff...and not because it causes me pain, but because it's
unnecessary. It's old news Edward. I got over it and moved on, just like you wanted me to. I know
you wanted me to end up with a human and live a normal life, but you don't always get your own
way, and frankly, that's a lesson you could stand to learn. I'm happy and safe and fulfilled. Isn't
that what you wanted for me? And you need to understand something else, Edward. I'm not in love
with you. I haven't been in love with you for years. When I think back and remember you, it's with
the fondness of remembering first love, of the fun we had together, of your family. I'm not pining
away, Edward. I'm not that hurt little girl you left in the forest. I'm a big girl now, and while I'd like
very much if we could be friends and be in each other's lives, you need to be completely aware of
several things. First, I'm not the same person I was. I've grown. I've matured. You're going to
have to deal with the fact that I'm not that Bella you've been holding on to. Second, I'm head over
heels in love with Jasper, so I'm going to be around even when the threat of the Volturi is over, so
you're going to need to be able to deal with me not only being around, but being with Jasper. I
need to know if you can do that, Edward. Third, I really wish you'd quit calling me "love", not
because it makes me uncomfortable, but because I don't think Jazz is going to like it, and I don't
want to cause him any more discomfort at this situation than he's already in. Fourth, let the fuck

go of the past, Edward. It's over. It's done. And you're the only one still living in it."

Edward stood perfectly still, clearly taking in everything I'd said, his face arranged in that careful
mask he wore when he didn't want me to know what he was really thinking. Raising an eyebrow at

me, he said, "Feel better?"

I grinned, "Yep. All kinds of better, actually."

He sighed. "Bella, that was difficult to hear, but thank you. I've changed a bit, too. Don't look so
surprised. Vampires can change in certain, life-altering circumstances. I'm not going to lie to you
and tell you that this doesn't hurt me, because it does. No, don't give me that look. You're not

responsible for my decisions or my feelings."

"I've learned that, too. I guess we've both changed, huh?" I said.

"Indeed. I haven't seen much, but I've seen enough to know that your feelings for Jasper run deep.
I'm not certain I can say I've completely accepted that, yet, and I don't know when or how I will,

but you're happy, and Bella, that's all I ever wanted for you."

Ah thank heavens. Maybe we can skip the theatrics for the rest of this ordeal. "Thank you, Edward.
Friends?" I cautiously opened my arms up.

He smiled his crooked smile and said, "Friends. And I apologize in advance for any time I screw up,
and I think we both know I will." We laughed and he stepped closer, wrapping his arms around my
waist. I hugged him for a moment, and we turned back towards the house, talking comfortably
about the family, my life, his life. I was hopeful that we could eventually be friends without it

causing him pain.

~*~

Chapter Thirteen

EPOV

I was torn, and with the meeting with Carlisle, and the rest of the family arriving, I didn't have
time to think. Maybe that was a good thing. I knew I couldn't be without Bella when I had the
chance to be in her life. I had no idea how I was going to deal with this in the meantime. I was

going to have to become a master at hiding my feelings and controlling my expressions.

I had run all night, not returning until morning, and the only conclusions I came to were these: I've

lost her. I'm too late. I need to be in her life in some capacity. I'm a glutton for punishment.

I should just leave after the threat of the Volturi is over, but I may not be strong enough to do
that. I know I'm not strong enough to do that. The most painful part of my thought process
occurred when I realized how much she'd grown as a person. She looked at Jasper like he was the
whole world, and the way they were so consciously....just aware of each other....it wasn't
something I'd ever witnessed before, even in all these years living with three mated couples. She

wasn't like that with me. It hurt.

I had to let her go. How the hell was I supposed to do that?

When we got back from our walk, I excused myself and went to my room. Jasper thinking my
name caught my attention, "Probably a bad choice there, Edward." It was only a matter of seconds
before I understood. Oh God. Help me through this. I slid to the floor inside the door, my head in

my hands.

JASPER POV

It turns out that the slow, unhurried lovemaking I had planned for tonight with Bella was going to
take a backseat to fucking her senseless, after all. I'd promised Bella I'd put a lid on it when we
were around Edward, but Edward wasn't here right this second, now was he?

I was trying to be reasonable, and I trusted Bella completely. I understood why she felt she needed
to talk with him, but it still wasn't sitting well that I was here in the house and they were off in the
fucking garden, and she was probably listening to him babble some lovesick emo shit. LIke we

didn't have enough to deal with.

When Bella returned to the house, Edward excused himself and ghosted up the stairs to his room.

Probably a bad choice there, Edward.

Bella approached me smiling. "How about that? You two managed a conversation without killing

each other, or even growling."

"I thought you liked my growling, darlin'." I grinned at her. "And we've got a few hours before
meeting with Carlisle."

"What meeting?"

"Oh. You were sleeping, sorry babe. He'd like to meet with us to discuss things before everyone

else gets here."

"Oh, okay. So, uh...what are you suggesting we do with these few hours, Whitlock?" she said, and
then, dipping her voice seductively, she looked up at me through her lashes, "And I do like when

you growl, cowboy. There's something about it that gets me wet." Oh fuck me.

Without a single moment's hesitation, I gripped her around the waist, threw her over my shoulder,
and was in our bedroom in the blink of an eye. Setting her on her feet, I put my hands on her hips
and walked her backwards towards the wall, pinning her against it. I felt the thrill of lust shoot
through her, and it only intensified my need. I tugged on her hair, causing her head to tilt to the
side, and I lowered my head and ran my tongue along her jaw line to her ear, sucking hard on that
soft, sweet spot near her earlobe. Bella's panting was doing nothing to help me get my need to

claim her right fucking now under control, and I struggled to maintain my control of the situation.

"Baby, not that I don't want you but," she whispered in between breaths, "Edward's next door and

he'll hear us."

That fucking did it. I had no idea if she was just worried and embarrassed at the idea of someone
hearing us, or whether she was worried about Edward's feelings, and I didn't care. "Even better," I
could barely get the fucking words out between the growls. I captured both of her tiny hands in
one of mine and pinned them to the wall above her head as I grabbed her bottom lip between my
teeth, pulling it into my mouth. She moaned, furthering my undoing, and I used my free hand to
shred her jeans and her underwear from her body, the low growl rumbling through my chest the

entire time. It seemed impossible to fucking stop.

When my fingers slid through her folds....God she's so fucking wet..she gasped out my name, and

I slid two fingers into her, rubbing her clit with my thumb.

"Jazz, wait..." Bella panted.

"No."

I don't even fucking know how it was possible, but she got even wetter, at this point mumbling and
moaning incoherently. The fact that I could affect her like this, combined with my absolute fucking
need to claim her, mark her as mine, were driving my lust even higher. The desire swirling
between us made it impossible to think. At vampire speed I discarded my own jeans, finally
releasing her captive hands. Her hands dropped to my shoulders. "Hold on," I growled, running my
hands over her ass to her thighs and lifting. She wrapped her legs instinctively around my waist,
her head leaning back against the wall, eyes so hooded with desire they were half closed. Her lips

were swollen, and she had a strawberry-colored mark on her neck where I'd been sucking. Fucking

right she does.

"Isabella. Look at me." She looked straight into my eyes. I let go of her with one hand, guiding my

tip to her entrance, never taking my eyes off her. "What do you want?"

"You, Jasper."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Fuck me. God, please Jasper, I need you," she whimpered, pleading with me.

"Who do you belong to, Isabella?" I growled out.

"You, Jasper....only you."

With that I thrust completely inside of her. "Fuck. Your pussy is so fucking tight."

She gasped and gripped my shoulders harder, caught between the wall and my hard body, her legs
tightening around my waist. Holding her around the waist with one arm, I braced my forearm
against the wall for leverage and set a quick pace, slamming into her. She was gasping and
moaning, her fingers trying vainly to dig into my shoulders. Her walls clamped down around me,
hard, and she was completely incoherent with the strength of her climax. "Oh

God....Jasper....FUCK....yes!"

I took the waves of bliss, euphoria, and ecstasy I felt from her and threw them right back at her,
coupled with my own, and she immediately climaxed again, giving up any hope of communicating

for gutteral moans. I thrust hard one last time, emptying into her and groaning, "Fuck....Bella."

Resting my head on her shoulder, trying to catch the breath I didn't really need, I started to calm
down. Fuck. I placed a kiss over the mark I'd left on her neck, flicking my eyes to hers
apologetically. She looked fucking amazing, covered in a thin sheen of sweat, her hair a wreck, her
lips swollen, breathing hard. She was looking at me so intensely, a small, satisfied smile on her

face.

"Jazz?"

"Yeah, darlin'?" Here it comes. Should I apologize before she reads me the riot act?

"That was fuckin' hot."

Jesus Christ I love this woman. Grinning like an idiot, I let her down, leaning down to kiss her. "I

love you, darlin'."

"I love you, too," she replied, standing on her tiptoes for another kiss. Pulling away from her,
already missing being pressed up against her, I started picking up the tattered fragments of our
jeans while she headed for the shower, glancing back at me over her shoulder. "Breakable, my

ass," she said with an evil little grin, and I couldn't helping laughing.

It was only when I felt the absolute agony and despair rolling across me from the next room that I
even remembered Edward. Don't you dare remind her that you're over there. If you have a bone to
pick, you come to me. It was me who put you through this, not Bella.

That would have to be good enough, because I wasn't going to bring it up again, and I fucking
hope he didn't plan to. This was a definite set-back to the tentative truce of this morning, and it
was my own fucking fault I lost control. I felt guilty enough for losing control with Bella without

Edward's issues. Fuck it. He's going to have to get used to it, and I fucking warned him anyway.

~*~

Chapter Fourteen

JPOV

It occurred to me as we walked hand in hand to the living room that we still hadn't actually made it

to a bed yet. I was going to have to remedy that fucking situation, and soon.

Bella was radiating happiness and contentment, and I was feeling pretty blissful myself. We settled
ourselves on the living room sofa and waited for Carlisle and Edward, the latter of whom I felt even
before I heard him. He was hurting, but felt resigned. His features were set in the aloof, calm mask

that I had a feeling would become his most dominant expression in the coming weeks.

We were saved from making small-talk, at least, by Carlisle. "Jasper, I take it you've filled Bella in

completely?"

"Yes. I was thinking, though, Carlisle. Why hasn't Alice had any visions of this? Or has she?" Bella

looked surprised at the question, glancing first at me and then at Carlisle.

"She has not, and I've been thinking about that, actually. Considering everything we know and
suspect, as well as current happenings," his eyes flicked toward Bella, "can you think of no reason
that Alice may not be seeing things?" He slid his eyes towards Bella again quickly, moving fast
enough to avoid detection by human eyes. We sat in silence for a minute, my mind working
furiously to make the connection Carlisle was trying to lead it towards.

I was interrupted by Bella snorting. "You'd think you guys could give me a little credit. Geez. I've
hung around with vampires enough by now that I notice when you guys are having a silent
conversation, talking quietly and quickly enough that you think I don't even know you're speaking,
and flicking your eyes all over the place, trying to communicate without letting the defenseless
human know what you're up to." She was thoroughly disgusted, rolling her eyes to make sure we
knew just how absurd this notion was, but I could feel amusement coming from her as well. We all

looked at her, completely dumbstruck. We'd underestimated her again, and she'd called us on it.

Bella shifted in her seat to face me. "Jazz, Carlisle thinks that since Edward can't hear my
thoughts, and now you're not getting as good a reading on my emotions, that perhaps Alice isn't
able to see me, or at least not all the time," she stated matter-of-factly. "Right, Carlisle?"

He blinked at her a few times, grinning and radiating pride at his newest daughter, "Yes, that's

exactly right, Bella."

"Wait just a fucking minute," I said. "You are controlling, at least somewhat, the emotions I'm

feeling from you? I mean, you're either letting me or not letting me feel things?"

She nodded her head, explaining, "I wasn't really sure it was working completely, and honestly at
first it wasn't a conscious effort on my part. I was just wishing I could keep you from feeling some

of my feelings."

Edward had so far remained silent, but his amusement irked me. "I don't like it," I announced.

Bella raised an eyebrow at me. "Too fucking bad, Whitlock." She gave me a cheeky grin and
winked at Carlisle, who was positively fucking delighted at this point. Even Edward couldn't keep
the smile off his face. My Bella was suddenly in her element completely, and relaxed back against
my side. "So, who actually made this prophecy, Carlisle?"

One more, we all gaped at her like a bunch of mentally challenged window-lickers. For fucks sake,
how come none of us thought to ask that? Edward glanced at me and half-shrugged. I was a little
in awe of Bella, and frankly, more than a little turned on. Carlisle recovered first, "Well, we're not

sure, Bella."

She threw another disgusted look at us. "Don't you think that might be pertinent? How can we
even know the validity of it without knowing if it's just a story someone started to keep the Volturi
on their toes?" She paused a moment, her expression thoughtful, her mind obviously working a

mile a minute. "Isn't there some way we can research this, Carlisle?"

He was looking at her like she fucking walked on water.

"If you'll do the research on that, Carlisle, I'll start making calls, beginning with Denali, to get word

out and make people aware of what's going on," Edward said.

Carlisle nodded, "Good. We also need to try and pinpoint when Aro will arrive. Maybe Alice can help
there now that we have an idea what's blocking her. Esme will be here in a few hours, and the rest
of the family will be in tomorrow. Once we're all here, we can begin deciding what we're going to

do and how best to proceed."

I was wondering if anyone noticed that Jasper Whitlock, brilliant fucking strategist with countless
years of war and battle experience, empath extraordinaire, had absolutely nothing to contribute to
this discussion and was still looking speculatively, and with more than a little fascination and
admiration, at his girlfriend. Edward smirked, and I flipped him off. He left to go make phone calls,
his quiet laughter trailing behind him. Carlisle positively beamed at Bella, and she was glowing
under all the paternal pride and love. He bent to kiss her cheek before heading to his beloved

research texts and his computer.

The minute he left the room, I pulled Bella onto my lap. "You feelin' a little cocky there, darlin'?" I

asked, hiking my eyebrow to maximum altitude.

She giggled and nodded, "You bet I am. Seriously, a bunch of super-educated, supernatural,

superior, better-than-lowly-human vampires didn't think to ask this? Bizarre!" she shook her head.

"You're sexy when you're putting big bad vampires in their place, babe," I grinned at her, kissing

the tip of her nose.

She smirked and replied, "All in a days' work baby, and for the record, I'm always sexy." I was

going to keep giving her a hard time, but let's face it, she had me there.

-----

"Are you gonna be okay with Alice here, Jazzy?"

I glanced up from the book I'd taken from the stack Carlisle had brought from the library,
unceremoniously dumping the pile at our feet and telling us to find everything we could on
prophecies, particular those relating to vampires. Bella had also made a list of people she used to

find rare or hard-to-find books for her shop.

"Babe, it's not really even an issue for me. I couldn't get past her agreeing with Edward about
leaving. She couldn't get past me trying to devour you," I winked at her, and she grinned. "We've
spoken a few times. We're cordial to each other darlin', but even though we're not super-friendly,
there's no discomfort or awkwardness. She found someone, and she's happy, and as I think you

may have noticed, I'm rather happy myself."

Her love washed over me like a damn tidal wave. I honestly don't know how she was capable of

feeling so much all the time. I'd never met another human with her capacity for love.

"Are you gonna be okay with her here?" I asked.

She thought for a minute, nibbling on her bottom lip. "Yeah. I mean, I don't see us picking up
where we left off or anything," she grimaced, "but yeah, it'll be fine. I'm more worried about how
she's going to react to grown-up Bella." She chuckled, and I could feel that she was a little
nervous, but nothing out of the ordinary for someone about to see people she hadn't seen in years.
"And by the way, Jazz, I haven't been trying to block Alice. I just think that I'm subconsciously
blocking her because....well, there might a little resentment there." She looked at me like she had

something to apologize for because she felt resentful.

"Of course there's fucking resentment there, babe. It'd be weird if there wasn't." I said.

"Is she gonna be okay with...with us?" Ah. Here was what was weighing on her.

"Why wouldn't she be? She's fucking married. It might be strange at first, but she'll have to get the
fuck over it." Christ, she worried about everyone's feelings, and while I loved her for it, it had to be

fucking exhausting for her.

"Is she bringing her husband?"

"No idea darlin'. I hope so. I'd like to meet him."

I heard Edward say, "Jasper, Esme's arrived." Half a second later he bellowed "BELLA!" from the
living room. I rolled my eyes, automatically directing my thoughts at him. She's HUMAN Edward,
not fucking DEAF. God, did you think I wouldn't let her know? You don't have to walk around

trumpeting like a fucking bull moose during mating season. Christ.

We tossed our books onto the desk and headed down to greet Esme, who was evidently so excited
to see Bella that her sons were low on her priority list. She blew past both Edward and me, talking
so quickly it was a wonder we could even understand her, "Bella! Oh sweetheart, it's so wonderful
to see you! How are you? You must tell me everything. Jasper keeps us fairly up-to-date, of
course, but it's not the same at all! Are you hungry? Let me fix you something to eat." She was
radiating pure maternal joy, and it was hard to compete with that. Bella looked pleased, allowing
Esme to fuss over her, and her eyes danced with merriment and joy. She disappeared into the

kitchen, being tugged by Esme at a speed just barely below vampire speed.

I realized Edward and I were both grinning at Esme's happiness. "Where's Carlisle?" I asked him.

"He found something about a prophecy online. He seemed very excited about it. He didn't mention
it to me directly, but I picked it up from his thoughts as he dropped Esme off. He mumbled

something about a lead and was gone."

My phone vibrated, and I flipped it open to see a text message.

We'll be there in the morning. I can't wait to see Bella!! -E

I couldn't help but grin. Emmett was always a bundle of energy, and he had been as upset with the
decision to leave Bella as I had been. He loved her like a sister, and the sheer joy that would
radiate from him would be a blessing with all the fucking tension everyone would be feeling trying

to figure out this prophecy thing.

I headed into the kitchen to let Bella know that big brother Em was on his way.

~*~

Chapter Fifteen

JPOV

This would be the first time we were all under the same roof in quite awhile. The family had
changed subtlely during the events that led to our departure from Forks, and had continued to shift
until things were relatively settled in a slightly new dynamic. After decades of minimal change, it
was kind of refreshing, actually, dissolving old tensions, albeit adding some new ones. Edward had
always been closest to Emmett and Alice. I had always been closest to Rose. Bella had been closest

to Alice and Emmett, and of course Edward.

Upon leaving Forks, Emmett and I had been unwavering in our adamant refusal to agree with
Edward's decision and how he carried out that decision, and we were vocal about it. Rosalie was
indifferent, annoyed at having to move, but having felt Bella a nuisance and a threat to her family's
safety, she wasn't disturbed by leaving her behind. Alice and Edward remained close, which had

perplexed us. No one had expected Alice to support Edward's decision regarding Bella.

This led to the new dynamic in which Emmett and I were much closer than we'd ever been, while
Edward and Emmett's relationship had become much more strained. Only Carlisle and Esme were
unchanging, steadfast in their guidance of the family and in their roles.

Now we were adding Bella back into the mix. It was anyone's guess what would happen.

BELLA POV

I let Esme fuss over me, and kind of enjoyed it. It was nice to have a mother figure who was
actually maternal, and she was so pleased to have me here I couldn't help settling back into the
easy relationship we'd had years ago in this very kitchen. She was fixing enough food for a small
third-world country when Jasper came in. "Bella, darlin', prepare yourself," he said, grinning at me.

"Emmett will be here in the morning, and he can't wait to see you."

Emmett! I couldn't wait to see him. I'd missed him so much, probably more than anyone else from
the family. He was so unassuming, accepting things for what they were, nearly childlike in his joy

and happiness at simple things, and so very, very loyal.

"By the way, Esme," Jasper drawled, "it's nice to see you, too." I laughed when Esme threw a
chocolate chip cookie at him, and relaxed a little, too. This reunion was going to be just fine. I
pushed the fact that the two people I was most hesitant to see, after Edward of course, weren't
here yet, but Rosalie would be here in the morning, and Alice later in the day.

"Bella, you look fine. You're beautiful no matter what, darlin'. I don't know why you're stressin'
over this." Jasper seemed utterly perplexed that I wanted to look my best. I was going to be faced
with the single most exquisite creature to ever grace the world, never mind the fact she hated me,
and Jasper's ex-wife. His vampire ex-wife. The one with the supernatural powers and beauty. I
stopped my train of thought right there before I could go off on the whole "and my ex-best friend"

tangent again.

I had actually learned a thing or two from Alice's constant makeovers and shopping sprees, and I
was thankful as I got older to have that knowledge. I'm not sure how I'd have dressed for job
interviews, weddings, and other important events with only Charlie for guidance. I snorted,
thinking of when Charlie had suggested I wear flannel on a date in college.

I chose black jeans, black high-heeled boots, and a red high-necked sweater. I love that sweater,
and I know Jazz likes me in red. I loosely pulled the sides of my hair back, pinning them and letting

the rest fall in loose waves. I surveyed the image in the mirror again. Relax. Ugh.

I left the bathroom and nearly walked straight into Jasper, who paused a minute to rake his eyes
up and down my frame. I waited until they'd made their third pass before playfully swatting him in
the chest. He laughed, "You look fuckin' amazing, Bella."

"Thank you," I said, blowing him a kiss. "You don't look so bad yourself, cowboy." Total
understatement. Fuck, he's hot. He had on his standard low-slung jeans with a white T that showed
off every. curve. of. his. insanely. defined. chest. He smirked at me, and I stuck my tongue out at
him. Stupid empath. He was built much the same as Edward had been, although slightly taller, but

there were just subtle differences. Jasper's build was slender, but muscular and very, very defined.
The closest I could come to describe the difference was that Edward had the body of a 17-year-old
boy, and Jasper was very, very much a man.

He pulled his boots on, throwing a wink in my direction, and I laughed. He knows exactly how sexy
I think he is in cowboy boots. He took my hand, leaning down to give me a soft kiss. "I love you

\Isabella, more than I could possibly express to you with words," he breathed.

"I love you, Jasper, so very, very much." And he led me down to the living room.

JASPER POV

Holy hell, she's so beautiful. Red. God I fuckin' love her in red. That sweater was going to be a
distraction all fucking day. It had a high neck and long sleeves, but it clung to every curve of her
amazing body, stopping just shy of an inch before the waistband of her low-rise jeans. That inch of
skin was going to be the death of me.

I couldn't feel anything coming from Bella, but I could tell she was nervous by the death grip she
had on my hand. "Breathe, darlin'. It'll be okay." She nodded up at me and took a deep breath. I
sent her a wave of calm and felt the tension slide out of her body. We were joined by Esme and
Edward, who took seats on the sofa, and Bella and I took our seats on the adjoining loveseat, still
holding hands. The general feeling in the room was one of excitement. I addressed the spikes of
lust coming from Edward silently. For fucks sake man, could you get a grip for five minutes? The

cool, detached look on his face never wavered, and he ignored me completely.

We heard Carlisle pull up, and Emmett's laugh quaked through the house like thunder the minute
the car door opened. Bella visibly relaxed and grinned. Emmett swept through the door like a
typhoon, ignoring all of us and heading straight for Bella, much like Esme had done. There could be
little doubt that Bella belonged in this family. She was ours, and we were hers. Edward's head
jerked minutely, a quick shake of either disapproval or dismissal at my thought, and then the cool
facade descended over his features again. This time, I ignored him completely.

"Bella! Bella, Bella, Bella!!" Emmett boomed gleefully, swooping her up in a bear hug. Esme and I
were grinning, and Bella's throaty laugh tapered into gasps, "Can't....breathe....Em!" We laughed
as he set her down gently, patting her head hard enough to make her knees buckle. "I missed you
so much little sis!" Bella beamed at him. He turned to greet Esme as Rosalie walked in. She flashed
a smile at me and Esme, ignored Edward completely, and then gave a tentative smile at Bella.

I watched warily as the Twilight Zone opened up in our living room. Bella felt a bolt of panic when
Rose smiled at her, but she hesitantly smiled back, glancing at me for reassurance. I nodded my
head encouragingly, not knowing what the fuck was going on. I was aware of Emmett holding his
fist out to me, and I bumped it with my own, not taking my eyes off of Bella. Rose perched herself
on the arm of the loveseat, using the confusion of everyone's greetings as an opportunity to speak

to Bella.

"Hi, Bella. It's nice to see you again."

Bella blinked at her, tried on another smile, and said, "Hello, Rose. It's lovely to see you as well."

Rosalie lit up like it was fucking Christmas, and left a dazed Bella wondering what the hell just

happened. Bella looked at me, eyes wide, and I shrugged. Fuck if I know.

I hugged Rose while half-listening to Emmett's hunting stories. Bella was laughing, her head
thrown back and her cheeks flushed, and she looked stunning. I sat quietly for a few minutes, just
happy to watch my family be whole again. Bella was definitely the missing piece, and it was
amazing how well she slid right into the family like she'd never been gone. Well, aside from Rose's

reaction. As close as we were, I hadn't seen that coming.

I was distracted from my musings when Emmett shrieked like a damn girl and pointed, using his
index finger to push Bella's hair behind her shoulder. Oh shit, she's going to be mortified. "What
the fuck is that, little sis?" He boomed, looking quite menacing. "Who was sucking on your neck?
I'll KILL him! Was it Newton?" He continued in this vein while Bella looked at me helplessly, caught
between giggles and being appalled, blushing furiously. Esme's eyes lit up, Rose looked smug,
Emmett was still raging, and all I could do was wonder how the fuck I was going to explain that

strawberry mark on Bella's neck before Emmett, clearly in big brother mode, ripped me to pieces.

At that moment Carlisle entered the living room, closing his phone and throwing out so much
determination and excitement he had my attention immediately. "I know we said we'd wait until
we were all here to discuss this, and we will, but I've found the origins of the prophecy." His eyes
were flashing and he looked and felt....triumphant? Edward nodded at me, his own eyes blazing at
Carlisle's thoughts. From the crazy mix of emotions bouncing around the room I couldn't decipher
quickly enough whether this was good news or bad. Bella's hand slipped back into
mine...something that did not, I should add, escape Emmett's gaze, and he glowered at me....and

we waited for Carlisle to begin.

~*~

Chapter Sixteen

EPOV

Maybe it was going to be easier with the entire family here. I'd at least have Alice for support. The
anguish I'd felt at seeing Bella with someone else, with Jasper, was always right below the surface.

I had no way of knowing if time would make it lessen, but I would live with it.

She was happier than I'd ever seen her. They were completely in sync, orienting themselves
around each other, constantly aware of the other's presence and welfare. She looked at him with
more love and adoration in her eyes than I'd ever seen, and he treated her like she was his whole
life without smothering her or placing her on a pedestal she couldn't balance on. And they were

good together. I didn't need to be able to hear Bella's thoughts or have Jasper's gift to know that.

As Emmett and Rosalie were added to the mix, it was chaotic, and in that moment it became even
more apparent just how focused Jasper was on Bella, and she on him. I don't know that I'll ever
get over it, and I have no idea how I'll even function with the pain it causes me, but I love her with
all I have, and she's happy, and she deserves this. I vow that I will never let her see the pain this

causes me. That's one last thing I can do for her.

I was brought out of my reverie by Carlisle's excited thoughts. Listening with all my might, I
confirmed Jasper's mental question about the triumph Carlisle was feeling. I was stunned at where
he'd learned about the prophecy, and hoped this would help us to plan.

JASPER POV

Carlisle stood at the end of the sofa. "You're all aware of the prophecy, and of what Aro thinks it
means." He looked at me pointedly, and I rolled my eyes. Bella glanced at me and I smiled at her,
trying to calm her without using my gift. "While not entirely certain of the origination point of the
prophecy or who made it yet, we do now have some very, very important information that will help
us figure that out. Now, that still leaves us with the problem of how to deal with Aro and his
guard."

"We'll demolish them," Emmett replied promptly, pounding his fist into his hand for emphasis. It
did not escape me that he glanced at me during that little show of strength. Fabulous. I'm going to

have to try to explain before I have to have my fuckin' dick reattached.

"Well, Emmett, that might not be the best approach, although we'll keep it in mind," Carlisle
chuckled. "Hopefully, Alice will be able to give us some insight on the Volturi, but in the meantime,
at least we have some further information to go on."

Everyone waited expectantly.

"The prophecy predates the Volturi." Christ, they've been around for centuries. "It was brought as
a legend to America from Europe and has since been passed down as such by those whose culture

places great importance on them."

"The Quileutes," Edward breathed.

"Exactly." said Carlisle. "The Quileutes have counted this legend as part of their lore since before
the Volturi came to power. It stands to reason, then, that someone as old as, or even older than,
the Volturi may be able to guide us further, since we cannot very well ask the Volturi outright if

they know who made the prophecy."

"You're talking about Stefan and Vladimir," I murmured, and Carlisle nodded. Bella looked me a
question, and I explained, "They are the Romanian Coven, and were the ruling power before the
Volturi overthrew them. That makes them old enough to give us some insight, and angry enough
at the Volturi to want to hinder them."

"Wait a minute," Emmett held up a hand, looking at Carlisle. "What would make you go to the

Quileutes?"

Ah shit. We really don't have time for the werewolf conversation now. Fuck there's too much to do,

I thought for the thousandth time.

"The wolves are back," Edward said quietly, eliciting a gasp from Emmett, Esme, and Rosalie, all of
whom were there when the original treaty was signed. "I'd have to assume the genetic mutation
that triggers the change was somehow once again brought into play, and while I have thoughts on

that, we can't be sure."

"You mean you don't know?" Bella asked, genuinely surprised.

"Bella, you do know?" I asked her, eyebrow arched.

"Well yeah, and I'm sorry I didn't mention this when we were talking about the wolves, Jazz, but I
didn't think it was important," she said, looking for all the world like she thought I was going to be
angry with her. I leaned down and pressed my lips to her head, again not missing the death glare I
got from Emmett, or the subsequent sound of Rose smacking him in the back of the head. I twirled
my fingers to prompt Bella on, and she did, "The first pack was here when you, when your family,
was here the first time. Now they're back again. Seriously, none of you saw the connection? The
presence of vampires living or hunting anywhere near La Push triggers the change."

I think all of us were startled at this particular bit of information. Carlisle's mind was having a field
day with this; he loves shit like this.

He said, "So while we're on the subject of the wolves, let's go over what we know about them, but
before we begin, the treaty still stands. Moreover, the pack is rather protective of Bella, and Bella
trusts us, so the pack is willing to make certain allowances. Also, the threat of their idea of the
worst kind of vampires arriving here, possibly to cause harm to Bella, has prompted them to

contemplate offering their assistance."

Wow. They must really care about my Bella. Edward flinched. He was already probably having an
embolism at the thought of Bella hanging out at La Push with young, volatile wolves. Yep, there go
his nostrils. Hey Edward, ten points if I can get you to pop a vein. He flipped me off and we both
grinned.

"For instance, they're aware of certain things about us, and they've made Bella aware of certain

things about them. Bella?" Carlisle said, sitting down.

"Okay," she said, formulating her thoughts before she spoke. "The pack can communicate
mentally, much like Edward's mind reading, but they're all connected. They cannot communicate
this way when they're in their human form, though." Emmett snorted at the term "human form".
Bella ignored him, continuing, "They can only use this telepathy when they're phased. The Alpha is

Jacob Black. His great-grandfather was Ephraim Black, the man you all made the treaty with."

She paused, thinking. "The original pack was three wolves, right? This pack, last I knew, included
seven wolves." Emmett let out a low whistle. "They can also heal and regenerate from almost any

wound at an alarming rate."

"Darlin'? What do they know about us?" I asked her quietly, not wanting her to think I was
accusing her of divulging things about the family.

"Only what they've observed," she replied, "but that's enough. I was surprised at what Jake knew."
Edward flinched again, I guessed at the familiarity of the nickname. "For instance," she started,
then a slow wicked smile crept over her face. "Jazz, they call you the walking Xanax." Emmett and
Edward burst into gales of laughter, and Esme and Rose both hid their smiles with their hands. I
was a little put out, frankly. I'm dangerous as fuck, the most lethal fuckin' vampire they'll ever
come across, and they're calling me a goddamn sedative? Edward doubled over again, and just to
be a shit I sent him a wave of mirth, glee, and euphoria that had him completely incapacitated for

about four and a half minutes. Fucker.

Once the two idiots calmed down, Bella went on, making me feel quite a lot better. "Actually,
though they do call you that because of your ability, you're the vampire they fear above all others.
They say among themselves that you are speed, and death, and power all rolled into one." Emmett

rolled his eyes theatrically, and Rose smacked him again. Christ some things never change.

"They're aware of Alice's ability, but not its limitations, and they weren't aware of Edward's ability

at all." She said, looking at the ground.

"Weren't aware, Bella?" Edward asked.

She gave him a sheepish look, "Yes, weren't. I'm sorry Edward, but they knew so much, and Jake
and I spent so much time together when you... a few years ago when he first began phasing...."

Edward looked positively horrified at that information. "But yes, it's my fault, I told him."

"It's okay Bella, really. In fact, it's good, because it's less we have to cover with them now."
Edward replied. She looked relieved.

"So, any other questions?" Carlisle asked, standing back up. There were none, it seemed. "Good.
Now, we'll all meet once we have further information to decide what we're going to do. I'm going to
call Vladimir and Stefan, and get them working on the origins of this prophecy. Bella will be our
connection with the wolves. Jasper, you're going to have to work with them...you're the best
fighter and strategist. Edward, please fill in Alice when she arrives. Get her caught up." We all
nodded in agreement, and Edward got a little closer to blowing a vein when Carlisle mentioned

Bella and the wolves.

Edward excused himself to return to his room and Esme followed Carlisle to his study, leaving Bella
and I with Rose and Emmett. I briefly thought of escaping the house witt Bella for awhile, but one

look at Emmett shut that fucking idea right down. Big brother Em had come out to play.

"Jasper," he said, his voice deceptively soft. "Let's take a walk." He was throwing out such

protective feelings and, anger, love, and affection.

I saw Rose take Bella's hand out of the corner of my eye. "Bella? C'mon, let's let the
boys..uh...catch up. Are you hungry?" I shot an apologetic glance at Bella in response to her
bewildered state, sending her as much love and courage as I could.

We ran just far enough into the surrounding forest to be away from the main part of the house. I
sat on a large rock while Emmett took down a few deer.

"Ack, herbivores!" He said, making faces like a kid being told he has to eat his broccoli.

"Em, I'm in love with her." I figured getting the main point out there right away might save my

limbs.

His entire face lit up. "Really?"

I grinned, "Yeah, man. She's the whole fucking universe to me."

"That's fuckin' awesome, dude! Why the fuck didn't you call us?" he punched me in the arm. "Of
course, it's a good thing, because if it was just you playing around or whatever, I'd have ripped
you to pieces and scattered 'em all over the fuckin' planet."

We sat in companionable silence for awhile. "So, the mark on her neck. You're banging her, aren't
you!" he crowed, and it was my turn to punch him in the arm.

He laughed his big, booming laugh for a moment before turning more serious again. "Does she love

you back, bro?"

I couldn't help it, but I knew I had a huge, shit-eating smile on my face. "Yeah Em, she does."

"Well then that's all right, isn't it?" he replied happily. "Gettin' my baby sister back," he murmured,

happy and content and hopeful.

~*~

Chapter Seventeen

BPOV

I was nervous about facing Rosalie because I knew she resented me, and for good reason. I figured
I'd mostly avoid her, like I used to. However, when she actually spoke to me....she spoke to
me....I was completely at a loss. I had no idea how to react to her and wondered briefly if she'd
had a personality transplant. And what the hell is with all of them and their fascination with feeding

me?!

By the time we'd reached the kitchen, I figured fuck it, I'm just going to be myself. She'll either

like me, or go back to being the stone cold bitch in heels she always has been.

"Rose? Em's not gonna kill Jazz, is he?" I asked, a tentative half smile on my face.

Rosalie laughed. "Naw, Jazz will let him know everything's cool before it gets that far." She looked

at me thoughtfully while I made a sandwich. "Bella? Can I say something?"

"Sure," I replied around a mouthful of ham and cheese.

"I wanted to explain something to you. I know I was horrible to you...you know, before, and I

wanted to talk to you about that."

"I already know, Rose, and it's okay, really. I understood then, and I understand now. I was a
threat to your family, the pain in the ass human always causing strife."

She laughed softly, "Well, yeah, that's part of it. And I know Edward told you I was jealous of your
humanity, which is also part of it. But the biggest part of it was how wrong for each other you and

Edward were." She looked at me apologetically.

I cracked up. "Yeah, I guess we were, huh?"

"Yes. How did you stand him? God, girl!" Rose laughed. "The theatrics and melodrama, the refusal
to let you do anything that might cause so much as a splinter, the horrible inequality of your

relationship. Bella, even if he'd turned you, he'd never have let you be his equal."

I thought about that for a few moments, realizing the truth in her statement.

"But Jazz," she said, smiling, "you and Jazz are such a good fit, I wonder why none of us saw it
before. When did it happen?"

So I told her about Jasper showing up at my house after all the years of electronic communication,
musing that it had only really been a few weeks ago. Amazing how many things change when the

vampires come to town.

Rose seemed genuinely pleased at our relationship. "You know, Jazz and Alice were never equal,
either. He's a good man, Bella. He's been to hell and he dragged himself out of it. He's strong, and
the love he has for you is so obvious....I could see it right away, you know...." she paused, a small

smile on her face.

We heard the guys come back in, and Rose spoke again, "I'm glad we got to talk, Bella. I'd like to
try to be friends, if you'd like to." She looked hopeful, and I realized that this was a woman who

cared deeply for her family, and she was fiercely protective of them.

"I'd like that Rose," I said, and we shared a smile before going to collect our guys from the living
room.

JASPER POV

Now we were getting somewhere. Carlisle and Edward were going to Romania to speak with Stefan
and Vladimir. Bella and I were to meet with Jacob Black, and then the rest of the pack. Emmett,
Rose, and Esme were going to head to Denali to see Eleazar, not only to seek his counsel as a
former member of the Volturi, but also to see if they could persuade him to return to Forks with
them to offer insight into Bella's shielding ability. As an added bonus, this would also get everyone

the fuck out of our hair so Bella and I could spend some time together.

I informed Carlisle of my intent to call Peter. I knew Edward wouldn't like it; he didn't trust Peter,
but I did. I trusted him with my life, and if there was any other vampire in existence with as high a
level of experience in fighting as me, it was Peter. Besides, he was my brother, too, and I couldn't
wait for him to meet Bella.

While everyone else was off hunting, Bella and I were left to greet Alice. I had a sneaking suspicion
they timed it this way to give us a chance to greet each other without an audience. There was only
one person who could make this reunion any more awkward than it would already be, and fuck if
he didn't come traipsing in the room as we heard a car in the driveway. Shit. Bella was putting out
some serious anxiety, and looked gratefully at me when I started pumping out my "Xanax."

Fucking wolves.

"Alice is arriving alone," Edward informed us. "Vincent will join her in a few days." He shot a glance
at Bella, who was again radiating so much anxiety even he could feel it. "Relax, Bella," he
murmured. I felt her spike of annoyance and turned my head to hide my smile.

I heard Alice pause on the porch, and could feel her trepidation, hope, and regret. Edward moved
forward to greet her at the door, and Bella moved closer to me. I pulled her into my chest,
wrapping my arms around her waist. Alice walked through the door, smiling briefly at Edward
before turning her attention to me. I felt her hesitation and curiosity at my protective stance with
Bella, and I saw Edward's slight nod in response to her unspoken question.

"Hello, Alice," I said, keeping my voice and my expression neutral.

"Hey, Jazz," she said with a small smile. "Hi, Bella," she added, obviously hesitant and unsure of
the reaction she'd receive.

"Hello, Alice. How are you?" Ah, my Bella. She's so nice to everyone, willing to give second chances

and the benefit of the doubt, even when it's not warranted.

Alice's features relaxed into a more casual smile. "Good, good. I see I'm out of the loop on some
things." She glanced at Edward again, periodically feeling little jolts of betrayal that I couldn't
figure out, and apparently my sweet Bella chose that moment to decide she'd had just about
enough of giving everyone the benefit of the doubt.

"Alice," she said sharply, "if you'd like to ask something, you can feel free. There's no real need to

hold mental conversations with Edward when I'm standing right here."

Fuck she's hot when she's annoyed. She elbowed me in the ribs, and while it certainly didn't inflict
any damage or even discomfort, it let me know I was projecting. Christ I have to get a handle on

this shit. What is it about her that makes me so fucking out-of-control?

Alice recoiled like she'd been slapped. Glancing at me and then fixing her gaze back on Bella, she
said in a more timid voice than I'd ever heard her use, "You're right Bella. I apologize. It's an old
habit." She paused, as if deciding whether or not to proceed, and I felt her resolve strengthen and
then that weird little spike of betrayal again, "I was just curious, considering recent events,
whether or not I misinterpreted some things."

And everything clicked, and I fucking couldn't believe she was going to go there. Bella was feeling
confused, not knowing where Alice was leading, and I was pissed. "Alice, are you implying
something? Because if you are, I wish you'd get to the fuckin' point." Bella looked up at me,

starting to panic, and Edward rubbed his forehead, clearly uncomfortable.

"Bella, why don't we go in the kitchen and give them a minute?" Edward said, pleading at me with
his eyes, begging me to let him remove Bella from this situation. I was so fucking furious, and I
sure as hell didn't want Bella to have to listen to the woman who was supposed to have been her

best friend make ridiculous accusations.

"Darlin'?" I looked at her, leaving the decision up to her. She glanced at me, then at Edward, and
back at me, clearly not understanding what was going on, but determined to remain in the room.
She shook her head, shooting a worried glance at Edward.

"Go ahead, Alice. What's going on in that brain of yours? I know you pretty well, and I have a fairly
good idea, but I'll be damned if I can figure out how you came to this conclusion." I said, keeping
my hands on Bella's waist so I didn't reach out and snap Alice's fucking neck.

"Fine," she snapped. "It's obvious that the two of you have grown....close. It seems odd to me that
we ended our marriage over several issues that all stemmed back to Bella....and none of them
were your fault, Bella, so please don't think I'm insinuating that.....but Jazz, you have to admit this
doesn't make sense. You struggled with your control around humans, you always struggled. You
were never strong enough, and you couldn't be that strong even for me, when my best friend was
a human, when your brother's girlfriend was human. This is the very human you tried to drain,
Jazz! How can you stand to be so close to her now? How? How can you be with her? How can you

do it now, when you couldn't be strong enough for me?!"

Bella was shocked, her eyes round, and I carefully let go of her waist and moved around her,
instinctively moving her body behind mind, and approached Alice, trying like hell to calm myself
the fuck down. "Strong enough for you?! What the fuck does that mean? You fuckin' abandoned
her, this woman you're calling your best friend, this woman you called your sister! And yes, I
abandoned her, too, but I came back, Alice. I came back, for her." Christ. She'd twisted all the shit
we'd rehashed a thousand times after our split, and this is the conclusion she made?

"But now you're standing there with her, and you're obviously with her. How is that possible? It

makes me wonder...if all along..."

"Don't. you. fucking. say. it. Don't Alice. You fucking know that's not what happened," I growled.

Bella was blinking furiously, aware she was somehow the subject of this fucked up conversation,
but without enough pieces to put the puzzle together. Edward moved closer to her, and I sent him
a wave of gratitude that did not go unnoticed. I nodded at Bella, shifting my eyes to Edward, and
she moved closer to him, allowing me to advance on Alice.

"If you're implying that I was somehow not enough for you, not good enough for you, because I
struggled with control, that's one thing. But I know you're not implying that Bella and I somehow

betrayed you."

"Jazz, we ultimately split because I couldn't handle your lack of control, control you obviously have
if you can not only resist humans but be with one, the very one you couldn't control yourself
around before! And the second reason was because you were so hell-bent on not leaving Forks.
That was Edward's decision, Jasper, and he made it. Why did it upset you so much?" Alice yelled.

"You did betray me, and you betrayed Edward as well!"

Did she go fucking nuts in South America? "Have you lost your fucking mind?" I roared. "We've
established I had control issues, and those very control issues are what led me to the discipline it
took to overcome them. My control issues weren't a personal affront to you, Alice, hard as it may
be to wrap your little pixie brain around the fact that the whole fucking Earth doesn't revolve
around you and your fucking shoe collection. I didn't betray you, and neither did Bella. You
betrayed her when you left her, and you betrayed me when you used what happened as an excuse
to walk out. And I was hell-bent on not leaving Forks because it was the wrong decision, and I
don't care who fucking made it, or whose it was to make....it. was. wrong." Bella was sobbing
against Edward's chest, and I held my hand out towards them, turning back on Alice, "And if I
betrayed Edward, do you care to explain why he doesn't feel I've betrayed him? He's not happy
with the situation, no, but he doesn't blame me for loving her any more than I blame him for loving

her!"

"You've done really well here, Alice. You've managed to alienate your favorite brother, your ex-
husband, and your former best friend. Well done. Now excuse me, but I've had about enough of
this fucking ridiculousness." I pointed at her, "And you stay the fuck away from Bella until you're
ready to apologize, and I better fucking be there when you approach her or I swear to every god

that ever was, Alice, I'll rip your fucking head off."

I collected Bella into my arms, murmuring my thanks to Edward, who was putting out so fucking
many of his own emotions I couldn't even be bothered to try and decipher them at this point, as
overwhelmed as I was with my own. I carried Bella up the stairs, away from the toxic stew of

emotions.

~*~

Chapter EIghteen

BPOV

"I'm so sorry, baby," he murmured, sitting on the edge of our bed, holding me on his lap. I could
feel the waves of calm he was pushing into me, and we sat that way for awhile until I had cried

myself out.

"I'm sorry, too," I said. He looked perplexed, and I gave him a watery chuckle. "For this", I said,
motioning to myself, "but I was so tense waiting for her to arrive, and then so relieved when it
seemed like it might be okay, and then confused because I didn't know what was happening. I still
don't know what all of that was about. And you were so angry." I was a little in awe, actually. I'd
never seen him that angry before, and then to see it directed at Alice of all people. It was like
watching members of your family argue in the way it provokes that childish response...the one
where you just want them all to get along and go back to being your family. "Jazz?" I asked
cautiously, not wanting him to get pissed all over again. As calm as he appeared right now, I could

still see the residual anger in the clench of his jaw. And in his eyes. "What was she talking about?"

Jasper sighed. "You know, I was trying to keep her from actually saying it. I didn't want you to
have to hear that shit from someone claiming to have your best interests at heart." He paused and
muttered, "I'm still learning that the interests Alice is most intent on protecting are her own." He
shook his head, clearing that thought, "Darlin' she thought that my lack of control with this lifestyle
somehow meant I wasn't committed to her fully, and to see me now, with you....I honestly don't
know whether she really believes we betrayed her or not, but babe she was implying that maybe

there had been more to you and me even back then."

I contemplated this for a few minutes while he rubbed small circles on my back. "So she's jealous?"

"No," Jasper mused. "There wasn't an ounce of jealousy in her. She was feeling all the things I'd
expect her to, except I kept getting a very strong sense of betrayal." He hesitated, thinking hard.
"I don't think she really believes that you and I started five years ago. I think that particular
accusation sprung up as a direct result of her real issue, which is that she hated my struggles with

control. Same old shit packaged a new way, darlin'."

I sighed and relaxed even further against him, making sure I kept a lid on my own emotions. The
circles on my back kept getting bigger, and I tilted my face up to find Jasper looking at me, his
eyes so full of love, and I was overwhelmed with love and desire for this beautiful man.

JASPER POV

Sitting there, holding Bella, I wasn't sure what had pissed me off the most, that Alice was implying
I was somehow unfaithful to her or that she was accusing Bella of betraying her. And of betraying

Edward. Where the fuck did she get that?

I pushed Alice from my mind, focusing instead of the soft, warm body next to me. Bella. The sheer
depth of the protective feelings I had for her were staggering. Her tears, a product of her
frustration and dismay at the rapid unraveling of the situation, were gone, and when she looked up
at me with those wonderful, expressive eyes of hers I felt such amazing love, peace, and desire.

I dipped my head towards her, kissing her softly. She deepened the kiss almost immediately and
we spent what seemed like hours exploring each other's mouths, unhurried, unrushed, reveling in
just being together. She shifted on my lap so she was straddling me, her hands going to my hair,
our lips never parting. I leaned back slowly, taking her with me, until my back touched the
mattress. My hands were trailing every curve of her body, finding that inch of skin above her
waistline that had been in the back of my mind all day. When we finally broke the kiss she pulled
back, looking at me, her hair falling around her face. She was just so fucking beautiful. And I
wanted her.

I rolled us, pinning her underneath me, and her longing and desire matched my own. She pulled
my down to her lips again, capturing my bottom one with her teeth, sucking it into her mouth, and
I groaned. She hitched her leg up around my hip and we moved against one another, knowing she

could feel my erection as well as I could feel her heat, Christ the heat of her...

Her hands moved from my hair to the hem of my shirt, tugging upwards, and I reached one arm
behind me and pulled it off. I slide my hand underneath that red sweater to her ribs, twisting my
wrist to run my thumb over her nipple, already hard. She arched her back underneath me, and the
feeling of her skin on mine, the feeling of her moving beneath me like I'd imagined her so many

times, like I'd wanted her for so long...

I pulled her gently into a sitting position, disposing of her sweater and bra in one swift movement,
and lowered her back to the bed. I trailed kisses from her ear to her collarbone, loving how her
breath was coming faster. I traced my tongue over her hardened nipple before pulling it into my
mouth, pinching the other lightly between my fingers. Bella said my name in a low, husky tone, her

body writhing beneath me, both of us needing to get closer...always closer.

I moved back up to kiss her, reaching my hand between our bodies to release the button on her
jeans, dragging the zipper down. Sitting back on my heels, she lifted her hips and I pulled her
jeans slowly down her legs. Her eyes never left mine, and we silently communicated our need, our
desire. I rid myself of my own jeans and leaned back over her, picking up where I left off, circling
each nipple with my tongue and placing open-mouthed kisses down her rib cage and stomach. I
ran my tongue along the waist band of her panties....red...she's fucking killing me...and she

moaned, "Jazz....please...."

Hooking my fingers underneath them at her hips, I looked up at her. "Patience, darlin'. I haven't
even tasted you yet." Her eyes closed and she whimpered, rubbing her thighs together for friction.
I lowered her panties, sliding them down her legs until she kicked them off. Leaning back up I
grabbed her earlobe gently between my teeth, sliding my fingers between her legs, brushing her
clit lightly. "Oh....God......ohGodohGod...." she was repeating it over and over until it ran together,

sounding like one word.

Shifting my weight, I slid my knee between both of hers and murmured against her neck, "Spread
your legs for me, Isabella." She was completely lost in the sensations we were creating, unable to
do anything but comply, and I shifted my weight back on my knees, kissing the inside of her thigh.
"Fuck....you smell so good." Unable to make her wait any longer, and unable to wait myself, I
circled her clit with my tongue before sliding it along her folds. "And you taste so fucking
good....fuck." I slid my first two fingers into her, sucking her clit between my lips while I pumped
them in and out of her rhythmically, twisting them to hit the spot that made her back arch up off

the bed and her muscles clench down on my fingers.

"Oh ...fuck," she groaned, and came hard, "Fuck....Jasper....oh God..." I slowed my fingers, my
eyes never leaving her face. She so gorgeous when she comes...fuck. I slid back up beside her, my
hand on her waist. She grabbed my hair, pulling me to her lips with such passion. I knew she could
taste herself on my lips and tongue, and that just made me harder, and I groaned into her mouth
when she bit my bottom lip. She straddled me again, her hands moving over my chest and
shoulders, and she leaned forward, placing kisses on my chest. She used her tongue and her lips,
working her way across my chest to my other shoulder, and I had the fleeting thought that she
wasn't even avoiding the scars, not going around them, but not actively seeking them out, either.
It was like she didn't see them, or she did and just didn't think they detracted in any way. All I
could feel from her was lust and love and an aching need I echoed.

She was rolling her hips in little circles, her amazing heat and wetness brushing the tip of my cock
each time, driving me absolutely fucking crazy. I had my hands on her hips and I struggled to keep
from guiding her onto me. She laughed softly into my shoulder before bringing her lips to mine

again and murmuring, "You're showing amazing restraint, cowboy."

"I can show you all kinds of restraints, darlin'," I said, giving her the cocky grin, "Why, I believe
there's handcuffs around here somewhere." She smiled, but a thoughtful look passed over her
features and I felt her spike of curiosity in the swirling desire filling the room, and I laughed,
"Cuffs, huh babe? MmmMMm." She winked at me and slid herself onto my erection and without so
much as a pause, started moving her hips in a way that made all rational thought skip the right
fuck out on me. She was moving in delicious, slow circles, and when I'd had all the torture I could
take I placed one hand around her waist, supporting the small of her back, and flipped us again. I
grasped her leg behind the knee and pushed it back towards her chest, and she brought her ankle
to rest on my shoulder. She hooked the other leg around my hip. Bracing my hands on the

mattress on either side of her shoulders, I started a rhythm of thrusting hard and quick.

"Oh fuck Jasper....harder....I need....almost..." she moaned, and I growled, thrusting deeper,
moving one hand to her shoulder for both leverage and to keep her from being pushed up with

each thrust.

"Fuck Bella...you're so tight." I groaned. I could feel her orgasm getting ready to explode. "Darlin'
cum for me. Oh fuck...now baby." And she tightened around me again, triggering my own release.
We rode out our orgasms together, slowly coming down, and I collapsed to the mattress beside
her, one arm stretched across her. She turned her head and just stared into my eyes, a small smile

on her lips.

"I love you," she whispered, reaching over to touch my face softly, brushing the stray strands of

hair from my forehead.

"And I love you, Isabella," I replied, pulling her against me as I moved up to rest against the

headboard. As she drifted to sleep, I stroked her hair, completely at peace.

Lost in my own thoughts, completely content with Bella sleeping against my chest and in my arms,
I wasn't immediately aware that my phone was vibrating. Glancing at the time, I slid Bella onto the

pillow and moved from the bed to find my jeans. I hooked the phone out of the pocket. Carlisle.

Edward and I leave for Romania tomorrow to uncover what we can about the prophecy, but Stefan
was surprisingly helpful already. He's aware of the prophecy, and he's sending a fax to the line in
my study to share what he knows so far. Go get it please, and have everyone there be ready to
meet at 7. Thx - C

I pulled my clothes on, debating a quick shower so I didn't incite any further lunacy from Alice, and
then thought fuck it. Let her smell Bella on me. She probably heard us anyway. As I was pulling on

my boots I heard someone approaching the door. When they paused, I sighed. "What, Alice?"

"Can we talk?" she asked in a low voice, obviously aware Bella was sleeping.

"We did talk. And right now we have more important shit to do." I opened the door and glared at
her. "Let Bella sleep for another hour. She's exhausted." I said, stepping around her to go to
Carlisle's study.

"I'm sorry Jazz." She said from behind me. "I know that you didn't betray me. It's just that seeing

you with her..."

"Save it Alice. I know you're sorry, I can feel it. Neither of us ever had any problem apologizing to
each other." I paused, glancing back at her over my shoulder before continuing on down the hall.

"But it's not enough this time."

I went into Carlisle's office and closed the door behind me. Too fucking much to deal with.
Retrieving the paper from the fax, I sat down to read the information Stefan was sharing.

Carlisle,

Here is the information that we know. I'm compiling a list of people/places for further information, and

have little doubt we can find the answers you seek.

The prophecy originated in Italy and was made by those of La Vecchia Religione. A coven of witches,

the Stregheria coven, protected the prophecy, keeping it hidden at all cost from the Volturi. The coven

was formed precisely for this purpose. One of the Stregheria, a witch, made the original prophecy. It is

said she had the gifts of prophecy and foresight. Eventually, in the 1500s, the Volturi learned of the

prophecy, as by this time La Vecchia Religione had become a mixture of both vampires and humans. We

here learned of it around the same time, when a descendant of the witch who made the prophecy

married a Romanian man (my grandfather). La Vecchia Religione is much smaller now, but finding

members of the Stregheria coven should not be difficult.

Stefan

Jesus Christ. Don't we fucking have ENOUGH to deal with here? Vampires, wolves, and now fuckin'

WITCHES? What the fuck is next? Elves? Leprechauns? For FUCKS sakes.

I went to round up Edward and wake Bella so we could all be ready for the return of the others. I
hoped we could get to the bottom of all of this without disappearing so far down the rabbit hole we
couldn't get back.

~*~

Chapter Nineteen

JPOV

When we'd all gathered back in the living room, Carlisle filled Alice in on the details of the
prophecy, including the new information from Stefan, and the wolves. She remained reserved and

quiet, refusing to meet my eyes or Bella's.

"Can you see anything, Alice?" Carlisle asked.

Scanning for answers, Alice's eyes took on the characteristic unfocused look she wore when having
a vision or searching the future for something. "Aro will come himself." Shit. He rarely leaves
Volterra. This can't be good. "He'll arrive with several members of his guard to meet with Jasper
and with you, Carlisle. He's going to want to see Bella as well." I growled, and Bella put her hand
on my arm. "He'll then return to Volterra to hold conference with Marcus and Caius. I can't yet see

what they'll decide."

"He's not getting anywhere near Bella," I said.

"He's only coming to talk. He's not going to hurt her," Alice said.

"Fuck that, he's not seeing her," I growled. Alice was looking at me speculatively. I didn't give a
fuck. She muttered something about me not trusting her. Well done, Alice. You win the goddamn
kewpie doll. Carlisle held his hand up, his usual method of letting us know the conversation was

moving on and we could argue the finer points later.

"Thank you, Alice. You'll let me know if anything changes?" Carlisle asked, and she nodded. "Okay.
Edward and I leave for Romania in the morning. We shouldn't be longer than a week, and maybe
much less. Emmett, Rose, Esme....you three will head to Denali to speak with Eleazar. Jasper, you
will meet with the wolves, and Bella, you'll be with Jasper when he speaks with the pack. Perhaps
you can speak with Jacob first, and help foster the good will that will let us form an alliance?"

Everyone was nodding their agreement.

"We need to find as much information as we can, but it's also vitally important that we determine
whether or not there's any possibility that this prophecy could be true, but even more pressing,
whether the Volturi will believe that Jasper and Bella are in fact the two they're looking for. Our
only hope of resolving this peacefully is to make them believe that Bella is not the human in the

prophecy, and for that we need Eleazar."

"Jasper, you mentioned calling Peter," Carlisle continued. Edward's head shot up, mistrust passing
through him. He shook his head minutely, and Alice visibly relaxed. I rolled my eyes at both of
them.

"Yes. He's an experienced fighter. He would be greatly beneficial in training the wolves, should it
come to that." Bella was fidgeting and her anxiety level was rising. I pushed calm at her and
wrapped my arm around her. "He's also got an uncanny ability very similar to Eleazar's, but more
like an intuition than a power, and it's wicked accurate. He can see, or feel, people's gifts, abilities,
strengths, both human and vampire, and often knows what someone's power will be when they're
turned. He's never been wrong. And he has knowledge about upcoming events, not exactly

forsight, or visions, he just knows shit. He could be dead helpful in this situation."

"Excellent," Carlisle said. "And while we're all here, I want to say what a blessing it is to have our
whole family together again." Esme beamed at Bella, who blushed furiously. Though there were
tensions, Carlisle and Esme were clearly delighted to have us all together. For the last five years
we'd been without Bella, Edward had spent most of his time in Europe, and Alice had been
traipsing around South America. It felt right somehow that we were all reunited here in this house

in Forks.

BELLA POV

I hadn't been to La Push for quite awhile, and since my last conversation with Jake hadn't gone
very well, I was apprehensive. It had taken me five minutes to convince Jasper that I was fine to
go to La Push alone, and another ten to convince Edward. I waited an additional ten minutes while
Jasper and Edward sniped at each other, which only ended when I dissolved into fits of hysterical
laughter. They both looked at me, completely indignant and perplexed, which made me laugh even
harder. "You both.... you just.....you sound like two old women fighting over whose turn it is to
drive to Bingo!" I sputtered, ignoring their comical expressions of amusement and exasperation

and laughing all the way to Jasper's truck.

On the drive I kept my mind occupied by making a mental list of things I had to get done in the
shop if I planned to open on time. Luckily, Jasper had been helping out so much that I was ahead
of schedule.

I parked the truck in front of the garage. Sighing, I got out and headed over to where Jake was

bent over an engine, studiously ignoring my arrival. "Hey Jake."

"Bells," he said, not looking up.

Well this is pleasant. "How are you?"

"If you're here to relay information for the pack, maybe you could get on with it." Fantastic.

Clearly, he's still pissed.

I sighed again. "Fine. Carlisle and Edward will be going to Romania tomorrow. When they return,
Carlisle would like to have a meeting with the pack. He can give you all the information he's
collected, and go from there. In the meantime, Jasper and I would like to meet with you to fill you

in on everything we've found out so far."

"Fine," he said curtly. "Is that all?"

I was about to say yes, that was all, but my irritation came through. "Jacob, would it kill you to

look at me?"

He brought his head up and glanced at my face for a brief moment before returning his gaze to the
ground. He turned back towards the engine he was working on, saying, "Let me know when. Bye,
Bella." Well. I've been dismissed.

I'd hoped we could talk, but I knew him well enough to know that there wasn't a chance in hell we
could have a rational conversation while he was still resentful and angry. Our friendship had been
strained to the breaking point over the Cullens numerous times in the past, and I was afraid their

return might be the final straw.

"Are you with him now, Bells?" he called softly just as I reached the door of the truck. His voice
was so quiet I'm not even sure he meant me to hear him, perhaps because he didn't really want to
know the answer. I turned back to see him looking at me with a pained expression on his face. I
looked at him helplessly, not able to say the words that would hurt him, not when I've hurt him so
many times already. Taking my silence as confirmation, he gave a sharp nod, turned around, and

walked into the garage.

JASPER POV

"Was it really wise to let her go there alone, Jasper?" Edward's impatience was creeping into his

voice.

I glared at him. "Would I have let her if it wasn't?" I snapped.

"I'm not implying that you'd put her in danger, simply that danger finds her." Edward said. We

both chuckled at the truth in that statement.

"Can I ask you something?" Edward asked. Warily, I nodded. He looked thoughtful for a moment,
clearly struggling with whatever he wanted to say. "Did you...." he stopped, taking a deep breath
before continuing. "Did you know this was going to happen when you decided to come to Forks?" I
didn't need to be a rocket scientist to know he was talking about Bella, not the fiasco with the

prophecy.

"Honestly, Edward, I never really made a conscious decision to come to Forks. I just did, and when
I found myself here it was because I wanted to support her for her grand opening. I didn't think it
through much more than that."

"When?" he asked.

"When what?" I replied.

"When did you fall in love with her?" The regret, sorrow, and resignation were all over his face as
well as in his emotions, and I realized at that moment just how goddamn tightly he'd kept them

reined in around me.

I carefully kept my thoughts on the conversation in one part of my brain while I automatically
began mentally reciting song lyrics with the rest. There was way too much shit in there I didn't
particularly want him to see, mostly because it was none of his business, but truthfully also
because it would only cause him more pain. "Man, I don't even know. When I finally admitted to
myself I was in love with her, I realized I had been since....fuck, a long time. I won't apologize for

loving her, Edward, but I am sorry that you're hurting."

He smiled briefly, acknowledging my words, and his tone took on a clinical, curious tone, "How do
you manage the bloodlust?"

I snorted. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm a little more controlled now. With her, though, it's not
even an issue. I'm sure it was much the same for you. In fact, I know it was, but you were so
terrified of the possibility of hurting her than you were paralyzed by it." Shit. I didn't mean that to
sound like he'd fucked up. I mean, let's face it, he had, but still. "I wouldn't hurt her. The thought
of anything causing her harm, let alone the thought of me causing it, pretty much negates any
desire I have for her blood." That much was true. I hand't even been tempted by her blood since

I'd been back. It simply isn't an issue. "Anything else?"

"Are you planning to turn her?" he asked, and I knew this was where he'd been headed all along.

"We haven't talked about it, but if she wants it, then yes, I'll turn her." He looked horrified, as I'd
known he would be, but fuck, if I had a chance to spend eternity with this woman, I was going to
take it, but only if it was what she wanted as well, and I'd make absolutely certain she was better
prepared than any other vampire in history for what was to come. The anger and sadness he was
putting out were nearly crippling. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't go all 'don't do this or you'll
lose your fuckin' soul and get sucked into the depths of hell because you'll be a monster' on her,
either, when and if the time comes for us to discuss the possibility of her change." He really was a

fuckin' drama queen.

His eyes flashed before the mask of calm detachment fell over his face again. Christ, that has to be

fuckin' exhausting, watching your emotions and your expressions all the fuckin' time.

Changing the subject, he said, "I know you're upset with Alice, and you have every right to be, but
she would never intentionally hurt you or Bella. She was shocked, and she reacted badly, but she
just wants you both to be happy."

"I don't care to discuss Alice, Edward." I said. He nodded and let it go. "I'm going to go wait for

Bella. And hey, have fun on your witch hunt." I heard him chuckling as I walked away.

I sat on the porch to wait for Bella, flipping open my phone and dialing.

"Hey fucker, nice of you to finally call."

"Christ, you're worse than a woman, Peter. Could you be any more high maintenance?"

"Probably. So am I coming there, or are you coming here?"

"Sometimes I wonder why we bother to have conversations. You're like fuckin' Yoda. What do you

know?"

"So far only that something big is going to happen. What's her name?"

"Isabella. Don't fuckin' hit on her."

"Ah I make no promises my friend. I'll plan for a few weeks from now, give you time to get your

ducks in a row. Call you before I fly out."

"I can't fuckin' believe you used the phrase 'ducks in a row'. See you soon."

Things were beginning to come together.

~*~

Chapter Twenty

JPOV

For a few blissful days, things seemed almost normal. I was almost able to forget about the threat
of the Italian lunatics hanging over us. Bella and I worked in her shop, unpacking more new
inventory and stocking it. We spent hours laughing and talking, working side by side, and I never
failed to be awed and thankful that she was mine.

Alice remained in her room, coming out only to hunt.

Bella and I didn't seem to be able to get enough of each other, and the frenzied, crazy attraction
we felt for one another didn't diminish. At all. With the house quiet, we'd broken in just about
every available surface in the house, culminating in this morning's episode when I'd bent her over
the kitchen counter, my hands on her hips, slamming into her with as much force as I dared. She'd
been fixing her breakfast wearing only one of my button-downs, and I swear, I couldn't help
myself. It didn't help when she looked back over her shoulder, eyes glazed with lust, hair all over

the place, and moaned, "Fuck me harder, Jazz."

On the fourth day Bella and I met with Jacob in the clearing where Bella and I had had our picnic.
We informed him of the origins of the prophecy, the trips to learn more information, and the fact
that with the addition of Vincent and then Peter, the number of vampires in the area would be
increasing. The meeting was tense, and I could feel Bella's dismay over the state of her
relationship with Jacob. The pack would be widening their patrols to include the woods by the

Cullen mansion, with Jacob himself insisting upon taking that patrol.

We spent the morning before Rosalie and Emmett's return in our favorite corner of the garden. It
was nice to lie in the warmth of the sun, Bella beside me with her head on my chest, one leg
thrown over me. I could sense her contentment all week, but also her nervousness and fear, which
had been increasing at a steady pace for the last day or so, and I meant to find out the cause
before everyone arrived home and the pace picked up again.

"What's bothering you, babe?"

Bella lifted her head, resting her chin on the hand that was on my chest. "Nothing," she replied.
"I'm just enjoying these last quiet hours."

So whatever it was, she didn't want to worry me with it. "I can feel your fear ya know, Bella. Your
emotions are yours to have and to feel, but I love you, and I can't stand knowing you're afraid and
not knowing why."

She seemed to collect her thoughts for a minute, and said, "I've been trying to be calm and stay
positive, because I know you feel that there's nothing to worry about..."

"Well, I wouldn't say that, exactly," I said.

"I mean I know you're worried, but not about how really bad this could be. I mean, doesn't the

prophecy bother you at all?" she asked.

"It's inconvenient, sure, but we don't even know if it's real, darlin'. And even if it is, I'm not that

vampire."

"That's just it, Jazz. How do you know you're not that vampire?" She sat up, becoming more
animated, talking with her hands. I opened my mouth to explain to her that it just wasn't me, that
it couldn't possibly be, when she held up her hand and gave me a look to signal she knew I was
going to protest and she didn't want to hear it. Her tone took on a slightly sarcastic edge, and I
tried valiantly to listen to her with an open mind and take this seriously, but part of me just wanted

to grin at how fucking cute she was when she was all geared up in smart-ass mode.

"Let's just review, okay?" she asked in a tone that said she wasn't really asking. "A vampire
stronger than any other. Hmmm, and what do the Quileutes say about you? Oh, that's right,
speed, and death, and power all rolled into one. Charismatic - check, strategic - check, intelligent -
check, strong - check. Able to control large crowds. Well, what do you know? Enter the empath
who can manipulate emotions. Fall in love with a human...." she paused, placing her fingers over
the pulse point in her neck. "Holy fuck, Jazz, I'm human!" I quickly hid my grin, because I could
see she was working herself up and it'd just piss her off. "Did it occur to you that even if you aren't
the vampire in this prophecy, you could never prove it? The more I think about it, the more I'm
afraid...no, sure....that it is you, and what does that mean? What are we going to do? How the hell

are we going to get out of this?"

The wry humor in her voice had begun creeping toward hysteria, and I sat up to gather her into my

arms. "Shhh, babe, it's okay."

Oh look, I had succeeded in pissing her off anyway.

"It is not okay!" she yelled. "Tell me exactly just how it's okay? How it's going to be okay? Okay??"

Brushing her hair back and cupping her face, I kissed her softly. "Feel better?"

"Yeah, actually I do. But Jasper...I'm scared." There might not be any worse feeling in the world
than knowing this brave, amazing, intelligent woman I love more than anything is afraid, and I

can't do a fucking thing about it.

"I know, babe, but it really will be okay. We've got Alice, which will give us a heads up. We've got
Edward, who will be able to tell us what they're thinking when they come. We've got Peter, who is

one bad-ass motherfucker. And we've got the wolves."

"Can you promise me it'll end well?" she asked, knowing I couldn't.

"I can promise you I'll always do everything in my power to keep you safe, to keep us together.

Will that do?" I asked, kissing her on the forehead.

"I guess it'll have to," she said in a very small voice, nestling into my shoulder.

Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett arrived late in the afternoon. Rose and Bella had fallen into an easy
friendship, and I was glad. It was nice to see my favorite sibling and the love of my life getting
along. Rose had yet to have much interaction with Alice, and I had a feeling that all the tension and

yelling weren't over, especially with us all stressing over everything else going on.

Rosalie and Esme joined Bella and me in the kitchen. I was attempting chicken cacciatore for
Bella's dinner. It'd either be a blazing success or an abysmal failure, but I'd found cooking to be a
relaxing past-time. Em and Alice found their way in a few minutes later, and Esme filled us in on
the visit to Denali.

"We didn't get any further information on the prophecy," she cut right to the chase. "Eleazar has
heard of it, but that's all." That left Stefan as our best hope for learning more about the prophecy

itself, but the more pressing matter would be what to do with that information once we had it.

Rose picked up where Esme left off, "Eleazar also had some interesting theories on Bella's ability to
keep Edward out of her head, Jazz out of her emotions, and Alice out of her future." Bella laughed
at her wording. "He thinks she obviously has some sort of shielding ability, and for her to be able
to implement it while human means she'd most likely make a pretty powerful vampire. He's pretty
sure, although of course we can't be certain, that if she were to be turned, this "shield" would
become even stronger and she'd have far more control over it. It's possible she'd be able to project
it to cover and shield others." Bella looked surprised. "She may also be able to protect against
physical attacks, and not just against powers that work on the mind, but again, there's no way to

know that for certain."

We sat quietly for a few minutes, processing this new information. Eleazar had offered to visit and
spend time with Bella to try to ascertain more clearly how her shield worked. We decided to wait

and see if Peter was able to determine how she was shielding before taking him up on that offer.

As we contemplated ways to go about testing Bella's shield for use against Aro's ability to read

minds, the doorbell rang.

"That will be Vincent," Alice said, the first she'd spoken in days. She felt relief, probably because
she'd been so alone. We were all curious to meet him, and in true Cullen form all of us herded to
the living room. Nothing like springing a large group of vampires on a newcomer. Bella glanced at
me, and I sensed her unease. I reached for her hand, lacing our fingers together, and winked at

her.

Alice opened the door, beaming at her husband, and ushered him in to meet everyone. He wasn't
quite as tall as Edward, putting him at around 6', with dark hair that was as spiky as Alice's and the
muddy orange eyes of a vampire who'd recently switched to the vegetarian diet we all followed. I
felt the first stirrings of alarm, and Alice's eyes flashed to Bella and then me, her lips moving at the
speed of light, "He won't hurt her. Do you really think I'd put her in danger?" She was hurt and

angry, and I could understand that, but I wasn't willing to risk Bella.

"Everyone, this is Vincent. Vincent, this is Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, and Bella." Vincent's
eyes picked each of us out, nodding and smiling to us individually. His feelings were a mix of
excitement, love, and apprehension. "Vincent is from Pennsylvania, and he was changed only a few

years ago."

Red. Flags. Everywhere. Was she fucking mental bringing in a barely out-of-newborn stage
vampire who'd obviously only switched to feeding from animals in the last month? I had nothing
against the guy. He seemed friendly and nice, seemed to genuinely care for Alice, and frankly we
needed as many vampires around as possible with the coming Volturi visits, but fuck if I was going
to put Bella's life at risk. We were going to have enough of that shit in the coming months without

courting additional risks.

I'd pulled Bella partially behind me without even realizing I'd done it, and I could feel her confusion
and annoyance. This is one time she's gonna have to deal with me being protective. It didn't
escape me, the irony of the situation. Five years ago, I'd been the one Edward kept from Bella,
always afraid I'd lose control. I was moderately glad he wasn't here. I'd never fucking hear the end
of it. Of course, I also found it ironic that Alice hated my issues with control, and now here she was
with a newbie vamp who'd just given up humans as food. Christ. This is about two melodramas
away from bad reality TV.

Esme was asking Vincent "getting acquainted" questions, and Rose and Emmett had both moved
closer, listening to the newest member of the family, although Emmett had also placed himself
between Vincent and Bella. Alice was shooting daggers at me, and Bella was cycling between
amusement and exasperation, probably at the absurdity of the situation. I doubt that she failed to
pick up on the irony of the situation, clever and sharp as she is. Moving around Rose, keeping Bella
firmly behind me, I shook Vincent's hand. "Wonderful to meet you, Vincent, and welcome to the
family. I hope we can get acquainted soon, but if you'll excuse us, we'll let you get acquainted with
Esme." Esme looked so delighted to have another "kid" to fuss over I thought she was going to

burst.

Maneuvering Bella away from the group and towards the kitchen, heading for the back door, we
heard Alice gasp. "Oh no, no, no," she muttered, and her head snapped up and she hollered,

clearly panicked, "Jazz...Bella!"

And that was all she got out before all hell broke loose.

~*~

Chapter Twenty-One

JPOV

There was a splintering crash and the tinkling sound of glass scattering followed quickly by total
chaos. Suddenly, there were too fucking many people here, moving silently and swiftly around the
room, the scent unlike anything familiar to me. Alice was shrieking for Rose to GET BELLA OUT,
streaking towards me faster than I'd ever seen her move. She shoved Bella towards Rose, hard,
and trilled words almost too quickly, "You're going to have to trust Rose with her, we're going to

need you." She was as close to panic as I'd ever seen her, and nothing could have scared me

more.

The visitors streaked around the room, dark haired and stunningly beautiful, three women and two
men, speaking rapid Italian. Emmett was growling, Rose was yelling, Vincent was dashing around
the room, crouching and leaping. Desperately, I pumped out as much calm and lethargy towards
the visitors as I could without hitting any of my family. Nothing. It wasn't affecting them at all.

Fuck. What the fuck is going on?

Focusing on one of the males, relying on years of experience and intuition that had never failed
me, I lunged in anticipation of his next move. They're so fuckin' FAST! Wrapping my hands around
the waist band of his pants, I threw him against the far wall, noticing him tumbling midair with one
of the females that Emmett had sent flying. They crashed in a violent heap, breaking an end table
beneath them. Vincent had spun himself, airborne, vaulting off the arm of the sofa, and collided
with another of the women, moving rapidly to pin her beneath him. Lips pulled back, teeth exposed
and glistening, he had a constant, low growl coming from his chest, and I realized at that moment

that I did, too.

"STOP!" Her voice rang out with authority, and the three newcomers stilled immediately, edging

closer to the one Vincent had pinned. Wait. Three others? Where's the other female?

Alice's eyes were darting frantically over the wreckage in the room, and I swear my heart stopped
all over again when I saw Rose come back through the broken door alone with a stricken look on

her face. Oh God. Oh no....Bella.

"Jasper," her voice was strangled with fear. "Is she here?" Her eyes were searching desperately.

Oh please, oh no God please. She was gone.

I lunged at the nearest male, pinning him in seconds, growling and snarling, barely able to force
the words out. "Where. Is. She? WHERE?" I didn't even care who these people were, unable to
articulate any other question but this, the only one that mattered. "Where the fuck have you taken
her? If you've hurt her I'll kill every last fucking one of you."

A female approached from my right, and with zero hesitation and without lifting my weight from
the one I had pinned, I shot my arm out and took her down, growling at Emmett, "Hold her." The
remaining female, a small, exotic-looking woman, spoke, and it was when we heard her voice we

realized she was the one who'd called the carnage to a halt. She was apparently in charge.

"We have taken the girl." I growled louder, shaking so badly with rage I was going to accidentally
decapitate this fucker underneath me. "We mean her no harm." Her accented speech sounded

almost musical. "Do you know who we are?"

"I don't fucking care who you are. Where is she?!" I roared.

"La Vecchia Religione.....the Stregharia," Alice said softly, and I felt the surprise from Emmett and

Esme as my own eyebrows shot up.

"You are the psychic," said the woman. It wasn't a question. Alice nodded, feeling perplexed for
reasons that were soon made clear. "I am Allegra. I blocked your visions before we came here to
ensure our success."

"Where. Is. She?" I was losing patience fast, the terror running rampant, and I didn't give a flying

fuck if she was the goddamn Queen of England.

Turning her cool eyes to me, she still spoke calmly, "You are the god of war, the empath, and the

human is your shield."

Emmett spoke. "Would you get to the fucking point before I rip this chick's head off? What the hell
have you done with Bella?"

Ignoring him completely, Allegra addressed me again, "What is your name?"

Growling, I stared at her, not answering.

"Then I shall call you Ares, for you have vengeance on your mind, do you not? Your human...Bella
is it?....is fine. We merely need to speak with her, and knew you would not take kindly to letting

her leave your protection. She is with Anna, and she will be returned before daybreak."

She moved to the chair and sat down, like this was a fucking social call. I was fluctuating wildly
between pure fear and fury, and Emmett was putting out those two emotions in heavy quantity
himself. Esme was feeling fear. Vincent was feeling rage and confusion, which is usually not a good

combination, but the poor guy didn't have a clue what in the blue fuck was going on here.

"You have sent some of your family to Romania." Allegra said, again not asking a question, but
making a statement. "They will bring you the information that you seek. I myself am here for
information. This prophecy, made by one of us all those years ago, has been lost to us. As the
Volturi's power grew, ours diminished, and what you see before you is all that is left of our coven.
We know the contents of the prophecy, but nothing more. And then we heard that Aro had found

the vampire and his human. We came for this reason. Are you willing to continue to let me speak?"

I let up the witch I'd been holding down, still trembling violently. Esme put her hand on my arm to

soothe me. Emmett released the witch he was holding, as did Vincent.

"Speak." I commanded, unable to stop the growl that came out with it and not caring.

Allegra nodded slowly at me. "We have taken your Bella so we could find out if she was indeed that
human."

Emmett interrupted, "Why didn't you take Jasper to find out if he was indeed that vampire?" His

voice was caustic.

"Because there is no need for that. He is that vampire." Esme gasped, and Alice was scanning the
future desperately, looking for the outcome. Rose moved to my other side, opposite Esme, and
grasped my hand. "We have gifts of our own. We have our own seer in Anna, and we are able to
block the powers of other witches and of vampires. We have many other abilities and gifts, and in

time you may learn of them, but now we must continue on."

"You are that vampire. You must not doubt it, because the Volturi do not, and you must not let
them destroy you or capture you. It would be the end of our world, the supernatural world, the
mythical world." She was speaking directly to me, and I was horrified. Horrified at what this meant,
the danger it would put Bella in. "Yes," she said. "Your Bella is in very grave danger. Aro is coming
with several members of the guard, this you know. You also know he is only coming to ask

questions. This time. What you are not aware of is that if Aro feels there is even a slight chance
that you and your Bella are those mentioned in the prophecy, he will kill her, and he will attempt to
do it while she is still human to eliminate the threat of the prophecy coming true."

I sat. My knees buckled completely, and I sat. Thrusting my shaking hand through my hair, I blew
out the breath I'd been holding. "And you are here why, Allegra? To collect information? To give

information?"

She seemed to come to a decision, opening her phone and speaking the most beautiful words I'd

heard all night, "Bring the girl." She then addressed me again, "To help."

BELLA POV

One minute Alice was yelling, the next I was being dragged through the woods at an alarming
speed. In only minutes we stopped, and I was helped with surprising gentleness to my feet by a
stunning woman with dark hair and eyes. She kept my wrists in her hand, looking almost
apologetic, and spoke quickly, "I am Anna, and I just want to talk. I will return you to your
protectors soon. Will you speak with me?" Completely perplexed, but not quite afraid, I nodded.

She visibly relaxed, "Good."

Releasing my wrists, she said, "I have come with all that is left of my coven. There is much more
to tell, but the gist of it is that we want to learn if you are indeed the woman of the prophecy."

I gasped, shocked. "You're the witches, the ones from Italy!" I was almost relieved. Maybe they

had answers!

"Yes, and I need to tell you something before we begin. I am a seer, much like the one in your own
coven, and we have a duty to protect the prophecy. Not its content, the prophecy itself. This must

come to pass."

"How did you find us? And how did you know the Volturi think Jasper's the vampire from the
prophecy?" I asked, eager to get as many answers as I could.

"We don't have time, but know this: Your god of war, this Jasper....he is the vampire, and you,
bella, you are the woman. It is imperative that the Volturi be stopped from harming you, or from

capturing you."

"How did you know my name?" I was dazed. This was surreal.

She blinked, startled. "I didn't. It is an endearment. It is your name?" She smiled. "Very fitting,"

she murmured.

Her phone rang and she listened briefly, not speaking. Holding out her hand she said, "Come, let's
return you to your coven."

We arrived back at the house as quickly as we'd left, and Anna helped me through the broken
door. Jasper was at my side before I even saw him move, pulling me into his arms and sinking to
the floor. Anna backed quietly away as he held me, dropping kisses everywhere he could reach,
murmuring a constant stream of words, "Isabella....thank God...If something had happened to

you....Oh Bella" over and over. His relief and fear were palpable, and I knew he was projecting to
the entire room. The witches didn't seem affected, but poor Rose was doubled over from the
strength of the emotions.

Placing my hands on Jasper's face, I pulled his head up. I kissed each of his eyelids, his nose, his
cheeks, and finally his lips, murmuring between each kiss, "It's okay. I'm okay baby, I'm not hurt.

I'm here. I love you."

Alice spoke to the room, "Carlisle and Edward are here."

Finally we could all sit and share information, and perhaps between the information from the
Stregharia and whatever news Carlisle and Edward brought from Stefan and Vladimir, we could
come up with some kind of plan. Despite being all back together and having this added assistance
from the witches, Anna's words were ringing over and over in my head. "This must come to

pass.....your god of war....he is the vampire....this must come to pass."

~*~

Chapter Twenty-Two

JPOV

I was torn between a powerful relief that Bella was returned to me safely, apprehension at what we
would hear from Carlisle and Edward, curiosity, sadness, pain, love.... the emotions in the room
were staggering, and I couldn't tell which were mine and which weren't. I was trying to push calm
at the room, but the fear and apprehension were weighing heavily. I felt like I was suffocating. I

knew where their fear stemmed from, and Bella's was sharper than anyone's.

Edward and Carlisle were met in the driveway by Alice to explain the arrival of the coven before
more chaos occurred. Edward flew in through the front door moments later, his eyes wide and
terrified, seeking Bella. I resisted the urge to make a comment. We don't have time for this bullshit

now.

All of this occurred, and I was aware of it on the periphery of my consciousness, my inner mind
working diligently. Alice's visions of those of us within the house were effectively being blocked by
both the witches and by Bella's shield, and Edward was also thus blocked;and now was the only
time I'd have to think and plan. One thing I knew for certain: Bella would not be meeting with Aro,

and she would not be placed in harm's way.

After the introductions were made, it was decided that Carlisle would speak first, telling us what
he'd learned in Romania. Allegra would pick up where he left off, and at that point we could finally
begin working on a strategy. I knew I'd be expected to relay it to the pack and work with them and
the family, as well as the witches, to plan this war. War. That's exactly what this will be, and Bella's
a target. No fucking way. My thoughts bounced back and forth between these two
scenarios....planning a war....protecting Bella....careful not to make a concrete decision just in case
Alice got a flash.

"Stefan was helpful, and he and Vladimir will come to Forks to stand with us, if necessary," Carlisle
began. "The prophecy is protected by the Stregharia, as you all know. They considered it their
duty, as it was made by one of their own, to uphold, to protect the prophecy, to ensure it comes to
pass. As the Volturi grew in power, they began to eradicate anyone they suspected was involved in
La Vecchia Religione. At some point, long ago, your coven," Carlisle continued, nodding at Allegra,
"consisted of both vampires and mortals. The Volturi did not differentiate, eradicating both. They
knew that the coven would be bound to keep the prophecy safe, and if they could successfully wipe

them out they could assure a measure of safety."

"What Aro and his brothers did not realize is that their own power-hungry behavior, their own
desire to hold power only unto themselves, would make the Stregharia more determined to uphold

the prophecy, and would in fact make it inevitable that it would come to pass."

"That's all well and good," said Emmett. "But how does that help us?"

"Because they're being overly cautious, such is their fear of this prophecy coming to pass and
stripping them of their power," Edward replied. "They'll come simply to speak to Jasper and Bella,
hoping to determine conclusively one way or another if the prophecy is indeed about them. They
know if they just show up to kill them, they'll have a fight they'd rather avoid. We're a rather large

coven ourselves." That much was true. Aside from the Volturi themselves, we were the largest.

"But we already know you are the vampire and the shield of the prophecy, so we have an
advantage," Allegra said. "We also know that if the Volturi succeed in killing the shield, the god of
war's power is lessened. This will not be a difficult objective for them to obtain; Bella is but a
human. The Volturi can only be stopped by the combination of the two of you together, and if the
Volturi are not stopped, they will gain power over all of us. They will rule with an iron fist, and we
will all be in bondage. Anna has seen this; it will come to pass if we should fail. By killing you, they

will have guaranteed their own unlimited power. You must turn Bella, and soon."

Bella's head snapped toward me. "Do it."

"Absolutely not", Edward growled.

I had apparently reached the end of my rope of civility for this evening's festivities. "Would you
butt the fuck out for once, Edward?" I snapped. I took a deep breath, touching my fingers lightly to
my temple for a moment. "Sorry," I muttered. He shook his head slightly. "We haven't even talked
about this, Bella. This is one dumb fucking reason to ask for eternity as the undead." Shit. I'm still

snapping at everyone. Get a fuckin' GRIP Whitlock. This is supposed to be your element.

"Jazz, I know we haven't talked about this, but you knew we would. I want forever, and I want it

with you," Bella said.

I held a hand up to stop the debate. "It's irrelevant, because if we change you right now, you'll be
in raving-lunatic-newborn state when Aro arrives, and despite your newborn strength, you'd be
inexperienced enough that it would be as simple to kill you as it would be if you'd remained

human."

Allegra and Carlisle agreed immediately. Well thank fucking God.

"He's right, Bella. If you are going to be turned, and...relax, Jasper...if you are going to be turned,
it will need to be directly following Aro's first visit. You'll still have newborn strength when he
returns, but you'll have time to train and adjust," Carlisle said.

"There will be several months between his visits," Anna said. "He fears this prophecy, yes, enough
that he will be cautious, but they believe they have much time, years perhaps, before Bella

becomes a threat."

"And the second visit? Can you see what that will entail?" Bella asked Anna. The two had quickly

formed a bit of a bond.

"I cannot. I can, however, tell you that he will most likely dispatch the entire guard," Anna replied.
"I do not know for certain what will come to pass, but I don't have to be a seer to know that
doesn't bode well."

"But we'll have the wolves, too," Emmett said, looking more menacing by the minute at the threat

to his family.

"And you'll have us," Allegra said. "Now that we are certain Bella is the shield, we are bound to
protect both her and Jasper. The prophecy states that this vampire," she nodded at me again, "will
be a god among men, even among the immortal. He will be vengeance, and bloodlust, and
slaughter personified."

I shuddered, and Bella leaned into me, putting out some serious love and acceptance. This woman
is so fucking amazing. A witch shows up to tell her that her man is slaughter personified, and she's
raring to be turned into a monster herself so she can shield me while I lead an army of vampires,
wolves, and witches. This is seriously fucked up. Christ.

"Myths and legends are often rooted in truth," Allegra went on. "We call the god of war Mars, the
Greeks call him Ares. Do you not know the story of the Trojan War? In the Iliad, Ares rode into
battle and was wounded. He returned to Olympus and was healed by Zeus. He then went straight
back into battle, shield in hand." Allegra looked at me pointedly, "Do you not see your similarities,
Jasper? You fought for nearly a hundred years in hell, only to be healed by your family." She
spread her hands out at them. "First by Alice, then by your acceptance of a new lifestyle, self-
sacrifice, self-denial after years of instant gratification, then by Bella. Your struggles and your

strength have healed you. And now it is time to return to battle, shield in hand."

I was horrified, and I could feel Edward's anger and fear at Allegra's words, overwhelming all the
other emotions in the room. I looked at him helplessly. What the fuck are we going to do? I will
NOT let her be hurt. I will NOT use her as my shield when I battle those fuckers. There has to be

another way.

Bella was determined beside me, letting me feel her resolve, her strength, and her fierce love for
me. She was so strong, but so fucking fragile. There has to be another way. I couldn't stop the
loop my brain was on.

The male witch spoke up for the first time. "I can see your desire to protect your mate. That's not
your job." His words were harsh, but his tone kind. "Your job is to stop them. Your job is to fulfill

the prophecy. It's her job to protect you."

"Fuck that," Edward and I spat out simultaneously, Emmett growling wordlessly. Rose looked near

tears, and Alice was holding her head in her hands.

I felt her wave of anger before she spoke, "If we could lighten up the fucking testosterone for a few
minutes, perhaps we can discuss the fact that this is a prophecy. It's been foretold." She was
pissed, and it was sexy as hell, as always, but I wasn't going to argue this with her. I would never,
ever restrict her like Edward had done, but this wasn't just riding a motorcycle or some other
ridiculous activity he'd deemed dangerous. This was fucking war, and there was no goddamn way
she was going to be anywhere near it.

The male spoke again, "She is right. You need to put aside your protective instincts. I realize it is a
completely natural thing, instinctive, compulsive almost. What you need to realize is that she was

made for this. She will be powerful in her own right. Do not underestimate her."

Allegra said, "We haven't made proper introductions. Speaking to you was Antonio, my brother.
You've met Anna. These are Sarafina and Niko." She held her hand out to the remaining female
and male. "We have individual powers you can incorporate into your strategy," she said, speaking

to me directly again. "And we have things we can control and do with magic."

Speaking to everyone again, but glancing repeatedly at Bella, she continued, "We have been
prophecied as well. As our coven diminished under the Volturi's rule, the remaining witches grew
stronger in the Craft, and we five, all that remains, are destined to assist you, we are bound to it.
We are the most powerful witches the Stregharia coven has even seen."

"Jasper, you must lead this battle. It is your destiny, and your duty."

BELLA POV

My brain hurts. Too much to process, and it was time for the human to sleep, or I was going to fall
over. What an exhausting damn day. My mind was whirling with all of the information, and I had to
continually fight back the fear that wanted to take over. Your god of war.....this must come to

pass. I shivered.

"Darlin'?" He was so worried.

"I'm okay," I smiled. "Just a chill."

He tucked me under the blanket, leaning in to kiss me. "I need to hunt," he said. I knew all the
emotions of the evening had taken a toll and weakened him. He leaned forward and kissed me
again. It started soft but quickly grew urgent, almost desperate in intensity. He pulled back, his

eyes scanning my face, taking everything in as though he were memorizing my every feature.

An uneasiness passed through me, and I couldn't stop the question that spilled out, "You'll be back

before I wake up?"

He leaned in to capture my lips again, running his hand over my hair. "I will always protect you,
and I will always love you, and I will do everything in my power to spend forever with you." His
fingers lingered on my cheek for a moment, and then he was gone.

I fell into a restless sleep and was awakened several hours by a nightmare I couldn't quite
remember. Looking at the empty half of the bed, the panic stirred. It doesn't mean anything that

he's not back yet. My sleepy, confused brain drifted over the events of last night, and it occurred to
me that he hadn't actually answered my question. The thread of fear that had been tracing through
me all night twisted in my gut, blossoming, and I tried to calm myself down. Jasper's phone rang

on the table. He'd left it behind. I picked it up, only half paying attention, "Hello?"

An urgent voice spoke, the panic barely controlled, "Isabella, this is Peter. He's gone to Italy."

~*~

Chapter Twenty-Three

JPOV

Kissing her goodbye and refusing a direct answer to her question was one of the hardest things
I've ever had to do. She wouldn't understand, and she'd be scared and angry, but how could I let

her face the Volturi?

Slipping silently over the grounds, I was halted by a quiet voice, "Don't do this, Jasper."

"Edward," I spoke without turning. "I have to. Do you know what they'll do to her? I cannot risk

that."

"Do you know what you're doing to her?" his voice was like a whip in the night, cutting me, and the

pain ripped through my chest.

"I have to," my voice sounded tortured, even to myself, as I finally turned, silently pleading with
him to understand.

"I do understand," he said quietly.

"You have to protect her, Edward. I know it's not fair to ask you to do that, but I am....I am
asking." I was begging, completely broken.

"It doesn't matter if it's fair, Jasper. I will protect her with my life." And I knew that he would. He
was the one person I could count on to protect her at all cost. The one person who knew that a
world where she didn't exist wasn't worth living in. And he was the only person I would trust to
protect her. After all, he loves her as much as I do.

----

BELLA POV

"Isabella, it's Peter. He's gone to Italy."

The pain in my chest was threatening to rip me apart. How had I not known what he would do?

The phone tumbled to the floor as Alice burst into the room, panic etched on her features, the
remnant of whatever horror she'd seen. She spoke frantically, "Bella, he's going to go to Italy

alone, to protect you. We have to stop him!"

"He's gone, Alice," I said, in a voice that didn't even sound like my own.

I could hear Peter's voice on the phone, frantic with worry. I ignored it.

"What can you see, Alice?"

Trying to gain control of her fear, Alice closed her eyes, breathing deeply. "Aro will make him an
offer. If Jasper will agree to stay in Volterra with the Volturi, Aro will promise your safety in

return."

Horror filled me. Peter's voice drifting up from the forgotten phone took on an even more urgent
quality, and Alice picked it up, handing it back to me, her eyes still shadowed with the fear neither

of us could control.

"Peter, did you hear that?"

"Yes," he said, his voice calmer now that he had our attention. "We HAVE to get to him before Aro
does. We MUST convince him, somehow, that the fuckin' prophecy...goddamn that fuckin'
thing....is the only way to go. I'm in Seattle, and I've booked two fights. I'm gonna need Edward

for this. Put Alice on."

I handed the phone off to Alice, and she began to speak so quickly I couldn't get more than a few
words. Edward had appeared at the door at some point...What time is it anyway?....his face that
mask of calm, except for his eyes.

"Edward, you have to go with Peter. Please Edward. I know I have no right to ask you this, but
please, do this for me," I was trying in vain to keep the tears in, but Christ, there's only so much
one person can take in a 24-hour period. Anna's voice was still reverberating in my mind....this

must happen....god of war....this must happen.

Closing his eyes, against my begging or my pain, I wasn't sure which, he replied, speaking slowly
and carefully, "Bella, I cannot, not even for you. I made a promise...."

His voice trailed off, and the significance of his last statement began to sink in. "You didn't!
Goddamn it Edward, goddamn you! You let him go!" He flinched, but didn't move, refusing to back

away from my accusations, my fury.

Alice sank down at the foot of the bed, having finished talking to Peter. "Vincent will go with Peter,
and they'll bring him back, Bella. Edward won't leave you, I've already seen that," she said flatly, a
deadly calm having taken over her voice and expression.

"I'm going," I stated defiantly.

"You are not," Edward said, and before I could protest he continued, "Jasper pulled this asinine
stunt to keep you safe. You're going to waltz into Volterra, now? The very thing they want the

most? You're not going." The anger he was trying so hard to suppress was evident in his eyes, and

in the minute trembling of his hands.

"He's right," Alice said. And I knew that he was. My presence would only make it more dangerous

for Jasper, and all I could do was put my faith and trust in Peter and Vincent.

I would have felt better if Edward were going. After Jasper, he was the most experienced fighter in
the family, and his ability would be an advantage we needed, but I had a sinking feeling about
what that promise had been that Edward had made. "He asked you to protect me, didn't he?" I
said, trying to keep the accusation out of my voice and not succeeding. I knew that was the only
way Jasper would have left me, and the only way Edward would have let him leave. "You knew,
and you let him go. You stayed here, in safe little Forks, protecting the human, while your brother

went to stand against the most powerful vampires in the world. Alone."

Pain etched all over his perfect features, Edward again flinched against my anger. "They aren't the

most powerful vampires in the world. Not anymore", he said softly.

I'd reached my breaking point. Pushing off the bed, I brushed past him. Slamming the bathroom
door behind me, I sunk to the floor and cried, trying to keep the pain in my chest from tearing me

open, trying to keep a lid on the fear that was so strong it felt like a living thing.

----

The weeks passed slowly. Rose and Emmett, Carlisle and Esme, they all took turns trying to keep
me occupied, but the fear was a constant, gnawing thing, and every day was a blur of pain that
seemed never-ending. To be fair, Alice wasn't doing much better. She was afraid for Vincent, that
fear constantly on the surface, and she had the same haunted look in her eyes that I saw when I
looked in the mirror. Her visions were sketchy with the wolves patrolling so closely and the witches

flitting in and out of the house, but she informed us of the little information she was able to see.

"Peter and Vincent are in Italy."

"Jasper hasn't yet gone to Volterra."

"Aro sent Demetri to speak with Jasper." Of course he did. Once Demetri spent time with Jasper

he'd be able to track him.

"They've offered him a spot with the guard, promising Bella's safety in return for his acceptance."

The fear flared.

"Aro wants him to come to Volterra. I can't see yet if he's going to go." Full-fledged panic.

We'd heard nothing. Edward's constant presence at the edges of the family, shadowing my
movements without being intrusive, were strangely comforting. He'd risked his life to protect me
countless times, and I knew I was safe. He'd been unable to deny Jazz's request despite knowing it
would anger me, and I guessed I could understand that to a degree. The previous tensions
between members of the family disintegrated in the face of our fear, brushed aside as we waited
for a vision, for word, for anything that would tell us the men that we loved were safe.

The witches were furious. Anna hadn't seen Jasper's decision until it was too late, much like Alice,
and Carlisle wondered if I was unconsciously shielding Jasper as well as myself. While startling, it
didn't have the power to even incite my curiosity. Constant fear is a very draining thing.

I was sitting in the corner of the garden, trying to let the sun and the memories calm me, when
Alice darted down the path. Instantly alert and wary, I looked into her eyes, praying, begging God

to bring my Jazz home.

She looked....hopeful. Oh God please. "Jasper will plan to go to Volterra tomorrow to see Aro
personally. We're lucky Aro's moving so cautiously," she said, muttering the last part almost to
herself. "Vincent and Peter plan to intercept him. It'll work, Bella, if they can convince him that he
has to let the prophecy play out." Oh, please God...please let this work. "Aro has decided not to
come, not to seek you out. He's confident Jasper will accept his offer." Oh please, please. Alice and
I looked at each other, my apprehension, hope, fear, and exhaustion mirrored in her face. I
reached my hands out to her in a gesture of thanks, and she rushed forward, embracing me, both

of us sobbing, and that's how the rest of the family came upon us.

----

JASPER POV

It's been weeks, and the pain hasn't lessened, instead growing larger and more all-consuming
every day. Fear, pain, rage, pain, hope, pain, desperation, pain. The constant cycle was
exhausting, and I tried not to think of what Bella must be going through. I'd promised myself I'd
never cause her pain, and I'd promised her I'd never leave her. I'd broken both of those promises
to save her life. I didn't know if that would be enough to earn her forgiveness, but I'd live with out

it if I had to, as long as I knew she was alive and safe.

I knew that Edward would take care of her. With all the important damn shit I was worrying about,
the last thing I needed was the thought that crept in, always in the middle of the night. Is he doing
everything in his fucking power to win her back? Is she so angry and hurt at my leaving that she'll
go to him? These thoughts brought a new kind of pain, searing and burning, but I couldn't stop
them. I'd live with that if I had to, if it meant she was safe, but that didn't stop the wrenching

agony that accompanied these late night thoughts.

Demetri had been dispatched to see me. Aro refused to leave Volterra, even to speak with me,
remaining with his own shield in his stone halls. I understood why he'd sent Demetri, and I
understood why he didn't come himself, preferring to face me surrounded by his guard. Demetri
had surprised me, his friendliness and sincerity unsuspected. He'd made Aro's offer cautiously, but
I could detect no disbelief. He wasn't lying. Either Aro was being sincere, or Demetri thought Aro
was being sincere. The difference between those two possibilities needed to be delineated before I
made my choice. At least Aro wouldn't come to Forks to seek me out, and if that was all I'd

accomplished, keeping him away from Bella, then that was enough.

Tomorrow I go to Volterra.

----

PETER POV

Jesus, he looks pathetic. It was a fleeting thought as I first glimpsed him, leaving his hotel. It was

now or never, and it was imperative I use all my tact and compassion.

"What the fuck are you thinking, dumbass? You almost fucked everything up!"

Jasper blinked, apparently unable to reconcile the fact that I was standing here on the streets of
Italy just outside Volterra, yelling at him. Vincent, who by now thought the whole family was
fucking nuts, moved cautiously to flank Jasper from the other side, ready to grab him if he bolted.

Yeah, right. The newbie's gonna get one up on Jasper. Amateur.

"Seriously, man. If you walk into that meeting with Aro, all is lost. Yeah, you fuckin' bet I know
what's going on. And yeah, I believe in it enough that here I am ....in fuckin' Italy, for Christ's

sake, to haul your sorry ass back home." I was nothing if not diplomatic.

"Peter," Jasper began, looking like a bewildered kid instead of a lethal fucking vampire. "What the
fuck are you doing here?"

"I'm saving your ass fuckwit, what the fuck does it look like I'm doing?" I was almost having fun,
or at least I would be once I knew he was going to listen to me. "This prophecy has to happen,
Jazz-man. No two fucking ways about it. You need to pull your head out of your ass and realize

that your Isabella is part of this, and you need her."

"No fuckin' way," Jasper said, anger flashing across his features, making him look more like the
vampire I remembered. The one everyone feared.

I smacked him upside the head. "Don't look at me like that, you fuckin' had that coming. Are you
always this big of an ass? How the fuck does she stand you?" I said, glaring at him. Poor Vincent
looked like he was having second thoughts marrying into this insanity. "If you go in there and
accept Aro's proposition....of course I know about that, do I look like a fuckin' idiot to you?!....he
will send you on missions to control armies, vampire armies, to take over more and more territory.
Does that sound like something you wanna do again? You think Maria was a bitch?! What the fuck
do you think Aro's gonna be....Mary fuckin' Poppins?! Yeah, I see the look on your face, you think
you can stand anything to keep Bella safe. Well let me tell you something, you're not keeping her

safe. You're putting her in more fucking danger than she was already in."

He blinked at me, surprised, and I wondered if he'd engaged his damn brain at all during this
retarded stunt. "Do you really believe for a minute that Aro will let Bella be? Or that Edward can
protect her when it's your job to protect each other? Sure, he'll do his best, but they'll both die,
Jazz....both of them." I paused to let that sink in. "And if you think you'll get a read on how truthful
Aro is being when he proposes this lunacy, then you haven't done your homework. Renata is his

shield, man, and nothing gets past her."

"Did you not listen to the witches? Did you think they were making this shit up as they went
along?!" I asked. "We need a plan for when they come, and we can't make this plan without you,
man," I said, speaking fervently. This is the part he really needed to understand. "If we don't let
this prophecy play out, Bella's going to die, and most of your family will die trying to protect her.
You'll spend the next however many centuries enslaved by Aro, in a worse hell than you've already

endured. Yes, this is going to be dangerous, for both you and Bella, but it's how it has to be."

Vincent finally spoke up. "Jasper? Will you listen now?"

Jasper nodded, fear and pain flaring in his eyes.

"Thank fucking God. He sees sense," I said. "C'mon, we need to discuss how we're going to get you
the fuck out of Italy with half the guard so wired to your every move I'm surprised we haven't been
confronted yet." I was nearly gleeful saying this last. I'd muddled all their signals so fucking badly
they wouldn't know if Jasper was in Italy or Beirut. But we had to get out of here, and soon.

~*~

Chapter Twenty-Four

Peter POV

Different diets notwithstanding, we had a lot in common, and in some ways we were much closer
brothers than Jasper was with the other Cullens. It was his venom that flowed in my veins, and in
Charlotte's as well. I trusted this vampire with my very life. He'd helped me escape from the

purgatorial existence we'd lived for so long, putting his own ass on the line to do it.

I left Charlotte behind on this trip. She knew very well what was going on, and I didn't want her
anywhere near this shit. As I'd never pulled a stunt like this before, she realized just how bad this
could really be and didn't fight me on it.

Jazz and I had laughed at the reaction some of his family, Alice and Edward particularly, would
display when Charlotte and I visited. They were under the mistaken impression we were a danger
to humans, going on vast killing rampages, devouring everyone in a three-county radius. Idiots.
What they didn't realize, though Jasper and I did, was that humans were in far less danger from
me than from them, the peaceful, vegetarian, "don't club the baby seals and don't eat the humans"
vampires. I wasn't denying my base instincts, my natural food source. It's far easier to pass up a

steak when you had one yesterday than it is when you haven't had one in 100 years.

I was starting to like Vincent. I was a little annoyed that Alice sent me a young one, but he was
kind of ...well, fucking cool when it comes right to it. I also understood Edward's desire to stay with
Bella. Jesus fucking Christ, as much as I know, I didn't put two and two together to realize that
Jazz's Isabella was one in the same as Edward's Bella. And I thought my family was fucked up.
Vincent explained it to me, although I'd probably get a better understanding once we got to Forks.
He was new, after all.

Instead of leading Jazz somewhere quiet to talk, I hauled his ass straight to the airport. No fucking
time to waste. We had to get the hell out of the country, like yesterday. It wasn't until we were all

seated, Jazz and I with Vincent right across the aisle, that I relaxed enough to have a conversation.

"Yo, Vinny," I began. I made a mental note that he didn't seem entirely pleased at my new
nickname for him. "May wanna let the psychic pixie know what's up." He dialed, probably deeming
me far too unstable to disagree with about something as simple as a nickname. Ah well. Newbies

were fun. I couldn't fucking wait to see Isabella turned. She was going to be bad-ass.

"Now that we're in the air and you can't escape, I'm going to fill you in on some things." He merely
nodded, content at the moment to just listen. Apparently he was coming out of that dazed state
we'd found him in, because he was acting more like the kick-ass and take names vampire I knew
and loved. Thank the fucking Lord. "I need you to understand something. I know that you were
trying to protect her, man, but you're just not getting it. She doesn't need you to protect her.
She's going to be able to kick some serious ass, dude, and you're going to have to help her get to
that point." The emotions were warring on his face: Horror, pride, acceptance, fear, and right back
to horror. I guess it would take some getting used to....if I found out Charlotte was going to morph
into a war goddess, a giant shield in my right hand, I'd probably be a little freaked. That didn't
mean I didn't think she could do it, but I'd be terrified while I watched her walk the path that led to
it anyway.

"It has to happen this way. I can't stress this enough. Alice's visions are spotty with all this other
shit going on, but with your whole family, those dogs, and those crazy dago witches, you're going
to succeed. It's already been written, Jazz-man, you just need to accept it and start preparing for
it. You've led me on countless missions and journeys, and I've always trusted you. I'd trust you
with Charlotte's life, and that's fucking sayin' something. I know you trust me, too, but Jazz, you

are going to have to learn in these coming months to go on faith."

"Do you think they'll step up their plans when they realize I've left?" he asked.

"I don't know, but between me, your witchy seer, and your psychic ex-wife....what the fuck is it

with you and people who know shit?.....we should have plenty of warning."

"Why?" he asked, and I knew he was asking why it had to be this way. He would come to terms
with this...fucker is nothing if not adaptable....and if I know anything about him, he'll train Bella
himself, but it was going to take awhile to get him there, and he was going to struggle on the way.
He'd need to have his questions answered. I realized at that moment that I'd never seen him
struggle with something this badly, and I'd never seen so much pain and fear in him. He loves her,
and thank the fucking lucky stars for that.

"Because if you took up with Aro and his evil minions, you'd all be fucked. I wasn't making this shit
up, Jazz. Bella would die, and Edward would die with her. In the chaos of that aftermath, you'd
also lose Esme, Emmett, and Alice, and you and Vincent here, along with Rose and Carlisle, would

be all that was left."

He was putting out some serious pain, fear, awe, and resentment. I cocked my eyebrow at him,
wondering if it was me he was resenting.

"I feel your curiosity," he said dryly, showing further traces of the old Jasper. "I'm resenting....not
exactly myself, because I can't help this prophecy was made or brought to light. I guess the

prophecy is what I'm really resenting. This fuckin' sucks dude."

"A-fucking-men to that," I replied, much calmer now that I knew we had time. "You're going to
have to lead this battle, you know," I said quietly. It was absolutely crucial that he understand
that.

"Yeah," he said, such a dark look crossing his features that the stewardess backed away in the
aisle. I was glad to see that. When he got in soldier mode, Major fucking Whitlock mode, he was a
sight to behold. He was already a terrifying presence when he wanted to be, and when you added
in the scars, the ability to project terror, and just his fucking carriage man.....he's just so fucking

lethal looking....that not only humans, but other vampires take a step back when they see him. I

realized I was a little in awe of him still, and how fucking tickled that'd make Charlotte.

"Peter?" Jazz asked, quietly.

"Yeah, man."

"I'm scared."

I don't ever think I'd heard him admit that before, and it touched me in a way none of the rest of

this fucking mess could. "Me, too, my brother....me fucking too."

----

JASPER POV

By some miraculous happening, or probably more like the manipulating of a very small, very
annoying vampire who was used to getting her own way, the house was nearly empty when Peter,
Vincent, and I walked in. I couldn't fucking wait to get to Bella, and I instinctively knew she where

would be.

The minute I stepped through the back door I hit a wall of excitement, relief, overwhelming love,
and irritation. She turned, just inside the garden, and my breath caught. How can anyone be that
beautiful? I thought helplessly. Her hand flew to her throat, and she was suddenly airborne, flying
at me with a speed I'd never even guessed at. I caught her, wrapping my arms securely around
her, and realized I was repeating the same phrases like a mantra, "I love you. I'm sorry. I'll never

be apart from you again. I love you. I'm sorry."

She sobbed into my shoulder, her arms so tightly wrapped around my neck and twisted into my
hair, and my heart broke again at the worry and grief I'd caused. When her tears began to wind
down, I pulled back just far enough to look at her. "I fucked up, and I'm sorry darlin'."

She nodded, her eyes taking in my face as though she were searching for something, "You bet
your ass you did, Whitlock." She leaned in to kiss me, and our lips moved together for an
eternity....Christ. I missed how she tastes, how she feels. "I missed you, and I love you," she said
when we pulled out of the kiss. "But you scared me, badly. Don't you ever do that to me again! I

understand why you did it, but Jazz, I died when I realized you were gone."

I leaned my forehead against hers, and we remained there, just being together, with soft kisses

and touches, until the sun went down.

----

We'd begun training. Alice was seeing flashes of a battle on the horizon, and we were damned sure
going to be as ready as we could be.

Peter and Bella had hit it off like long lost siblings, and Peter worked diligently with her on
controlling her shield. It was our plan that Bella would be changed, and soon. When she wasn't
working with Peter, she was in Carlisle's study, listening and learning from him and from me about

that newborn phase. We wanted to arm her with as much information as possible, not only to be
absolutely certain this was what she wanted, but also because the more she was aware of the
challenges of that first year, the better she would adapt.

Once she was changed, we'd begin combining our abilities, testing the limits of hers and seeing
what the combination of our gifts could accomplish. We'd begin training with the wolves. The
witches would return, and while they'd be trained in combat with the wolves and the vampires,

they'd also have a few tricks of their own to show us.

During one of our meetings with Jacob, Bella approached him about being changed. Since we'd
relaxed the treaty, he knew he couldn't forbid it, but it just put another wedge between them.

Edward was working hard during training. He'd always been the fastest, and was an excellent
fighter, and we'd begun to have an unspoken understanding that he, Peter, and I would be in the
front line in the coming battle. Bella would be with me, the wolves behind us. It felt good to be

making progress.

Emmett was....Emmett. He barrel-assed through training, knocking down everything in his path.

Much to Edward's dismay, I was changing Bella myself. I knew that Carlisle would do it if I asked,

but I was fucking territorial when it came to her. Besides, it's what she wants.

On the night of a full moon, a week before she was to be changed, we were relaxing on the bench
Esme had installed in our favorite spot in the garden. Turning her slightly to face me, I placed my
fingertips under her chin. I couldn't stop staring at her. The love I feel for this woman, the depth of
it....I'd never have known I was capable of this much love. Smiling at me, she brought her own
hand up to trace down my face, "What is it, Jazz?"

"I love you. That sounds so inadequate to describe my feelings, but I do. I want to spend forever
with you, babe. I don't even want forever if it doesn't include you." I leaned in to kiss her softly

once, twice. "I want you to marry me, and be my wife. Will you, Isabella?"

Her eyes were shining, the moonlight reflecting off of the unshed tears that had filled them. "Yes,
cowboy, you bet I will." I grinned, and she grinned in return. I placed the simple platinum band
with the emerald-cut diamond on her finger, glancing at her nervously. "Oh holy God, Jazz....it's

beautiful." Whew.

I pulled her into my lap, and she shifted so she was straddling me. I looked up at her beautiful face

and gave her my cocky grin, "You really seem to like that position, darlin'."

With the most delightfully wicked expression, Bella said, "That's so I can do this." And she rolled
her hips, brushing up against me and making me groan. "Why do you think Esme put that privacy
fence in?", and I could hear the laughter in her voice. With her engagement ring throwing sparks of
moonlight all over the garden, we made love, just reveling in each other and the fact that we were

safe and whole and together.

~*~

Chapter Twenty-Five

BPOV

Anna and I spent a quiet Sunday afternoon in the garden with a wonderful lunch Esme had packed
for us. Anna and Allegra both found it endlessly amusing that Esme so loved to feed the resident

humans, and my mind registered it as one more change coming.

"Are you afraid?" Anna asked.

"Yeah a little, mostly of the pain," I grimaced. "Other than that, I'm worried about control. I know
I'm going into this with a lot of foreknowledge, which is huge, but still, it's a little daunting. I'm

afraid I won't be myself."

Anna nodded in understanding. "I heard Carlisle tell you that your shield is a form of control.
Having managed such amazing control of that ability even before you are turned bodes well for

you, Bella."

"Yeah, I sure hope so. And I have Jazz. If anyone knows how to work with a newborn, it's him." I
don't think I'd ever be able to show him how thankful I was for him, how fucking lucky I was to
have him. I snorted, and Anna shot me a questioning glance. "I was just thinking, and it reminded
me of Edward complaining that I'd begun to swear too much. He blamed it on spending time with

Jasper." We both laughed quietly, just enjoying each other's company and the day.

"Would you like to know what I've seen?" Anna asked.

With a sigh of relief, I nodded.

"You will have the typical newborn bloodlust, but Jasper will teach you to control it very quickly. It
may not always be a pleasant lesson, but it will be effective." Yep, that sounded like Jazz. "Your
new strength and speed will take getting used to, of course, but shouldn't cause any untoward
problems. And your power will be immense, Bella." Her voice was grave when she continued, "You
will have the ability to shield not only yourself, but whomever you choose. It will take you some
time to control, and you'll have to work very hard, but you'll be able to protect your family. I
cannot see if you will be able to stop any physical threats, but you will be able to stop nearly all
powers that work on the mind."

Her tone lightened again and with a half smile on her face, Anna said, "I do not yet know if you will

be able to block the power of the witches."

I grinned. Anna, Allegra, and Niko would be working with me the most. Sarafina and Antonio had
more skills in combat, and would spend time with Jasper for their training. Your god of war....this

must come to pass. I pushed the thought away again.

I noticed the sun was low in the sky. It would be twilight soon. I shivered, anticipating the day
tomorrow would be.

JASPER POV

We'd gone over the scenario so many times, it was hard to believe it was actually fucking
happening now. Peter and Carlisle would be on hand as a precaution, and we'd asked Bella if she
wanted the entire family present when she awoke. She didn't, and I was glad. Vincent worried
briefly that with her newborn strength it wouldn't be safe for me to be alone with her, until Emmett
crowed laughter and said, "Dude, I gotta tell you about our brother Jazz," gripping poor Vincent in

his bear-tight embrace and dragging him off to hunt.

Edward hadn't asked to be present when she was turned, and we didn't offer. I don't know how he
felt about it, and was nervous enough about everything without adding his state of mind to my

thoughts.

Alice had seen that we still had a few months until the Volturi arrived, but they would still be
arriving with the entire guard. Anna had confirmed that her visions were the same. Anna had also
seen that Marcus was furious with Aro, feeling that Aro had an opportunity to prevent the prophecy
from happening, and he'd let it slip through his fingers. I tended to agree, thankful again Peter had
brought me back and worked with me since to calm my nerves about Bella being in such a

horrendously dangerous situation. On the front fucking line. Stop it Whitlock. Not the time.

Marcus and Caius were pushing Aro to attack, but Aro, wise old bastard, was moving cautiously,

which would allow us the time we needed to help Bella adjust.

"Are you ready to become bad-ass, super-vamp Isabella?" Peter bellowed on entering the room.

Bella laughed, and I glanced at him with as much disgust as I could muster, "Would you get the
fuck out of here for a few minutes so I can talk to my bride-to-be?"

Peter backed out of the room, wiggling his brows at Bella and eliciting another giggle.

"You scared, babe?" I asked her when we were alone.

"Yeah, a bit."

"I'll do as much as I can to help you, but don't fight it okay? And you push off as much of what
you're feeling at me as you can, darlin'. And one last thing about the pain before we move on:
Don't you fucking dare lay there suffering in silence, refusing to scream because you don't want to
cause me guilt, or pain, or whatever, you got that?" I looked at her seriously. "If you wanna fuckin'
scream, you fuckin' scream, babe." I didn't want to scare her worse, but she needed to know that
it was going to hurt, badly, and that it was okay to scream. Hell, we all had.

She nodded, her eyes full of apprehension, but no doubt. She was ready.

"I won't leave you. I hunted last night, and I won't leave. I will be here when you wake up." I
hadn't been able to promise her that when she'd asked me all those weeks ago, and I sure as fuck

meant to keep this one.

She nodded again. "Jazz? Are you gonna miss me being human? The heartbeat, the warm skin?"

I thought for a minute, wanting to be honest always, "I may miss the blushing. And darlin' it's
fascinating to watch you sleep." I gave her the lazy smile she loves. "But honestly, the only things

that will change will be minor, and all the things I love the most about you aren't gonna change at
all. Baby I know you're worried you're going to wake up an entirely different person, and I can tell
you that's just now how it works."

I paused for a minute, hearing Carlisle and Peter approaching the room. "Besides, darlin', think of
all the things I can do to you when you're unbreakable," I growled in her ear, happy to hear the
tinkling laughter that meant she was at ease and happy. I kissed her forehead softly, then her lips,

lingering as the door opened.

"Christ there'll be time for that later. You two are like fuckin' bunnies!" Peter boomed, and I shot
an irritated look at him. He beamed back.

Carlisle shook his head briefly, laughing at both of us. "Are you ready, Bella?"

"As I'll ever be, Carlisle."

He looked at me, "Are you ready?" He'd already allayed my fears, and his confidence that I could
do this without killing her meant a lot to me.

I nodded and looked at Bella, "This is going to hurt. Badly. I promise this will be the last time I
ever hurt you." She kept her eyes on me, all the love she felt shining there, her fear palpable, but
her excitement and happiness were flowing into the room, too. I made the bites swiftly, taking one
pull at each pulse point, pushing venom in and sealing the wound. Christ she tastes so good. Oh
Isabella, I'm sorry, and I'll be here when you wake. Her eyes followed my progress, and I never
took my eyes off of her, pushing her wave after wave of love, adoration, joy, peace, contentment,

and bliss.

When the pain began, I switched to lethargy and calm, and prepared for the long process of
pumping those to her continuously. Peter grasped my shoulder briefly, saying softly, "Well done,
my brother. Well done, indeed." Carlisle smiled and hugged me, and his pride was staggering. My
family. And now Isabella is becoming immortal. It's like every dream I ever had, and some I didn't

know I had, are coming true. Jesus Christ, I was turning into a chick flick. But with a penis.

----

Neither Anna nor Alice could see when the end would come. Carlisle figured that was because of
Bella's shield. She writhed occasionally, and made small whimpering noises, but she never
screamed. I would have been perfectly okay with it if she had, it was a natural response to the
burning, tortuous pain I knew she was in, but I was fiercely proud that she hadn't. I didn't stop
pushing lethargy and calm on her the entire time, even though I didn't know if she could even feel
it any more. I'd stopped feeling any emotions from her about 20 hours in. I talked to her softly,

and the family came in periodically.

"Dude," Emmett's voice sounded behind me, full of awe. "She's fuckin' hot."

*CRACK*

There's Rose, right on cue. "Shut the fuck up, idiot, she was always hot." she said, her voice full of

sisterly affection and annoyance at her husband.

Peter came frequently, and we sat talking about old times, laughing softly and swearing heartily.

"She's amazing, Jazz-man. Small and delicate, feminine and gentle, tiny and precious, but she's a
fuckin' warrior, man. She's going to have more power than you can even imagine. She'll be a force
to be reckoned with," his voice was excited, his eyes dancing.

In the 50th hour, Edward finally made an appearance, and by then I was anxious and nervous, my
mind running over all the possible scenarios. Is she going to freak out? It's a lot to take in. Will she
be pissed off? I was stressing over everything, and by this point I knew she wasn't feeling my gift
no matter the quantities or strength of the emotions I put out. It was odd to not affect someone
with the emotions I was always so ruled by.

I glanced at Edward, and snapped, "If you're here to go all angsty and emo because she won't be
able to pee or get the flu anymore, can it. I'm not in the mood." Surprise crossed his face, and he
chuckled into his fist for a minute. I moved my eyes back toward him, and he opened his mouth,
closed it again, opened it, closed it. He looked so goddamn much like a carp I lay my head down on
the edge of the bed, laughing. The two of us carried on for several minutes, getting ourselves
under control again, and then as soon as we'd look at each other we'd start all over. Finally, Esme's
amused yelled from downstairs, "Would you kindly quit whatever you're doing, Jasper dear? There
are three vampires and four witches rolling around the yard in hysterical laughter," at the same
time Rose hollered through barely controlled giggling, "Goddammit Jazz, I just nearly poked my

fuckin' eye out with an eyeliner pencil!"

Well, that fucking did it, and we both dissolved into mad giggling, sounding for all the world like
two 12-year-old girls. Laying my head back down on the bed, taking ragged breaths through my
mouth trying to calm myself the fuck down before I projected glee and mass hysteria on the whole

goddamn county, I said with a shaking voice, "Thanks bro, I so needed that."

Chuckling darkly, Edward replied, "Don't mention it. I haven't laughed like that in years."

"Dude, you haven't ever laughed like that," I said, and we both looked promptly away from each

other before we started that giggling shit again.

"She's getting close," Edward said, flicking his eyes over Bella's supine form. She'd been quiet for a

few hours now, and her heart rate was increasing by the minute.

"Yeah, she is," I replied, all humor gone.

BELLA POV

I opened my eyes cautiously. Yes, I'd been warned I'd be able to see everything, smell everything.
The reality was somewhat harder to grasp, and I let my eyes move over as much of the room as I
could see from my position. I could see Jazz out of the corner of my eye, watching me quietly, not
moving. I lifted my head slightly, testing my movement while my mind wandered over how much
room I seemed to have in my brain, how easy it was to think of several things at once, how I could

smell and see everything.

"Hey, darlin'," Jasper said softly, and I finally moved my eyes to him, a brilliant smile lighting his
features, and I answered it with my own. God, he's beautiful. I didn't think he could get any more

heartbreakingly, achingly beautiful.

We spent the next hour testing my movements, pinpointing scents, and having me get used to the
strength I now possessed. I listened to my own voice in wonder, looked in the mirror and was
relieved to see that yes, I was changed, but yes, I was still Bella. My hair was a little thicker, a
little wavier, my skin paler and more perfect, my features slightly more angular. The only major

change was the red eyes, and I'd expected them and knew they'd last about a year.

Catching Jasper's gaze, I lifted my brows at him. "I dunno, darlin', but the eyes are hot as fuck. Is
it demented that they're turning me on?" I laughed and kissed him, marveling at the restraint he'd
been using and glad he didn't have to any longer. It was amazing, and I was full of love for this

man. Your god of war... STOP it Bella... I pushed it away again.

Before greeting the rest of the family, Jasper took me to hunt, having Peter and Edward on hand
just in case anything got out of control. Caution was to become the marker of my new life. I
listened to Jasper and did as he instructed, following my instincts. I was messy, but efficient, and
after two deer we headed back to the house.

I was unprepared for the feelings I was having, and Jasper glanced at me periodically as we ran.
Slowing to a walk as we neared the house, I was trying to process how grizzly it all was, and

understood Edward's term "monster" better than I ever had.

When we reached Edward, who was sitting on the porch, he gave me a small smile and, sensing
my distress, a look of pain flashed across his face. That look was as good as an "I told you so" in
my mind, and I lowered myself to the porch floor, pulling my knees to my chest and resting my

forehead on my crossed arms. "Bella," Edward began.

"Save it," I muttered. Jazz remained quiet.

"It'll get better. Easier. Don't feel...", Edward started, and was cut off when Jasper spoke.

"Don't tell her how to feel, Edward. Let her feel it," he said, his tone rough. I lifted my head, and
he was staring at me, looking thoughtful, but not trying to comfort me or alleviate my fears that I

wasn't some sort of plague. I looked at him, eyes wide, not understanding.

Edward, ever protective, leaped to his feet. "Jasper, you know exactly what she's feeling...we all
do. The first hunt...."

"Is necessary," Jasper replied. "As are all the subsequent hunts. She's a different part of the food
chain now, and she'll be fine. Let her feel what she's feeling." The last words came out harshly, and

Jasper looked at Edward, daring him to say anything else.

"But....", he sputtered. Apparently, Edward would never learn when to shut up.

"But can you think of a better way to instill in her the reason we all hunt animals? A better way to
show a newborn who's trying to start out in this "vegetarian" lifestyle that if she feels remorse like
this for a couple of fuckin' deer, is there any way to imagine the pain and regret, the hideous self-
loathing that come with a slip-up?!" Jasper said. "She needs to feel this. Yes, it's painful. Yes, it's
difficult to endure as a new vampire. But if we want her to be strong, and to learn quickly to avoid
temptation and risks that may cause her to slip up, she needs to learn this, and she needs to learn
it right away."

Edward stalked off into the house, apparently aware that Jasper was right, but still not liking the
lesson. I remembered Anna telling me they wouldn't all be pleasant lessons, but they'd be
effective, and I pushed my anger and remorse aside as Jazz knelt down beside me, pulling me into

his arms and just holding me.

~*~

Chapter Twenty-Six

BPOV

The next couple of weeks passed in a flurry of activity. I hired someone to manage the store and
worked on an online store as a companion to it. I didn't want to give it up completely, and this way
I could still be involved without being physically present in the shop, at least during this newborn

phase.

We spent countless hours doing mundane things, getting me used to the force and strength I
needed to use in order to accomplish things without demolishing half the house. We took long runs.

We hunted. And we trained.

The first week I simply observed Jasper working with his brothers and with the witches. The
witches were frighteningly fast, but simply didn't have the strength needed to fight a vampire in
hand-to-hand combat. Plus, there was the all too real risk of one of them receiving a bite. As such,
they were trained defensively, but also worked with Peter to formulate a strategy in which they

could fight with their powers and speed from a safe distance.

The Volturi guard would target Carlisle because he was the head of our family and Edward because
of his ability to hear their thoughts. The witches would be at enough of a distance away that they
wouldn't interfere with our gifts, but Alice would still be blind because of the wolves. The target
even more important than Carlisle and Edward would be me. They'd assume I'd be strong, as a
newborn, and they'd be aware of my shield, though not its full capabilities, but they'd also know I'd
be inexperienced. Their main objective was never in any doubt. They desired Carlisle, Edward, and
me, and they would make us important targets, but their main goal was one target, the most
vitally important for them to destroy in order to ensure their success. They'd go after the

strongest, most experienced, most deadly of us. They'd go straight for Jasper.

Rose and I sat on a blanket one evening, watching Jasper simulate fights with his brothers. He and
Edward were fairly evenly matched. Jasper was stronger, but Edward was faster. Jasper had more
experience, but Edward could read his mind. Regardless of whether he was going up against
Edward's speed, Emmett's bulk strength, or Peter's experience, the majority of fights ended with
Jasper crouched over his opponent, teeth bared. His vaulting attacks and deadly speed and power

made it like watching a panther hunting. It was breathtaking.

He radiated a quiet, calm authority, and the others seemed to automatically defer to him. When
demonstrating techniques, just watching his graceful movement was thrilling. He had a
concentrated look of intensity on his features, his black cargo pants and V-neck T-shirt a stark
contrast to his pale skin and the wavy blond locks falling over his forehead. He looked beautiful,

and deadly, and dangerous, and a shiver went down my spine.

"See something you like, sis?" Rosalie asked knowingly, a smirk on her beautiful face.

"Christ woman, do you see him? Who the fuck looks like that?" I sounded like a damn groupie,
awestruck and infatuated. "He just looks so damn lethal, like the ultimate bad boy...." I couldn't

fucking wait to see him mock fighting with the wolves. I shivered again.

"Honey? You're drooling venom," Rosalie, still smirking, was pretending to wipe off my chin, and I
laughed and ducked away.

"How the hell am I going to let him teach me to fight if I want to keep tackling him?" I asked, half

serious.

The boys wrapped up and we headed back to the house until tomorrow. Emmett and Rose went on
ahead, and Edward excused himself to go hunt. Peter walked with Jasper and me. Jazz kept
throwing me sideways glances, that half-assed cocky grin briefly lighting his features. He knew
damn well how he affected me. Stupid empath.

JASPER POV

"Tomorrow the wolves, huh?" Peter asked, completely pumped for his encounter with the

mythological shape-shifters.

"Tomorrow the wolves," I acknowledged. I couldn't help stealing sidelong glances at Bella. She'd
been putting out some serious lust and desire in the latter part of the training session, which made
me think back to fucking her up against the wall in our bedroom and how she seemed to really like
it when I was...well, dangerous. It occurred to me that Edward had always said she had no instinct
for self-preservation, and I had to hide a grin at the thought of the aneurysm he'd have if he had

any idea what the two of us got up to.

"The Alpha hasn't yet seen Bella since her change?" Peter asked, knowing goddamn well he hadn't.

"No, but he knows she's been changed. He won't cause problems, man; he'll keep his pack duties
and his personal feelings separate. He is young, though, and is likely to have a few comments,
which will fuel Edward's, which should make this a fucking showcase for your stunning wit and

diplomacy." Peter beamed, clearly looking forward to it.

As we arrived at the house, Bella leaned up to kiss Peter's cheek, and in a move so fuckin'
aggressive and sexy I could only gape, grabbed the front of my T-shirt and yanked me to her. She
twisted her fingers into my hair and brought my lips to hers, biting down on the bottom one hard
before pulling it into her mouth. She kissed me deeply, and I completely fucking forget Peter was
even in the state, let alone right beside us. I lifted her up, pulling her legs around my waist, and

kissed her until she pulled back a little, leaning back in my arms.

"Sorry, Peter, but Jazz will have to continue this enthralling discussion tomorrow, he's busy right
now," Bella said, winking at Peter. Peter looked a little dazed with all the goddamn lust swirling
around.....I can't wait for us to work on our gifts together, and maybe I can start fucking
controlling mine again....and gave us a loopy grin before dashing up the porch stairs and into the

house.

"So darlin', I'm busy now?" I asked her, giving her a lazy grin.

She bent her head and took my earlobe between her teeth, tugging gently before sucking on it.
She whispered in my ear, "Mmhmm, your woman needs you, and she needs you now." Well fuck if

I needed any further encouragement.

"Darlin' we're not even going to make it into the house. I can hear Alice and Vincent coming," I
murmured in her ear and instead took off around the side of the house, heading to the secluded
corner of the garden where we made love so often the rest of the family avoided it. In seconds I
had her pushed up against the tall fence that separated this corner from the rest of the garden and
yard. She reached above her head, locking her fingers over the top of the fence, effectively

suspending herself with her legs around my waist.

Pulling her hips further into mine, we both groaned at the feeling, my hands running over every
inch of her body. Wrapping my hands in her hair I tugged, tilting her head and exposing her neck. I
nipped gently at the smooth skin where her shoulder met her neck before sucking hard on it,
causing her to gasp and thrust her hips forward. Supporting her weight with one arm across the
small of her back, I ran my other hand up her stomach and between her breasts, grabbing a fistful
of her tank top and ripping it straight down the front. Sweeping my thumb across her nipple, I

brought my lips to hers again.

"Fuck..I need you...please....Jazz....I need to feel you," she was begging against my lips. I pulled
her from the fence, setting her on her feet. Reaching behind me to pull my T-shirt over my head, I
watched her dispose of her clothing at lightning speed. I ditched the rest of mine....be interesting if
I can't find half of those later....I pulled her into my arms, wrapping one arm around her back,
sliding it upwards until I cupped her head. We kissed, our tongues sliding together, Christ the
taste, and at the feel of her naked body sliding against mine, I groaned.

"Fuck, Isabella," I growled. Grabbing her hips I quickly turned her around, and with one hand on
her hip and the other on her shoulder, I pushed her forward, bending her over the stone bench.
She arched her back, looking like a fucking goddess in the moonlight, her pale skin glowing. She
looked back over her shoulder at me, and the site of her in such a provocative position was my
undoing. She gasped as I thrust into her hard, and when I didn't stop thrusting she lowered her

head, her hair spilling over the bench, and moaned, "Harder Jazz...fuck me harder."

She started rocking her weight backwards, meeting my thrusts, and I wrapped the hand that was
on her back into her hair, pulling both on her hair and her hip to thrust into her hard and deep.
"You're so fucking tight...FUCK..." I shifted my angle slightly, and immediately felt her muscles
tense, and she came, my name falling from her lips like a prayer. I felt my own release coming,
and ramped up the levels of euphoria, bliss, and lust, projecting directly at her, and she came

again, hard, as I did, pumping inside her.

Pulling her upright against my chest, I wrapped my arms around her and we just rested, our
breathing evening out, her skin against mine, her head on my chest. With my lips against her hair,
murmuring her name, I made a silent vow that I'd protect her at all costs, even if I had to take

down every motherfucker in Aro's guard alone.

----

I was standing in the clearing with Bella, Peter, and Edward, when the wolves entered from the far
treeline. Bella glanced at me and gave me a tiny shake of her head, letting me know Jacob wasn't
among them.

All three of us, Peter, Edward, and I, instinctively stepped forward half a step, all effectively placing
Bella behind us. We were watching the wolves approach slowly when Peter stumbled to his right
and I nearly fell into Edward on my left.....Bella had elbowed her way back into the line. I grinned
at her and shrugged my shoulders. I spoke too low for the wolves to hear, "Sorry
darlin'...instinct....and none of us even realized we were doing it". She rolled her eyes and snorted.

Ah, my delicate Isabella.

"Jacob's coming in his human form," Edward spoke to us. "The pack insisted on coming out first to

make sure it was safe." Edward was reading the packs' minds and "translating".

When the wolves reached the point halfway across the clearing from where we stood, I saw
movement out of the corner of my eye. Jacob strode into the clearing, huge even among the
wolves. He approached me through the center of the pack, and at their rustling and low growls,
Peter stiffened. Bella put her hand on his arm, murmuring, "It's okay. They're okay." I caught his

terse reply, "The hell you say," but he remained still.

Jacob's eyes flicked over Bella, and he seemed torn between wanting to stare at her and drink in
her appearance and the desire to dismiss her entirely. I could feel his anger, loathing, and sadness,
as well as Bella's regret and pain.

We discussed the guard and their individual powers: Renata as Aro's personal shield, able to stop
physical attacks by diverting an attacker; Demetri, able to track a person once he's seen or met
someone; Alec and Jane, Jane with the ability to cause an illusion of excruciating pain, no less real
because it's mental, and Alec doing the opposite, cutting of all the senses of his opponent and
leaving them effectively deaf, blind, and unable to feel; Chelsea, able to manipulate relationships,

breaking the ties between people or turning them against one another.

The pack would be separated into two, placing half on either side of us with the extra, Jacob
himself, standing with Bella and me. We discussed strategy, including separating Renata from Aro,
Bella shielding the vampires, wolves, and possibly the witches from Jane, Alec, and Chelsea. The
wolves would meet with us again once Bella and I had had the opportunity to work with her shield,

and then to combine her shield with my projection ability.

We staged several mock fights to demonstrate to the wolves how the vampires would be moving
and dodging. They were the natural enemy of the vampire, and their instincts would be deadly, but
the added knowledge would be of great benefit. The eyes of the pack watched with curiosity and
fascination, but their emotions were frightened and wary. I didn't want to manipulate them; they

distrusted me enough.

When Peter moved to demonstrate a simple move on Bella, Jacob snarled and a collective growl
rose from the pack. Honestly, I kind of fuckin' liked it. The more people looking out for her the
better. Peter rolled his eyes at the pack, finishing the demonstration.

The pack dispersed when Jacob commanded they return to La Push. Turning back to face us, he
began with an apology. "Sorry. I know between the two of you," his eyes flicked to Edward and
back to me, "you can tell what the pack is thinking and feeling. I doubt everything they were
thinking was...polite." He gave a half smile at the absurd word choice. "You need to understand,

though, that we'll do what we said we'd do. We'll work with you, and trust you to the best of our

ability. We really do know you're not the bad guys."

Curious, I asked, "Why the fear? I mean, I get the curiosity, and I get your natural aversion to
us...which goes both ways I might add....but there are only three of us here, and one of us is the
Bella you all know, so you couldn't have seen three vampires as that big a threat even if you didn't

trust us."

An uneasy look passed over Jacob's face. He seemed reluctant to say anything, and Bella spoke up.
"It's you, Jazz. You freak them out a little bit." She flashed a grin at me before turning back to
Jacob, who was glaring at her. "Oh stop it, it's not anything he doesn't already know. If you're
going to work together, the more you know about each other the better. And I know you hate what
I've become, but frankly I've had enough of your attitude. It's done. Be my friend or don't. I love
you, Jake, I really do...and I don't want to lose you. You're my best friend. But if you can't accept
this and stop putting me through the ringer, then fine. I can't make you be my friend."

Christ I love this woman. Edward was looking at her with more than a little awe, and Peter looked
ready to collapse at her feet and offer to worship her toes or some shit. He beamed at me and said
quietly, "Told you she was gonna be bad-ass, fucker, and she hasn't even gotten started yet." He

seemed positively exuberant.

Jacob's face showed a flicker of anger, then sadness, back to anger. His emotions were all over the
map. I had a feeling once he eventually got the 2 x 4 out of his ass and realized that Bella was a
vampire and marrying me....which we'd neglected to tell him so far...shit....he'd be okay with this
and they could begin a tentative friendship again. I had no fuckin' idea how long that would take,

or how many splinters that 2 x 4 was going to leave behind.

Bella was standing there with her hands on her hips, looking like one pissed off vampire. Her red
eyes were flashing and she had a determined look on her face. I wished the fuck everyone would
get lost so I could throw her down in the grass and fuck her senseless. Edward closed his eyes
against that mental image, and I directed my thoughts at him. Sorry man, but this shit just comes
out and I forget to censor. The edges of his mouth quirked up in a small smile and he nodded.

Peter was glaring at us. He hated when we did this shit with the silent conversations.

Jake was still struggling, and Bella apparently felt she'd waited long enough. She marched over to
him, and the site of him backing away from her struck all three of us funny, and we elbowed each
other to cut it the fuck out. Bella looked over her shoulder at us and hissed, "Behave for Christ's
sake!" and we all settled down, glaring at each other like we'd gotten in trouble in school. She
continued approaching Jake steadily until she was just a few feet in front of him. His eyes
tightened, and he crossed his arms over his chest. Bella rolled her eyes and placed her hand on his

arm.

Edward was positively twitching with anxiety. I have to admit it took some strength of my own not
to follow her and place myself between the Alpha wolf and the woman who made my world go

around.

She looked up into his face, offering one last sentence. "You know how to find me, Jake, okay?
When you're ready." And she turned on her heel and strode back to us, stalking right past us and

continuing on towards home. We three shrugged at each other, and followed.

~*~

Chapter Twenty-Seven

JPOV

Jacob came to observe many of our training sessions, sometimes alone, sometimes with two or
three other members of his pack. The strategy was slowly starting to take shape. The wolves
flanking us, Jake near Bella, who in turn would remain by me. Edward and Peter would make up
the rest of the first line. Emmett, Carlisle, and Vincent would be behind us, Esme, Rose and Alice
flanking them. If Vladimir and Stefan arrived in time, as they planned to, that would add two more.
Ten vampires, seven wolves, and five witches. The witches would be in the trees, on the opposite

side of the Volturi from us, and were working on both defensive lessons and offensive spells.

Peter and Bella had worked so often on her shield that Bella could now implement it at will. The
fact that she'd gained so much control over it while still human made the process fairly simple. She
was just learning to "cover" other people with it, and was quick to pick up that she could either
cover all the vampires, or all the wolves, or any combination of people. The shield made her and
whomever she was protecting completely impervious to any type of mental attack or threat that
the witches or any of us could come up with. I began to relax, just a little.

Bella and I also trained one-on-one, developing her fighting skills. The grace she had developed in
the latter years of her life added to her natural vampire grace, speed, and strength, making her a
very quick study. She had already taken down both Alice and Esme, and was fairly evenly matched
with Rose.

We decided to work on combining our abilities, although we couldn't really see what would happen.
I tended to think, and Carlisle agreed, that just the combination of an empath who could
manipulate emotions plus a shield would be a good combination, although not necessarily
producing extraordinary power. Bella and I stood in the clearing, her shield protecting us both,
while the witches, Alice, and Edward tried to use their abilities on us. Bella effectively blocked them
again and again, and while shielded I was able to manipulate their emotions and feel what they

were feeling.

During a session we decided to have Bella mock fighting to see if she could maintain her
concentration enough to keep both herself and me shielded. She and Vincent were crouched
opposite one another, each preparing to defend against an attack that seemed unlikely to ever
come. They were both so reluctant to hurt the other. Finally, Vincent sprung, Bella stepped quickly
to the side, Vincent sprung again, and they both went crashing to the ground. Suddenly, Vincent
cried out in what sounded like pain. Alarmed, I rushed over to him to help him up. As soon as I
placed my hands on his arm, he jerked back with a hiss and rolled away from me, landing in a

defensive crouch.

"Dude...what the fuck?" I was completely bewildered.

He slowly straightened, confusion crossing his features, and gave a half shrug. "I don't know, man,

but when you touched me the pain got worse."

Perplexed, we began the exercise again. This time Bella sprung first, vaulting into the air in a
surprise move and landing on Vincent's back. Instinctively, Vincent leaned forward, reaching
behind him to throw her over his head. Before Bella hit the ground, Vincent again cried out,
doubling over, agony written all over his face. Peter, eyes wide and excited, held a hand up to stop

me and instead helped Vincent upright. At that point we all had confused expressions on our faces.

"What's going on?" Bella asked.

Peter, radiating smugness and excitement, replied, "Not yet. Let me make sure." He thought for a

minute. "Bella, you shield yourself and Jasper. Emmett, I want you to attack Bella."

Faint alarm traced through me, even as Peter glared at me in a silent warning not to intervene.
Edward took a step forward, and without even turning towards him Peter raised his hand to stop
him. Emmett, on the other hand, was ecstatic. He'd been wanting to "play" with Bella since her
change. Grinning at him, Bella made a "come on" gesture with her hand. Em grinned back,
crouched, and barrelled towards her in his typical technique. About two seconds before he would
hit her, and before Bella even had a chance to counter the move, Emmett crumpled to the ground,

holding his head.

"Ahhh, what the fuck, man?! What'd you do that for?" he asked, glaring at me.

I blinked, realizing he was blaming me for the apparent pain in his head. Feeling like I was missing
something of vital importance that everyone else was picking up on, I turned to Peter,
"Dude...what the fuck?" Apparently, that was going to be the only phrase I was capable of during
this training session.

Absolutely radiating triumph and euphoria, enough to make me dizzy, Peter strolled over to us,
beckoning the rest of the family closer. When we were all assembled, he held a hand out to Bella
and me. "I present to you, fair Cullen clan, the "vampire stronger than any other" and "the shield".
He paused, letting it register that he was directly quoting the prophecy. "Combined with her sire,
they'd be unstoppable, more powerful than any in the vampire world." Grinning, he said, "Unless
you like the witches' version better, in which case I present you with the god of war, and his

warrior goddess."

Standing there rocking back and forth on his heels, he waited for the rest of us to catch the fuck
up. Clearly, we would require assistance, because none of us knew what the fuck he was talking
about.

At that moment, Allegra dropped out of the nearest tree, where she, Anna, and Niko had been
observing the training. Remaining in the trees where they'd be stationed during the actual
confrontation kept them close enough to witness, but far enough that their powers didn't interfere

with our abilities.

"As I told you, Isabella is to protect you, as she is doing, and you are to protect her, as you are
doing. However, your job, Jasper," she nodded at me, and I nodded in return in thanks for finally
using my fucking name instead of all her Ares and god of war crap, "is to stop the Volturi. Her
power protects you, but it also makes you absolutely unstoppable. Do you know yet see what is

happening when they are combined?"

Peter, not wanting Allegra to take the wind out of his sails, continued before anyone else could
speak, "Jasper, when you are under Bella's shield, your power, already honed and sharpened in
your years of experience, is strengthened even further. You're able not only to project emotional

feelings, but physical ones, as well. It's like a neurological boost to your power."

He beamed at us, clearly delighted. Carlisle looked excited. The rest of us looked a combination of

stunned, confused, and wary.

"Wait. Wait just a goddamn minute. You knew this would happen?" I asked Peter.

"I hoped it would happen," Peter said, still grinning like a kid on Christmas. "You perceived, if only
subconsciously, a threat to Bella. You wouldn't interfere with the fight, because you know the
training is necessary. Hell, you taught her these moves yourself, and you know she can do it. Still,
you instinctively reacted to protect her, projecting pain on Vincent and Emmett."

I gaped at him.

"I'm willing to be you could provoke other physical responses," he said thoughtfully. "I think we
should try it. You may be able to manipulate not only emotions and pain response, but also induce
exhaustion, hunger, confusion. Perhaps even make the opponent uncoordinated, or affect their

body temperature."

I didn't even know how to begin to react to this, let alone accept it and then start practicing it.
Bella had excitement and hope on her features. She believes this craziness. Vincent looked a little
afraid. The rest of the family looked slightly wary, but excited. Edward looked triumphant and
hopeful, and I understood that any extra ability meant a safer Bella. It crossed my mind in that
instant that three men who are in love with her would all be fighting together. And in an odd way,

she'd be protecting all of us just as much as we were protecting her.

"Where did you feel pain, Vincent?" asked Peter.

"Everywhere, man. It was excruciating," Vincent replied.

Nodding, Peter turned to Emmett, "And you?"

"Just my head. Felt like I was having a fucking embolism," Emmett said, frowning at the memory

of the pain.

"See! Two different types of pain. You clearly felt Vincent was more of a threat to her than Emmett,
despite Emmett's size, because you know and trust Emmett," Peter said, adding as an
afterthought, "Sorry Vinny." Turning back to me, he continued, "It's the combination of the two of
you that strengthens your gift, Jazz. You have to be under her shield for the power boost. But

seriously, dude, how fuckin' cool is this?!"

Not quite sure I even believed this, we resumed practicing. I knew I'd have to talk with Peter about
this once it sunk in a little, but for now he wanted people to come at Bella to trigger my instinct to
cause bodily harm to anyone who threatened her. Volunteers were few and far between. Having
seen both Vincent and Emmett dropped by the pain I'd inadvertently caused, no one was clamoring
to be first in line. Somewhat predictably, Edward and Jake both offered. They want our powers as
strong as possible to make sure Bella stays safe, so they're willing to be guinea pigs to ensure I'm
strong enough. Thank God.

After several mock attacks on Bella, I had to conclude the fucker was right. Both Jake and Edward
dropped before they got anywhere near Bella, making we wonder how the fuck we were going to
let her practice if I wouldn't let anyone near her. Allegra and Peter were both nodding, pleased with
the outcome. After several more attempts, I'd begun inflicting coordination problems and
exhaustion rather than pain. Peter assumed this was because I still wanted to stop them from

hurting her, but had gotten a bit used to people rushing at her by this point.

"Now you have to get some sort of control over what you're projecting, so you'll need to practice

even harder than Bella," Peter said.

I don't think I'd ever been more exhausted, and we still had a lot of work to do, but it was
amazing, exciting, and a little bit scary....we were realizing how true the prophecy was, and to be
the subjects of it...it was an odd feeling, slightly uncomfortable to be honest. I thought I'd become

used to the idea, but it turns out...not so much.

"One more thing before we finish," Allegra said, motioning to Edward. "Edward, you rush at Jasper

while he's under Bella's shield."

I had no idea what she hoped to accomplish with this little exercise, and Bella and Edward
evidently didn't, either. Both were radiation wariness. None of us knew what the hell to expect at
this point, except for maybe Peter, whose eyes were twinkling again. Fucker. You'd think he could

have just told us what he thought would happen.

In a defensive crouch, I beckoned Edward to come on and get on with this. Glancing at Allegra and
then Bella, he finally turned his attention toward me. He came in fast, his speed always surprising
no matter how many times you saw it. Before I had a chance to counter his move, and long before
he got close enough to spring, he came to a sudden, screeching halt, staggering a bit. Confusion

and slight amusement were all I felt from him.

"What the fuck?!" I was back to my standard statement for the evening. "Why'd you stop?"

Bella had a small smile on her face, and her eyes were wide. She realized far quicker than I had
that she was responsible for the unexpected outcome. Peter was gloating again, and I decided right
then and there I was going to pound the fuck out of him just on general principal.

With a satisfied smile on her face, Allegra was the one who answered me. "You'll need to practice
that as well. It appears that you boost her ability also, Jasper. As long as she's shielding you, she

can repel physical attacks as well as mental."

And I thought I had too fucking much to deal with already. Jesus Christ.

"I assumed given your....personal histories, and forgive me for this, that Edward rushing you would
be seen as the largest threat by Bella, thus earning the strongest defensive response to protect

you."

Edward glared at Allegra, and I must have been wearing the perplexed expression that I'm positive
dominated my face most of the evening. God of war, yep. Walking through an entire training

session wearing the befuddled expression of the village idiot.

"Clearly, we have a lot of work ahead of us," Peter said, far too jovially as far as I was concerned. I
was exhausted just thinking about it. I also couldn't wait to get Bella alone so we could talk. This is

some major shit going on.

The witches headed out of the clearing, and Jacob left to return to La Push.

The family began heading back, but I held Bella back, waiting for them to leave the clearing.
Edward glanced once back over his shoulder before entering the forest, concern emanating from

him.

"Go on, I'm fine. We'll catch up," I called to him. He nodded and continued on.

Looking questioningly at me, Bella wrapped her arms around my waist. "What's up, cowboy?"

"What's up? Oh, well, not too much darlin'. We have a wedding to plan, the rulers of the vampire
world are hunting us down, we've been foretold to save the world by a fuckin' prophecy, I have a
new ability I have to learn to control, and people bounce off you like you're in a bubble." I sounded
dazed even to myself.

Throwing her head back and laughing, Bella replied, "Just go with it Jazz. You'll go nuts if you think

about it too much."

Isn't THAT the truth.

A sudden flicker of movement at the edge of the clearing caught my eye, and sensing my
immediate wariness and tension, Bella shifted in my arms to look behind her. Pulling her back

slightly, I scanned the treeline, relaxing when I saw the large, russet-colored wolf.

"Jake?" Bella asked.

Pausing behind a tree, Jacob phased before stepping out into sight again. Sounding very young and
unsure of himself, his feelings a mix of sadness and pain, he said, "Bells, can we talk?"

~*~

Chapter Twenty-Eight

BPOV

"Bells, can we talk?"

I couldn't read the tone in his voice, and my mind fluctuated wildly between wanting to believe he
was ready to move on and be friends, and the fear that he was going to tell me he couldn't bear to
even look at me.

"Sure, Jake, what's up?"

His eyes met Jasper's for a moment, then moved back to me. "I was kind of hoping we could talk

alone."

Jasper nodded, leaning down to kiss my forehead. He and Jake had formed a cautious but friendly
relationship. They were learning to trust each other. "I'll wait over in the trees," he murmured.
Smiling gratefully at him, I watched as he walked just above human pace over to the edge of the
forest, wondering for the first time why he'd taken to wearing long sleeves during training. It didn't
matter, of course; vampires don't get hot or cold, but he'd always worn a T-shirt with the cargo
pants he preferred for fighting. Something about less restriction in his movement. I had to admit

though, glancing after him once more, the dark gray, long-sleeved thermal worked for him.

I glanced back at Jake, who was watching me with an eyebrow raised, arms crossed, patiently
waiting for me to turn my attention back to him. Mentally chastising myself, I shrugged guiltily.
"Sorry. I got...uh...distracted."

Rolling his eyes, Jake said, "Yeah. Listen, I'm gonna get right to the point. Let's face it, we're never
gonna be Bells and Jake again, hanging out in my garage working on motorcycles. I get that. But
so much has changed, Bella." He stopped, overwhelmed by the truth in that statement, by how
much actually had changed. I mean, I wasn't even human anymore. Shit, I technically wasn't even
alive.

"Jake, I know things are never going to go back to the way they were, but that's okay. Can't we

form some sort of friendship based on where we are now?" I asked him.

Jake hesitated, then chuckled darkly, "I don't think forming a friendship based on where we are

now will work, Bells. Werewolves don't make friends with leeches."

I smacked him, a little too hard, causing him to stumble. He looked a me appreciatively, reluctantly
impressed with my new strength. "Sorry, but you know how I hate that 'leeches and bloodsuckers'
crap. And you know what I mean...can't we find a way to translate the friendship we had into the

lives we have now? Salvage the friendship we had?"

"Bella," Jake began, speaking more softly. "The life I have now is the same life I had then. Only
you've changed....drastically, and in a short amount of time. Can you understand it was a lot for

me to deal with?"

"Yeah, I can," I replied, hating how much pain I'd put him through. "You saved my life, Jake. You
kept me whole and intact, and I love you...I always will. You know that right?"

"Yeah, I guess I do," he replied. "Love you, too, Bells...always."

Smiling, I asked him, "Are we gonna be okay?"

Smiling in return, Jake replied, "We're getting there." He looked like he was going to hug me, and
then changed his mind, opting instead to push back the stray hair that had come loose from my

ponytail, tucking it behind my ear. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, tomorrow. And Jake? Thanks." He knew I was thanking him for talking to me, for working
through his issues until he reached the point where we could have a civil, even friendly,

conversation.

Jogging out of the clearing, he called back to me, "And Bells? Nice one....repelling Edward." He
could barely keep the laughter out of his voice. I laughed, imagining that watching me physically
stop Edward from getting near me had probably been the high point of his day. Jake phased in
mid-stride....show-off...and paused only long enough to make sure Jasper was waiting for me

before streaking towards La Push.

----

JASPER POV

I was starting to feel like we lived in this fucking clearing. Peter and I were waiting for the others to

arrive. We'd come out a little early to enjoy the quiet time before the chaos of the day started.

"You know, everything's going to work out," Peter said. "It's all coming together, can't you feel it?"

"Yeah, I can," I replied. "And the combination of mine and Bella's power is fuckin' cool as hell, but I
still haven't completely wrapped my brain around it. It's a relief to know it'll be one more thing to
keep us safe, to keep her safe, but at the same time it's a little daunting, man, and it hasn't sunk

in yet."

Grinning, he said, "It will. And Jazz, even without the added power boost, do you really think those
other two men would let any of the guard get near Bella? She's going to be annoyed as hell,
because even though you're getting to the point where you trust in her abilities and know she can
do this, those two aren't anywhere near that point, and they're struggling just in practice."

We sat in silence for a minute, contemplating this. "I can't resent them for loving her....how could
they help it? And it'll help keep her safer....the more people who can't possibly live without her, the

better."

"Indeed. But after?" Peter asked.

"I'll worry about after...after. Truly, though, I don't think it'll even be an issue," I said.

"It will be for her, and it'll eat her alive if she lets it. Edward's doing a fairly good job of hiding the
pain he's in. He doesn't want her to have to see it. Hell, even the wolf is coming around. But once
all this shit is over, there's going to be an adjustment period and some bumps in the road."

"Oh good, because I was afraid it'd be all sunshine and fuckin' daisies once this is done," I rolled

my eyes.

"Daisies are boring as fuck," Peter said. "Here comes your Isabella, and I smell the wolves. I'm

gonna go with the witches today. They have some seriously fuckin' cool shit they're working on."

Raising an eyebrow at him, I asked, "Like what?"

Peter flashed me an smile, "Oh man, you wouldn't fuckin' believe the chaos they're going to cause,
especially from where you're positioning them. They can cause controlled explosions, confined to a
small area. They can slow down an attack, making it feel like you're walking against a fuckin'
current. They can project mild hallucinations, only for short bursts of time, but still....it'll confuse

the fuck out of the guard."

"Christ." It seemed I spent so much time lately coming up with these eloquent and brilliant

responses, but things just kept getting weirder and weirder.

PETER POV

After spending the majority of the day with the witches, pausing briefly every so often to watch the
action in the clearing, I settled myself into the tree Allegra had been in to watch the rest of the
session.

The dynamic was so fuckin' interesting I had to watch from here. Jasper would be furious to know
just how big a kick I get out of this. He and Bella were fighting, and it took everything I had in me
not to laugh and give away my position. Jake looked like a kid watching his first horror film, and I
was nearly positive Edward was going to have a kitten. Christ, the fucking drama. This was better

than TV....like a supernatural soap opera.

Jasper was doing beautifully. He'd come around from the vampire who'd run off to Italy, nearly
fucking up the whole goddamn thing, to the vampire standing in the field before me: Tall,
dangerous, absolutely lethal, with a ferocity and ruthlessness even his family had never guessed
at. Only I had seen this side of him before, and it was a fucking amazing sight to behold then, and
it's even more fucking brilliant now. He really did look like a god of war, frightening and somehow

regal.

He and Bella finished their fight, and Jasper began working with the wolves with Edward's help.
Bella wandered over to the tree I was sitting in, hoisting herself up onto the branch beside me.

"How'd you now I was here? I was using fuckin' stealth woman!" I said.

She snorted, "Pfft, you were giggling like a damn schoolgirl, Peter. Once I wasn't concentrating on

the fight at hand, I could hear you easily."

Well fuck me. It's not often I am put in my place by a young, inexperienced vampire. She's the

fuckin' bomb. No goddamn wonder Emmett has so much fun with her.

A shrill yelp brought our attention back to the clearing. "Oh no, oh no, no, no," Bella said, taking in

the site before us. I held her back, shaking my head, and eyes wide, she watched tensely.

Jacob had Edward pinned, his huge paw on Edward's chest, a stream of snarls and growls escaping
his bared teeth. The rest of the pack stayed back, whether ordered by Jacob I didn't know. Jasper
was approaching the enormous wolf slowly and cautiously, but with absolutely zero hesitation, and

Bella made a move to jump down from her perch again.

"Bella, he can handle this, and he needs to. They already look at him as a leader, now let him
cement it." It was vitally important that Jasper lead the coming battle, and the more opportunities
he had to gain the respect and admiration....and yeah, a little fuckin' fear never hurt anyone....the

better.

BELLA POV

Oh god. Oh fuck, what the hell is happening? If Jake hurts Jazz I swear....

Peter had a death grip on my arm, and I understood the need for Jazz to handle this, but if I could

just talk to Jake...

"Don't even think about it." Dammit, he really is Yoda, I thought, throwing him an irritated glance

when he chuckled.

I was afraid, for all three of them if I was being honest with myself, but the thought of Jake losing
control and tearing into Jazz....Oh, please God. Jasper was walking toward Jake and Edward, and

the look on his face took my breath away. Intense, concentrated, cautious, angry.....devastatingly
beautiful and dangerous. The pack moved restlessly, growls erupting throughout them, and they
began stalking closer as Jazz approached the pair. Not even glancing at them and without pausing

his forward motion, Jazz pulled his shirt over his head, letting it drop to the ground.

"Fuckin' brilliant," Peter breathed, his voice excited and a little awed. I looked at him, bewildered.

"Watch," he said.

Christ, he's so beautiful. The thought raced through my head. The pack halted their forward
movement, more growls and snarls filling the air. Jasper spoke in a low voice, menacing despite its
soft delivery, "Get up." Edward shifted under Jake, who pushed him firmly back down. Jasper's
eyes went to the huge wolf. "I said, get up." The large gray wolf at the front of the pack began
advancing again, and Jasper spared a single glance at him before turning his back on him. Oh God.

The wolf immediately paused, seeming uncertain, and whined.

"He's built up their trust and respect, but when it comes down to it, they're still terrified of him,"
Peter breathed, so full of wonder and excitement. "It's easy for them to forget his history, one of
the things that makes him so fuckin' deadly and intimidating, and he's so fuckin' smart. Always
thinking, the Jazz-man. He turned his back on them, effectively showing them that he is confident
he has nothing to fear from them, that he doesn't even view them as a threat. He wore the long
sleeves because it'd be easier for the wolves to work with him if they trusted him, if he was less
threatening, so he earned their respect the way anyone would. But now, now he needs to be
intimidating, and what his nature and stance don't put across, his scars do. In this moment, Bella,
they need to be afraid of him."

Understanding now why he'd taken off his shirt, I had to admit he looked terrifying. His demeanor
and carriage alone made him an intimidating presence; the scars added to the frightening image
the blond vampire was projecting. They criss-crossed over his stomach, back, and arms, but were
concentrated the most on his shoulders, neck, and upper chest. The words just flitted through my
thoughts, disconnected: Beautiful. Deadly. Breathtaking. Dangerous. Powerful.

The wolves were whining uneasily, pacing, but still not moving forward.

Jacob growled, having completely given over to his primal side, and didn't let Edward up. Jasper,
still with his back to the pack, spoke again, not raising his voice from his previous, deadly soft
tone. "Last time, Jacob. We don't have time for fighting among ourselves. Let. Him. Up." Jake
pulled his lips back further, and Jasper shot a glance at Edward, obviously communicating silently.
At the same moment, Edward pushed off from the ground and Jasper grasped Jake by the scruff of
the neck, yanking so hard the enormous wolf went tumbling backwards. Edward was instantly on
his feet, in a low crouch beside Jazz, who hadn't even bothered to take a defensive stance. Jake,

having gotten to his feet, was pacing back and forth in short arcs in front of the two vampires.

Emmett was practically dancing on the spot, clearly dying to step forward with his brothers, but
Jasper stilled him with a look. Still speaking in that same tone, he addressed Jake, "I know you
don't like him. I know you hold him responsible for things that have happened. This is not the
time." Turning toward Edward, he continued, "And if you're as hell-bent on protecting Bella, and

the family, as much as you say you are, then stop fucking provoking the wolves."

Addressing the pack, Jasper went on, "That's it for today. If you're going to act like a bunch of
elementary school kids on the playground, baiting each other, goading each other, and dragging in
shit that doesn't need to be brought up here, stay the fuck home." And he walked away, walking

right past the family and towards where Peter and I were sitting.

I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until that moment, and I let it out in a large rush of air.
Peter, glowing with pride and awe beside me, winked at me and dropped from the tree, striding
towards Jazz. "Dude, you got your woman all hot and bothered up there," Peter said, rolling his
eyes. "She hit on me, but I made her wait for you." Peter threw me another wink, clapping Jasper

on the back, and headed back to the house.

I dropped from the tree, watching Jasper walk towards me, the intensity in his eyes lighting them
up, the tension and anger visible in his clenched jaw. He walked straight to me, gathering me up in
his arms and lifting me. Wrapping my legs around him, I threaded my fingers through his hair,
unable to even speak I was still so affected by the site of him, the powerful image he'd portrayed
in the clearing. His tone husky, his accent strong in the stress of the last hour, he drawled, "Your

mere presence is inciting phenomenal amounts of jealousy, darlin'. What am I gonna do with you?"

I responded the only possible way, my mind unable to form a coherent thought. "Anything you
want."

~*~

Chapter Twenty-Nine

JPOV

Where is the fucking time going? It was like the weeks were slipping through our fingers. Yes, we
were prepared. But still. Christ.

We'd set the wedding for this weekend. It was to be a small affair, just us, the witches, and some
of the wolves, which was fuckin' bizarre if I thought about it too much. Alice was constantly down
Bella's throat, trying to get her to at least allow more guests, or more flowers, or a big fucking
reception, and Bella's stout refusal to budge from the intimate affair we had planned never ceased
to make me smile. It was kinda fun watching her shut Alice down over and over.

Stefan and Vladimir were arriving in just a few weeks. Eleazar had said he would come if we
needed his help with Bella, but he had no desire to wage war on the Volturi, and none of us could
blame him. The women of the Denali coven would remain in Alaska, as well. We hadn't asked them

to come, not wanting to strain the relationship we had with them.

Carlisle held out hope that when the Volturi saw the sheer number of us, plus the witches and the
wolves, they'd try to resolve this without a fight; Bella, Allegra, and I thought he was being
hopelessly optimistic. They'd risk thinning their numbers in battle if it meant they'd remain in
power, and the only way for them to remain in power was to eliminate me, or Bella, or both of us.

Nothing less would stop them from proceeding. They'd be here in just six weeks.

Jacob and Bella were getting along fairly well, but he and Edward could barely stand to be in the
same area. The two of them constantly snarling at one another with Peter bellowing sarcasm at
them was taxing. I could understand completely that they were both in love with Bella, but why
they were mad at each other at this point was completely fucking beyond me. After an especially
hostile training session, I warned them both that the childish shit needed to stop, and stop now. No

fucking way was I risking the Volturi getting the upper hand because one vampire and one wolf

were at odds over a woman who didn't even belong to either of them.

Jacob and I had continued to develop mutual trust and respect, if not friendship. He was clearly
competent on the training field, and his pack followed him with utter devotion. He showed a
surprising amount of restraint for his age, trying hard to work at redeveloping his friendship with

Bella and not showing any resentment in his attitude or his emotions towards me.

I couldn't fucking wait to just relax with Bella. Peter and I headed to the house, having finished
working with Jacob on a strategy session. I had no idea where Peter got his knowledge or ideas,
but I was fucking glad to have him on my side and at my side. I trusted him completely. I'd sent

Edward home over an hour ago, sick to death of all the snarling and pettiness.

I headed up to mine and Bella's room. I'd been in near-constant warrior mode since that day in the
clearing when Edward had provoked Jacob into attacking him. Peter was glad, insisting it was
necessary, but I was pretty sure everyone else was tired of walking on eggshells around me. I tried
very hard to control my reactions when not on the training field, but it wasn't like I could flip a

switch.

Walking down the hall, I heard murmured voices. I approached the door, my door, which opened,
and Edward walked out, closing it behind him. I didn't even think, I just reacted, and before he
could blink I had him jacked up against the wall, my forearm across his shoulders. The door
opened again and Bella looked out, surprise and shock on her features. Unable to speak through
the growl, my jaw so locked shut in fury, all I could do was pull him by his shirt a few inches from

the wall, and slam him back against it, cracking the plaster, several pictures falling to the floor.

"Jazz, stop!" Bella cried. "Stop it!"

As she approached me to put her hand on my shoulder, Edward, evidently placing no value on his

own fucking life, spoke, "Don't, Bella. He's not himself."

A red haze dropped over my visual field, and still unable to speak, I growled and repeated my
earlier motion, yanking him a few inches from the wall and slamming him back with my forearm,

my hand fisted in his shirt. Plaster was raining down onto the carpet.

Bella spoke softly, working hard to get her worry and fear under control. "Emmett," she murmured,
and then moved closer to place her hand on me, shooting a look at Edward that clearly said "shut
up". With her hand on my shoulder she continued speaking in a soft voice. "Jasper, I don't know
what set you off," she began...was she fucking kidding me?...."but stop this. Please. Please Jazz,

don't do this."

I shook my head, trying to clear my vision, and suddenly Emmett's huge arms were around me

from behind.

"C'mon bro, you don't wanna do this," he said. The FUCK I don't. But even in my rage his strength
was greater than my own, and my grip on Edward, who hadn't even attempted to fight back, was
loosening. Shaking Em off, still growling, I let go of Edward's shirt.

Emmett said, "Let's go, we're gonna hunt," in a tone that left no room for argument, leading me

back down the hall and out of the house.

Returning from the hunt in a much calmer state after getting an earful, albeit a sympathetic earful,
from Emmett, I approached the closed door to our room once again. Slipping quietly inside, closing
it behind me, I leaned against it. Bella was on the bed, laying on her back with her arm over her
eyes, looking like she was asleep. Of course she wasn't, but she looked so peaceful. She remained

still for a few more minutes, and I waited.

Finally, sitting up, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs, she gave

me a troubled look. "What was that, Jazz?"

"I saw Edward coming out of our room. I didn't like it," I replied, not at all angry with her, just

relaying what set me off.

"We were just talking," she said, understanding why I didn't care for it even if she didn't agree with
me.

I closed my eyes briefly, jerking my head a fraction to the right and back. Opening my eyes, my

gaze level, I could only repeat, "I didn't like it."

We looked at each other in silence for a moment. I couldn't feel her emotions, but her eyes were

easy enough to read. Pain, worry, love, understanding.

"I'm not going to apologize for talking to Edward," she said calmly. "And I understand you're all in
'kick-ass Whitlock' mode, and you're wired a bit tightly." Ya think?! She paused before continuing,
"I should have realized coming upon Edward in our bedroom with me, with the door closed, may

have aggravated you a bit, but I couldn't have anticipated that reaction, Jazz. Don't you trust me?"

And there it was. "Of course I trust you. I even trust him, mostly. But he was in my room, with my
fiancée, who he happens to be madly in love with, by the way...." I trailed off, the audacity of that

bastard causing my jaw to clench again. Breathe...Jesus.

"If you'd come upon this room to find Alice and I inside with the door closed, you'd know damn well
we weren't up to anything, but I doubt you'd much care for it." I didn't want to argue, especially
about him, but I needed her to understand this. I wouldn't apologize for it, but I could apologize for

the way I'd handled it. "I'm sorry for flying off the handle like that, but Isabella....I didn't like it."

She looked at me helplessly, understanding but still troubled. Sliding off the bed she came towards
me, her hands cupping my face. "I love you," she whispered, pulling me down for a kiss, and I
pushed Edward out of my mind and concentrated on the feel of her, the taste of her, the amazing

presence that is Bella.

BELLA POV

Edward had come to the door and asked to speak with me. I let him in, surprised. He hadn't been
avoiding me, exactly, but was careful not to spend time alone with me. We exchanged polite
pleasantries for a minute, and the absurdity of the awkwardness nearly made me laugh. This was
Edward, for heaven's sake. It shouldn't be awkward.

"How much do you know about Jasper's life before he came to the Cullens?" he asked. I
suppressed a twinge of irritation; he wasn't trying to "out" Jasper's violent past, he was here out of
a clear concern to help me understand Jazz's current mindset and make sure I was coping with it
okay. I was suddenly grateful, not only for Edward's iron control in not showing me how much I
knew this had to be hurting him, but for seeking me out to talk about this, wanting to make sure
that I was okay, but also that we, Jazz and I, would be okay. He really did only want my
happiness.

The constant fluctuating emotions I was feeling in all the uncertainty were weighing on me, and I
struggled to suppress them. "I know everything, Edward, and I do mean everything. We'll get
through this, and he'll go back to the Jasper we all know." He gave me a look that bordered on
pity, and I pushed away the flare of anger, wondering for a moment if I had multiple fucking
personalities. Get a handle on this, Bella. "Look, I know the hell he lived through, and the hell it
was for him to climb out of it, on his own. That right there shows just how fucking strong he is,

Edward. And this time, this time he'll have his whole family to help him."

Edward nodded, content to let it go, and we moved on to his music, the upcoming wedding, my
change and how I was adapting. We talked for only about ten minutes when we ran out of things to
say to one another, and I was saddened that despite his best efforts, we'd never be close again.
There was too much history there, and things had changed in ways that made it difficult for us to

be easy with each other.

He slipped through the door, and a resounding THUD echoed through the entire room. What the
fuck?! I peeked out the door, confusion and horror and fear warring for control.

Seeing Edward pinned to the wall by Jasper shouldn't have surprised me. Peter had explained to
me repeatedly that Jasper would need to stay in the mindset of the battlefield in order to lead this
battle, protect all of us, ensure success. He'd said Jasper wouldn't be quite himself during these
weeks, and he'd have a shorter fuse, and be far more unforgiving, reacting instinctively, all
vampire and soldier instincts in the front of his personality, and my Jazz buried underneath.

His level gaze and even, deadly calm voice repeating that he hadn't liked seeing Edward in our
room broke my heart. I loved him completely, and I swore to myself I'd bring him back from this,

but in my heart I knew he'd have to fight his own way back.

I could understand the need for Jazz to return to that place inside himself, that place he'd occupied
for so long when he was with Maria, in order to protect me, our family, us. What worried me
was....when this was all over, would he be able to fight his way back from that dark place again?

And at what cost?

~*~

Chapter Thirty

JPOV

There was an uneasy truce between Edward and I. He seemed to instinctively understand that the
sight of him within a 2-mile radius of Bella set me off, and avoided the house as much as possible,
spending his time in his room when he was home. I tried to avoid him as well. No good could come
from us tearing each other apart simply because I couldn't control my temper, posessiveness, and
resentment.

Thank the fucking schedule we'd kept. Most of our training was out of the strategy stage, and now
it was just mock fights and possible scenarios, trying to cover all of our bases. Edward trained with

Emmett, Alice, and Vincent, and avoided sessions where we all got together in the clearing.

The Romanian coven were set to arrive any day. They'd be staying nearby, having been in constant
contact with Carlisle and Edward about the battle plan. They were well-informed, and increased our
numbers. They wouldn't be in the thick of things or crucial to our strategy, but every fuckin' little

bit helps.

That left everything under control and planned for and accomplished....except the wedding. Bella
had hesitantly suggested postponing the wedding until after the battle, and as much as I
understood why she was suggesting this, it broke my heart and underlined just how many fucking
things had changed. I wanted to go into this with her as my wife. I made a conscious effort to be
more even-keeled, more myself. I knew that she didn't want to look back on our wedding and
remember that we'd rushed through it in order to get it done before the Volturi arrived, and
because of that she'd gone through the most important day of our lives with a husband who wasn't
even remotely himself.

She was afraid I wasn't coming back from this. I could see it in her eyes, and it devastated me.
Does she have so little faith in me? I pushed the thought away for the tenth time in the last hour. I
knew damn well that wasn't it; nobody in the world, not Carlisle, not Peter, had more faith in me
than Bella. That knowledge didn't stop the irrational doubts that crept in, and those did nothing for
my personality. Fuck.

Time was moving too goddamn fast, and none of us could shake the feeling that it was running

out.

"Oh!," Alice gasped from the room she shared with Vincent. She flew out of her door, nearly

crashing into me. I caught her upper arms, steadying her, feeling her panic and surprise.

"What? What is it?" I asked.

"Aro," she whispered. "He's coming, and coming fast. They'll arrive in two days."

Fuck me. Desperate, I gave her a little shake, not meaning to but unable to stop myself, "Are you
sure, Alice?" Like she'd ever been unreliable. Flashing a glare at me, she shook my hands loose,
heading for Carlisle's study.

Indecisive for only a minute, I ignored the clamoring of voices from the study and fled to find Bella.

BELLA POV

"Two days?" I asked weakly. "But that's a full two weeks before when we'd expected them." As
though saying so would make them take a few detours so they could adhere to our schedule. My

brain felt foggy.

"Isabella, listen to me. Please?" Jasper asked, very close to begging. "I don't want to go into this
without you as my wife. I understand your reasons for wanting to wait, darlin', I do, and I would
never, ever push you to do something you weren't comfortable with. I won't push you now, but

please, just consider it."

I looked at him, feeling the tears that would never fall. "Jazz...." I began.

"I know you're afraid I can't come back from this, baby, I can see it all over your face when you
look at me, but I will. WE will. I promise you.... Bella, just think about it, please," he said, the last
word breaking.

This was the man I loved, loved more than life itself, literally. He was my Jasper no matter where
circumstances took him, and the fact that he knew what worried me cemented it for me. He'd

come back from this. He'd come back to me.

"Can Peter perform the ceremony tonight?" I asked him, and the elation on his face, that dazzling,
insanely beautiful smile, those golden eyes shining....filled me even more full of love. I didn't think
it was even possible to love someone so blessed much.

PETER POV

Oh holy fuck, this was good shit! I'd never met a couple more in love with each other or more

suited for each other than these two.

Esme had flitted around the garden with Alice, both of them giggling and stringing tiny white lights
on every fuckin' surface. Jesus Christ, it looked like Vegas out there. The rest of the family

gathered in the kitchen, getting ready to head out for the ceremony.

Emmett and Rose, who'd kept much to themselves in these last couple of weeks as the clock
wound down, were first through the door, Rose standing up for Bella, Emmett for Jasper. The
witches came next, after a hurried call from Alice to get them there in time for the ceremony.
Allegra and Anna in particular were beaming. They both had come to have great affection for the
whole family, but particularly for Jasper and Bella. Alice and Vincent sat down, then Carlisle and
Esme, both grinning from ear to ear. Seriously, this was good shit!

My eyes flicked to the doorway at motion there, and I grinned...I couldn't fuckin' help it. When
Jacob walked through the door, it clearly illustrated how special Bella was, and if I'd needed any
last push to believe she was perfect for Jasper, and I didn't, this would have been it. Who else
could fill a garden full of witches, vampires, and wolves who all loved her so much they not only
put their differences aside to be at her wedding, but their prejudices aside to stand with her,

risking their lives. Fuckin' brilliant!

Jasper came through, grinning from ear to ear and looking more like the relaxed self he'd been
since he'd met Bella and less like the cold and calculating warrior he'd been walking around as for
weeks. This was my fuckin' brother, my best friend, hell my creator, and he was marrying his soul

mate, and I couldn't be any fuckin' happier.

He paused at Jacob's chair, putting his hand on the younger man's shoulder and squeezing. I heard
his low murmur, "Thanks, man. You don't know what this means to her. And to me. She's
upstairs." Jacob gave Jasper an easy grin, and got up and went back through the door, and Jasper,
noticing my confused expression, muttered, "What, Mr. All-Knowing? Got a blind spot, fucker?" I

glared at him as he took his position.

Edward came through, the last guest, that calm, detached look on his face. Christ he's got fuckin'
steel in his spine. Who has that much self-control? I'd never know what that iron grip on his self
control cost him, but I knew for a fact how much agony he was in. Again, the amazing woman that
is Bella.....man, the things people would do to make her happy.

I started the music at Jasper's signal, waiting for Isabella to walk through that door. I just fuckin'
knew she was going to be radiant. Jazz grinned at my surprise when she did walk through
accompanied by none other than Jacob, who was giving her away. Remembering the easy grin he'd
bestowed on Jasper, it was apparent that even though he may love Bella with all his heart, he'd at
least come to terms with her change, her relationship with Jasper, and their friendship. In the last

few weeks he and Jazz had developed such trust and respect for each other.

When Jacob placed Bella's hand in Jasper's, Bella stood up on her toes and kissed Jake's cheek.
"Love you, Jake," she said. He grinned. "Love you, too, Bells." Turning his eyes to Jasper, who

could barely tear his away from his bride, he said, "Take care of her, man."

"Always," was Jasper's reply.

JASPER POV

The ceremony passed in a blur of emotion. I couldn't take my eyes off Isabella. I'd never seen
anyone more beautiful, more radiant, and as we said our vows she never took her eyes from mine,

the happiness and love and contentment radiating from her in huge quantities.

She had on a simple ivory dress, her hair held up in beaded combs. When I slipped the platinum
band I'd been hiding from her on her finger, I was shaking. She surprised me back with a secret of
her own, and slipped a similar platinum band on my hand. Peter, apparently in on both of our
surprises, could barely contain himself.

When he pronounced us Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock, the sheer happiness we both felt swirled around us,
and I felt more at peace than I ever had in my entire existence. This was where I belonged. The
Volturi didn't matter, the prophecy didn't matter.....I was home. For the first time in my life, I was
exactly where I was supposed to be, with this woman. I'd never stop thanking whatever gods had
ever existed for granting me this gift. And now she belonged to me, and I to her.

When the ceremony was over, we lingered for as short a time as we could get away with, thanking
everyone, accepting congratulations. Peter was bellowing something about how much of a shame it
was we couldn't get drunk, and Bella's throaty laughter rang out in the room. Noticing everyone

engaged in conversation and laughter, I swooped up my bride and carried her up the stairs to our

room.

"Jazz, we should have stayed a bit longer with everyone," she said. I knew she was thinking that
with the Volturi arriving day after tomorrow, we should take these easy-going, happy family times
and make the most of them.

"Fuck 'em. I need you," I growled, and just like that the atmosphere in the room changed.

I heard glass break downstairs, and Emmett's half-exasperated, half-amused voice, "Oh fuck ME.

We need to get out of this house if he's gonna do this all night."

Bella chuckled softly into my neck, realizing I was broadcasting lust.

"I can't fuckin' help it! It's the effect you have on me!" I growled at her again, and she gave me
that evil look and ran her hand down my stomach, placing it flat over my erection. She gave a

delicious squeeze and I swore softly against her hair, relishing the feel of her, the heat of her.

As she led me to the bed, pulling me down with her, I blocked out everything else, and
concentrated on my wife.

~*~

Chapter Thirty-One

EPOV

With iron clad control of my emotions and expression, I was fleetingly glad no one was able to read
my thoughts. This was a completely new level of the relentless torture I'd been enduring for years.
Over the course of five years I'd endured being without her, which was a direct effect to my
endless ineptness, seeing her and still be without her, watching her fall in love with my brother,

watching him turn her into a vampire, and now....now marrying him.

It gave me great comfort to see the happiness and contentment she was absolutely radiating, and
because of that happiness, I would live with this and never let her see how it affected me. I could

do that much for her. I would do anything for her.

But to watch her walk down the aisle towards Jasper....and then that dog giving her away. That
was one of the hardest thing I'd ever endured, and the strength I'd had to use to control my
emotions caused actual physical pain. How in the hell can he give her away? She was never his to
give. She'd been mine. I'll concede that he was there when I was not, picked up the pieces of her

that I'd shattered in that forest, but....fuck, she looks so happy.

I hadn't been able to help goading Jacob in training sessions. I couldn't focus my resentment and

pain on Jasper, so Jacob became my target, and it seemed he was doing the same.

And now to watch him give her away, to Jasper. It was like losing her all over again. Twice.

And then the thought that came on the heels of that....What if the only reason I met her,
introduced her to the family, fell in love with her...what if those things only happened because of
the prophecy? Lovely. I now doubted everything I ever knew to be true. She was never meant for
me. How do I live with that knowledge? Did she ever truly love me? Was my love for her only a
matter of cosmic convenience? And who could I share these thoughts with? Who would

understand?

Alice.

Alice would be the only one who would understand. Surely she'd thought the same things about
her relationship with Jasper in light of the prophecy. I'd make certain to seek her out after the

ceremony so we could talk.

But it wasn't Alice who found me after the wedding.

PETER POV

Watching Edward flee the house when the whole fucking place became so full of lust it was hard to
breathe, I excused myself from the chaos and slipped out after him. His self-loathing knew no
bounds, and despite the fact he was a self-satisfied prick with overly dramatic tendencies....oh,
how he loves his guilt....there was never a greater martyr than Edward....he was basically a good
person who'd tried to do the right thing, was now in incredible pain bordering on agony, and was
keeping a rein on those emotions so as not to cause pain to not only Bella, but Jasper. He really did

only want happiness for her. Fuck me....I'm getting soft.

So lost in his own thoughts, he didn't hear me approach him. When I called his name, he looked
up, and the agony on his face nearly brought me to my knees. Fuck. How is he standing this? How
much pain can one person deal with? He flinched, pulling his brows together in a look of intense

concentration, and then the mask fell back into place.

"Hello, Peter. It was a beautiful ceremony."

"Thanks. They deserve it. Listen Edward, you gotta find a way to let go of this, man. This shit is

gonna eat you alive," I said. I think it's fair to say that subtlety is not my thing.

"I'm fine," Edward said.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. Obviously."

We sat in silence for awhile, and I waited for him to get to the fucking point of what was really
bothering him. It would do no good to lead him there; he had to find a way to express his self-
doubt on his own. It only took a few minutes before I got too fuckin' impatient to wait for that,

though, so I figured a nudge was in order.

"You know, Jasper doesn't hate you," I began, and the son of a bitch was good...he didn't even
look surprised at my statement. That calm, collected mask....what does it cost him to maintain
that? "He's in full-on vampire mode, and we can all relate to that. He's also in full-on warrior mode,
and we can't all relate to that. But surely you can understand that it takes a toll on him, man, and

it's harder for him to be your brother who trusts you. He just needs to get through this shit with

the Volturi before you see that brother again."

"I know," Edward sighed. "I've tried keeping my distance and not provoking him. I realize that it's
difficult for him to switch back and forth between leader of war mode and brother, son, and
husband mode. It's just, we've never really seen him like this. The charisma, yes...the leadership,

yes....the empath, sure. This....this is different."

"Well, the whole fuckin' situation is different, man. You two will be okay," I said, putting as much
confidence behind my statement as I could. He needed to understand this. "And Edward? He will
come back from this."

He glanced at me, surprised. I shook my head; it didn't matter how I knew that worried Jasper
would revert to the vampire he'd been decades ago. We didn't need him going all noble and trying
to "protect" Bella from her husband. That, friends and neighbors, would not end well. Plus, we had
more important shit to cover, like how he was going to work through the shit in his brain that
would fuck him up, if he let it. Time to cut to the fucking chase. I was never one for beating around

the bush.

"And don't be an ass. You know she loved you, and it was real. Maybe she did find her way into the
Cullen family because that's where fate wanted her. It's her destiny, just as this is Jasper's destiny.
So what if it was your destiny to love her first, to have her love first. Does that make it any less
real?"

Blinking at me like a goddamn owl, he searched for a response for a full minute. I, in my infinite

patience, let him. Finally, he simply nodded, apparently giving up vocalizing his doubts.

I clapped him on the back, hoping he'd think about this shit and come to terms with it in his own

time. "Carlisle wants to see you. It's unlikely Vladimir and Stefan will get here in time."

"Great," he said morosely. He really did have the whole brooding, tortured soul thing down to a

science.

"Naw, it's not that big a deal," I replied. "They weren't crucial to the plan, anyway. We have ten
vampires, which is at least two and maybe three more than they know we have, seven wolves, and

five witches. It's an even fight, Edward."

"Yeah. Still, though, two more couldn't have hurt," he said.

Fucker has a point there.

JASPER POV

When morning came, I left our bedroom, which had not, by the way, escaped our wedding night
unscathed, and I sought out Alice and Anna before Bella and I were to meet Peter for some last
minute work on Bella's shielding. I needed to know what they were seeing. Both had been quiet on

that front, and it fucking worried me.

I found Alice on the porch, Vincent having gone hunting with Emmett and Rose. She looked up as I
approached, her face immediately smoothing out from the drawn, worried look she'd been wearing.
Did she fucking forget I'm a damn empath? The worry, fear, and sadness were thick around her.

"Good morning, Jazz," she said, voice full of false cheerfulness.

Raising an eyebrow at her...Surely she knows I know her better than to fall for that....I replied,
"G'morning. What's got you worried?"

"Nothing. Well, a vision, but that can be changed, and nothing that concerns...anyone else." She
may think I didn't notice that little hesitation, but I fucking well did. She was hiding something, and

I meant to find out what.

"Spill it Alice. Now is not the time to be keeping shit a secret, not with this huge fucking battle

looming over our heads." I was trying hard to keep the fury and fear out of my voice.

Guilt? Ah fuck, that can't be good.

"Jasper, you're going to have to trust me. I know that's asking a lot, but you're going to have to,"
she said, adding a soft "please", which was so fucking rare for her it halted the impulse I had to

shake her until her fucking teeth rattled.

"Alice. Is it Bella? I'll trust you, but I need to know she's going to be okay," I pleaded. "Please,

Alice. I can't live without her."

Her look softened, and she said, "I haven't been able to see that, Jazz, but Anna's visions lead us
to believe that you and Bella will both be fine. We can't see the outcome; there's too
much...interference," she said, and I couldn't tell what she was holding back, but it scared me.

Badly.

"Where's Anna?" I asked.

"The whole coven has asked for this time to, as Allegra puts it, "do their thing" before the battle. I
don't know what all that entails, but I was inclined to let them have the time they needed," Alice
said. I tended to agree, but that meant I'd have to go into this fucking thing blind, with only Alice's
very limited information to let me know Bella would be okay. Fuck.

"Is that all? Because I need to go find Edward," she said.

Repressing the urge to roll my eyes, I nodded and thanked her. I went to find my wife and Peter,
so we could begin practicing different stressors to Bella's shield. Tonight we'd all be hunting. We
were going to need all of our strength. The wolves would already be in the clearing when we got

there tomorrow. Fuck. Tomorrow. Are we ready for this? Fuck.

I was hit with a staggering amount of fear, sadness, guilt, and resolve on my way to Peter's room.
What the fuck? I heard Alice and Edward's low murmuring punctuated by sobbing sounds that

conveyed utter despair, and it stopped me in my tracks.

You CAN'T leave after the battle. I KNOW how hard it is for you to be here! But they're going to

need you when this is all over.

You can't know this for certain. There has to be another way.

There's NOT. It doesn't matter what approach we take, the outcome is the same.

We can't let them know. They can't find out.

I know. Promise me. That's the only way I can go into this, knowing this outcome. PROMISE me

you'll stay with them after. Promise you'll be there for them.

I promise. I promise.

~*~

Chapter Thirty-Two

JPOV

A door slammed open behind me and Peter emerged, his eyes wild. "They're fucking
coming....NOW!" he roared, and my brain, still processing what I'd heard just seconds ago,
struggled to keep up. "Get everyone, and get them NOW. The wolves are there, so that's going to
be okay. Anna will have seen this, so they should be on their way. Call them to make sure!" He
was barking orders, and he tossed his cell phone at me. Completely unable to form a coherent
thought, my mind going a million directions, the most important of which being: Bella, get the
witches, Bella, what the fuck were Alice and Edward talking about?, Bella, my family, Bella....FUCK
we're out of time.

Dialing quickly as I sped towards Bella, I prayed. Desperately. Anna answered before the first ring,
"I know. We're on the way." I didn't even respond, flipping the fucker closed and tossing it over my
shoulder. Bursting through our bedroom door, I nearly crashed into Bella, who was so calm it was
unnerving. Seeing the state I was in....what the fuck was that conversation with Alice and
Edward?....she moved quickly, placing her hands on either side of my face. Dropping my forehead

to hers, I thought "fuck them" and took a minute to just be with her. I was fucking terrified.

Tilting her head up and kissing me softly, she spoke in a calm voice, "We're ready for this. This is
what you trained us for. Now trust us. We're ready." Christ, how did I fucking function before her?
She knows just how to get through to me. Pulling my head back a bit, I nodded quickly, and she
raised her eyebrow, waiting. Knowing what she was looking for, I let it happen. I let the cold,
detached soldier take over, and I felt it drop over me like an icy rain. With a satisfied smirk on her

face, Bella said, "Good. Now let's go, cowboy, and kick some Italian ass, what do ya say?"

We stood in the clearing, the witches in the trees on the far side, three wolves on either side of the
family. Bella and I were front and center with Jacob on her other side. Peter stood by Jacob,
Edward on my other side. Emmett, Carlisle, and Vincent were directly behind us. Esme, Rose, and
Alice were slightly further back, Esme and Rose slightly behind and off to the side of their mates,

Alice slightly behind and off to the side of hers. Ten vampires, seven wolves, five witches. It would

have to be enough.

Anna swung down from the branch she was perched on, flipping down and back up gracefully and

quickly, signalling at the same time Alice murmured, "They're coming."

I turned my head and looked directly at Alice, who refused to meet my eyes, shaking her head
briefly, whether to clear her thoughts or keep me from asking her questions she didn't want to

answer, I had no idea.

I could sense Bella mentally stretching, making sure she was shielding the whole family as well as

the wolves. The witches had their own power, and would not need her protection.

Peter murmured, "Fuckers are coming. There." He made a slight motion with his head, and my
eyes automatically traveled to the treeline. Aro stepped through moments later, Renati by his side,
Caius and Marcus trailing. The rest of the guard followed. Twenty vampires. It could have been

worse.

Aro smiled, extending his arms as though he were greeting long lost friends. "Such a welcoming
committee," he said softly. "To what do I owe this honor? And wolves. Interesting." He was

working hard to keep up his calm demeanor, but his emotions were all over the map.

He was speaking to Carlisle, but I answered him, ignoring the subject of the wolves completely,
"Just showing our respect, Aro. It's not every day you, not to mention your entire guard, leave

Volterra just for a social call."

It was a challenge, and he knew it. He shifted his attention back to Carlisle. "How nice to see you,
Carlisle," he said with an oily smile. "And Edward." He motioned Edward forward. It was not
unexpected. He would want to read not only Edward's thoughts and memories, but the thoughts
and memories of everyone else he would easily see in Edward's mind. I felt Bella tense beside me

as Edward moved forward, but she'd practiced hard, and her shield was intact.

As he placed his hand on Edward's, I felt his confusion, followed swiftly by anger and then a sharp
bolt of fear as he realized in that very moment why he couldn't read Edward's thoughts....and the
enormity of what that meant. As I'd expected, the "we just came to visit" facade disintegrated
immediately. Aro glanced at his guard, and Jane, a concentrated look on her face, radiating
irritation, shook her head. She glared at Bella, who met her gaze evenly, a small smile playing on

her lips.

And then all hell broke loose.

PETER POV

It went exactly as scripted. Well, nearly exactly.

Jasper stood in the tall grass, the breeze blowing his blond hair around, the pure fury in his stance
and the fuckin' calculating look on his face completely intimidating. Standing with his arms crossed
over his chest, he looked like one cold, intense, deadly motherfucker, and Aro was obviously
intimidated. When he spoke his voice was calm, but it was like glass shattering and falling on a

sheet of ice. It was hard to tear my fuckin' eyes away from him to pay attention to what the fuck

was going on in front of me.

I saw the short bitch, Jane I think her name is, grimacing with effort, and I grinned. No fucking
way in hell was she getting her power past our bad-ass Bella. When Aro realized what this all
meant, that the prophecy not only true but that they were too fucking late, we were ready for

them.

Jacob's low growl at Aro's mention of the wolves caused the guard to tighten their positions, and I
for one was fucking glad to see it. I knew they'd never hold to a treaty with the wolves, and would
consider them "pets" to the vampires, nothing more than guard dogs. That would only serve to piss
Jacob and the pack off even more, so I made absolutely certain, of course, that I learned towards
him to let him in on this fact. I swear if his hair stood up anymore he'd look like an oversized, fuzzy

blowfish.

When the guard advanced, and fuck they were quick, it was impossible to keep track of everyone.
The entire field erupted in snarling and growling, the sound of bodies crashing together, and all I
could see was the russet streak I knew was Jacob in full charge. Jasper was un-fucking-believable,
never losing site of Bella no matter how many he was battling at once, and our Bella held her own,
quickly taking down Jane in a fury of ear-splitting snarls and the familiar sound of the stone flesh of
a vampire ripping.

Concentrated explosions were hitting the dirt, spraying soil over the surrounding vampires. A
glance towards the trees showed them shaking so violently I thought they'd uproot. It was only
when I saw a flash of light followed by Demetri sailing across the field to land on his ass did I

realize just how fuckin' powerful those witches really were. Thank fucking God for that.

Hauling Demetri off his ass to finish him, I saw Edward fighting Marcus and another. In far too
short a time to even be fucking possible, Jasper disposed of Aro and Caius in a hail of limbs,
efficiently ripping them apart. He paused long enough to be certain Esme had the fire started
before turning and immediately taking down two more. He was terrifying and completely ruthless,
and I swear I got a hard-on just watching the bad-ass motherfucker. Fuck, he's something to see.

The snarling of the wolves combined with the wrenching sounds their jaws were making filled the
clearing, and with the fuckin' chaos the witches were causing, the battle passed in a blur of limbs,

screeching, and growls that rumbled through the air.

Emmett was destruction personified, ripping apart everything in his path. Edward was like watching
a lion, all leonine grace and raw speed. Vincent was a whirling dervish, giving himself completely
over to his animalistic side, and he was fuckin' beautiful to watch. Alice streaked towards the
witches, yelling something to Anna, but before I could understand what she was running towards,
or from, a small, dark-haired vampire came streaking out of nowhere directly toward Bella,
shrieking in a voice that about burst my fucking eardrums. The vampire dropped several feet from
her, effectively repelled by Bella's shield and writhing in pain. Jasper was glaring at her, his face a
mask of cold, controlled fury, so intense it's a wonder the bitch didn't spontaneously combust. Bella

decapitated her in one swift movement, fuckin' warrior goddess deluxe, man.

It could have been five minutes or five hours, but at some point the remaining guard, only a few of

them, were gathered on their knees in the center of the clearing, surrounded by the wolves.

BELLA POV

Jasper never left my side, and our abilities combined proved far too much for Aro's guard. Anyone
that got near enough to physically attack was immediately repelled, stricken with searing pain, and
ripped to shreds. I'd seen Jasper's warrior side, and his vampire side, but this....this was
something else completely. This was the first time he looked like...well, a god of war, all fury and

control and intensity. He was focused and cold, calculating and intimidating, beautiful and deadly.

The strength and concentration it took to maintain control of the shield made it impossible to keep
up with what was going on in the battle outside of Jasper and me. I'd seen Peter dispose of
Demetri. I'd seen Jacob in perpetual motion, raw strength and speed and snapping teeth.

I kept my terror for my family in one small corner of my mind. Please God. Please. I couldn't lose
Jasper, and my main focus was shielding him. I was scared for the rest of my family and the
wolves. I couldn't bear to lose any of them....Please God. I'll take care of Jasper, but I need you to
look out for Jacob and Peter. Look out for Edward and Vincent. Please God. Protect Rose and
Emmett, Alice, Carlisle, and Esme. Please.

Finally the dust from the witches' explosions began to settle, and the remaining three members of
the guard were completely encircled by the wolves. Except Jacob. Oh God. Please. Frantic, my eyes
searched the clearing, and only when I noticed Esme's and Vincent's eyes also searching frantically

did I start taking inventory. Where's Jake? Where's Alice? Why haven't the witches come out?

"Where's Jake?" my voice was a strangled cry.

"He's there, behind those trees. Shhhh, Bella, he's okay," Jasper had his arms around me so
tightly, his gift completely out of control, projecting relief and apprehension. His eyes were

scanning me quickly, searching for any injury.

"I'm fine," I said impatiently. "Jake?"

"He's injured. Badly. But he'll be okay. Edward's with him," Jasper said. "He was hurt protecting
me, babe. He saved my fuckin' life. One of them came up behind me while I was fighting with two

others, and Jake intervened when he saw it. He'll be okay, darlin'."

Vincent was scrambling over the pile of limbs, a stricken look on his face. He was oozing venom;

he'd been bitten badly. My eyes sought Alice, and she wasn't anywhere on the field.

"Jazz? Alice?" I was terrified.

"I don't know. I heard her and Edward talking before the battle, and she'd seen something that
scared her, but she wouldn't tell me what." He was now searching the clearing for her as well, his

features worried.

Carlisle darted to us with Allegra in his arms. "Can you oversee the fire and the disposal of the rest

of the bodies?" He was tense, but in control. "She's been bitten." Oh God. Oh no.

I couldn't even process emotion any longer. Jazz was still wearing the expression he'd had on the
battlefield, and it was only his projection that let me know he was feeling fear for Allegra and for
Alice, and he was quickly making a mental count of everyone on the field.

JASPER POV

Fuck. There's too much to do.

Allegra had been bitten. There was no chance of stopping the change, so Carlisle had taken her

back to the house. Fuck.

Peter was gleefully tossing limbs onto the fire, having taken over when Esme went with Carlisle to
tend to the witch who'd risked so much for something she believed in. Vincent was searching,
radiating raw fear. Edward was with Jacob. The pack would take him back to La Push once I'd
talked to the survivors. Rose and Emmett were helping Peter. And Bella was in my arms. Thank
fucking God. The fear I felt for the others couldn't hold a candle to the relief I felt that she was

okay.

Striding over to the pack, I walked between them and addressed the few remaining vampires. They
were all low members of the guard, and posed no threat to us alone. They'd return to Italy, but not

to Volterra. Volterra would be abandoned. It was the end of an era.

Grabbing Bella's hand, we headed towards the trees, only to be met by Edward.

"Where's Alice?" Bella asked.

Edward closed his eyes against the question, and fear spiked in me. "She saw her own death,

didn't she?" I asked him quietly.

"Yes," he replied, and that one word was enough. Bella's knees gave out, and I caught her in my
arms, lifting her to me. She buried her head in my neck, sobbing, and I just held her, shock and
sorrow and loss ripping through me.

"The witches?" I asked Edward.

"I don't know. Alice went to them...she'd seen something and went tearing across the clearing to
the trees....I don't know," Edward replied.

What? What did she see? Was she trying to protect them?

Edward nodded.

Allegra? Was she trying to prevent Allegra from being bitten?

Shaking his head and then nodding, I realized he was saying no, and yes. So there was something
else. Fuck. I didn't want to leave Bella. I wanted to keep her in my arms forever, and especially
while she was grieving, but I'd be damned if I'd drag her into that clearing to see something that

would break her.

Edward nodded again, and held his arms out.

"Babe? I need to go check on the rest of the witches. Can you stay with Edward for a few
minutes?" I asked her, my lips pressed against her hair. She nodded, and I handed her to Edward,
who wrapped his arms around her and held her while she sobbed. He'd become a master at
controlling his emotions, but I felt his love, sorrow, and his desire to protect her. There was no

jealousy, no regret.

I stopped long enough to tell Rose to check on Vincent, and Emmett, a pained look on his face,

began searching through the limbs by the fire. It broke my heart.

Walking to the treeline, I was met by Niko. The others had gone to the house to talk to Carlisle.
Allegra wouldn't be able to see them after the change was finished, and there were a fuckload of
logistics to figure out. Niko wordlessly led me to what looked like a bundle of cloth, looking gravely

at me before drawing what I realized was a black cloak back. Ah, fuck. Anna.

Vincent's howl of pain and sorrow ripped through the field. Bella struggled out of Edward's arms,
and they walked side by side toward Vincent. She looked back at me, such sadness in her beautiful
face, and I knew I'd have to add to that. She and Anna had become so close, like sisters really,
and she was going to be devastated. When they reached Vincent and Rose, they all put their arms
around each other, and looking at my family huddled next to the funeral pyre, I both thanked God
for keeping so much of my family intact, and felt my heart break even further at our losses. Sweet,
gentle Anna, so giving and strong. And fiery Alice, my mate for so many years. Allegra, turned
against her will, fighting for us, for me, for Bella, for her beliefs. Jacob so injured trying to protect

me. Vincent, who would have scars to rival mine after he heals.

Now comes the aftermath, and we'd need to get through it together.

~*~

Chapter Thirty-Three

JPOV

The rest of the afternoon passed in a haze of smoke and activity. Edward, Emmett, Rose, and I
disposed of the rest of the bodies while everyone else went back to the house. Jacob, thanks to his
wolf genetics, would heal quickly and completely, and the pack took him home. I'd make sure Bella
and I went to see him and thank him once we got through the next few hours. Vincent would take

several hours to finish healing, but his physical and emotional scars would last much longer.

Bella had returned to the house to be with Allegra, and Esme had taken Vincent under her wing. I
wanted to ask Edward about the murmured conversation I'd overheard, but he'd shaken his head
briefly, unwilling or unable to endure that conversation while we were still on the field of battle,
and I dropped it. There'd be time.

When we returned to the house, I knew I wouldn't be able to stay there long. The despair, fear,

sorrow....fuck, I can't breathe.

BELLA POV

Anna, Alice, Allegra.....Alice, Anna....Allegra, Anna....

The names cycled through my mind, and I was unable to stop long enough to focus on a single
loss. Allegra. She was in pain, and she was changing, and I turned my attention towards her,
blocking my mind from other avenues. Carlisle had placed her in a guest room, and I spoke softly
to her: I know it hurts. I know you didn't ask for this. We'll be here for you, I'LL be here for you.

Thank you, thank you. Be strong, you can do this. All we could do was wait.

When Jazz, Emmett, Rose, and Edward returned from the clearing, Carlisle called us gravely into
the living room. Now what? I didn't know how much more I could take before I crumbled

completely.

I went to stand by Jasper, who wrapped his arms around me, lowering his head into my hair. He
clung to me tightly, remaining silent. He was projecting powerful emotions, shuffling through them
so quickly they were disorienting, and he tightened his arms further, like he was anchoring himself
to the physical world. Reining in my fear, I leaned me head back into him, trying to shield him as
much as I could from the emotions in the room. I knew they were taking a toll on him.

"I found a letter in my study," Carlisle began, struggling to maintain an even voice. Vincent
cringed, and Esme tightened her grip on him. Holding up the ivory sheet of paper, Carlisle began to

read.

My dearest family,

I love you all so very much. Please don't be angry....this really was the only way. I
had a vision, and if I'd remained in the clearing the loss would have been even
more devastating. It had to happen this way.

Please be there for Allegra. She's going to have a lot to deal with, and she'll need
you all so much.

Vincent, I've left a private letter for you in our room. You know where to find it.
Please don't be angry with me. Grieve for me, and then live your life. I know
you're thinking of leaving the family, but please reconsider. They love you, and
they'll support you. I love you, and I'm sorry.

Edward, please don't feel guilty. Nothing could have changed the outcome, and it
could have been so much worse.

Carlisle and Esme, thank you for everything. I love you both.

Bella, my sister. I'm sorry for so much, but know that you've always been my
sister, and I love you.

Jasper, I'm so very proud of you.

Rose and Emmett, I love you. Thank you for being my sister and brother.

I love you all,

Alice

The sounds of grief filled the room. Turning myself in Jasper's arms, I pressed my forehead into his
chest. His breathing was ragged; he was crippled by the weight of the emotions in the room
despite my best efforts to keep him shielded. In my own turmoil, I simply didn't have the strength

left to project it strongly enough. He pulled back from me, his eyes agonized, his expression

pained.

"I love you, Isabella. I'll be back as soon as I can...please...I love you," he said, and then he was

gone.

EDWARD POV

If Alice had remained in the clearing instead of going to help Allegra and Anna, the loss would have
been more tragic. She'd seen both scenarios and outcomes, and she'd have been lost in either, but
by helping the witches and saving Allegra from death, she'd minimized the risk not only to the
witches but to our own family. She'd faced a member of the guard, fighting him single-handedly to
lessen the witches' losses. If she'd remained, our own losses would have been monumental. She'd
refused to elaborate beyond that.

Jasper, struggling not only with the darkness he'd been forced to embrace for the battle but the
emotions of the entire family, was tense, his thoughts coming in phrases. He was going to have to
get away from the house for a bit, and Bella, while understanding, was going to have a difficult

time with it so soon after the day's events.

I'd planned to leave the family for awhile. Now I would stay. We'd need to all be there for Vincent,
for Allegra, and for Esme, who was taking the loss of Alice very hard. Alice had seen that both

Vincent and Allegra would ultimately stay with the family. We were changing again.

I saw Jasper pull away from Bella, the struggle to handle the atmosphere of the room written all

over his posture and expression. He murmured to her quietly, and fled.

"He'll be back," I said softly. She nodded numbly, unable to process even this small additional bit
of information. "It's overwhelming him. He just needs time." I placed my hand on the small of her
back. "Come on." She let me lead her out to the garden, where I avoided the secluded area she

and Jasper frequently spent time.

"I'm scared," she said, sounding for the first time like the Bella that used to be mine. Drop that line

of thought. She's not yours, however much she reminds you.

"I know. And it'll be okay, I promise," I said. "The turmoil in the house...it's too much for him. He
can't be strong enough to endure it after the battle, especially in the frame of mind he was forced
to inhabit for the battle. He really does just need some time, Bella."

Peter approached, and I was for once glad to see him. She glanced up at him gratefully, and he sat

down on her other side. "Remember what we talked about?"

She nodded. "I know, Peter, and I understand. I do. But I'm still afraid."

He nodded, meeting my eyes over her bent head, communicating silently but urgently. Go find
him. Time alone is not what he needs right now. Usually, for the overwhelmed empath yeah, but
this ain't that, man. The longer he's alone, the closer to being lost he is. Find him, and find him
now.

Alarmed, I stood, asking Bella, "Will you be okay with Peter, Bella?" She nodded again, and Peter
put a protective arm around her. Go. She'll be fine, but only if you find him. If you ever loved her,
man, GO. I went.

He wasn't difficult to find. I was only about a mile into the forest when I heard the commotion, and
after another mile I could hear his thoughts, a discordant, disjointed array of fury, rage, and pain.

When I came upon him, he was stalking back and forth in a small clearing of his own creation,
felled trees toppling into a confusing pile. He was raging, and if I hadn't lived with him all these
long decades, if I hadn't known him, I'd have backed away before he could notice me. I'd never
been afraid of Jasper before. Yes, he could kick my ass in a full-on fight, but he was my brother,
and I trusted him. And Bella needed him, and I'd be damned if I was going to leave here without

getting her what she needs.

Catching my scent even in his rage-induced state, he turned slowly, his eyes blacker than I'd ever
seen them, the look on his face intense and deadly. He completed the turn, his head lowered,
looking up at me with such cold fury on his face, I had to make a conscious effort not to step back
from him. There'd be no reasoning with him. Not yet. The constant low growl was more feral than

anything I'd ever heard.

Whereas on the battle field he'd been calculating and concentrated, this was raw fury and rage in
their purest form. The emotions he was throwing out were crippling, and I clasped an arm across
my stomach, only my desperation to reach him, to get through to him, keeping me from falling to

my knees. The rage and anger I'd expected; the depth of his despair was staggering.

"Jasper." I strained to keep my voice even and low.

He ignored me, moving slowly closer in short arcs, stalking me like I was his prey, the growl
deepening, becoming even more menacing. Checking my instinctive backward step, I searched
desperately for something that would get through the ferocity of his very nature. He'd given in
completely to the ruthless warrior, and I was the only one here to try to bring him back.

"Jasper," I repeated, holding my hands up slowly. "You have to fight this."

He chuckled, the constant growling making even that sound something dark and dangerous, his
expression never changing, his movement never halting. I couldn't help it, I took a step back, and
that was all he'd been waiting for. He sprung with terrifying power and speed, crashing into me
before I could even consider reacting. Refusing to fight back, acting only defensively, I slammed
into a tree, immediately sinking to a crouch when I hit the ground. I couldn't stop my own growls

from escaping, and my words roared through the clearing.

"Do you want Bella to see you like this? Is that what you want? You fought your way back from this
before. Alone. You can't find the fucking strength to do it now? For her?!" I growled, his rage
increasing at my words and doing nothing to keep my own instincts in check. His roar echoed
around the forest, and I had a fleeting thought that I was going to need Peter. I wasn't going to be

able to do this, after all.

"I can't do this for you, Jasper. You have to do it, and if you can't find it in you to do it for yourself,

then for Christ's sake do it for her."

He continued his sweeping, short arcs in front of me, his growl never letting up. His hands were
clenching and unclenching at his sides, his eyes never leaving mine. I rose from my crouch. "I'm
not going to fight you. If you want to rip me apart, be my guest." His answering roar ripped

through his chest.

I heard movement to the east, someone moving quickly, and when I caught Bella's scent I was
panicked. Sensing my fear, Jasper chuckled darkly again, and I moved towards the opening in the

trees where she'd appear.

She burst through the foliage followed quickly by Peter, who immediately moved in front of her in a
defensive crouch. "Don't do this, Jazz-man. Don't." Peter was shaking his head, pleading with
Jasper, who had finally stopped moving, sudden uncertainty filling the clearing in addition to the

other emotions he was projecting.

Bella moved forward cautiously, trying to side-step Peter, and he blocked her, his eyes darting
between Jasper and Bella. "Jasper?" Bella's voice was full of pain and fear. "Jazz? Baby please, let
me help you. Please Jazz. Don't do this. I need you." Her voice broke on the last sentence, and the
strongest wave of despair yet rolled through us, causing Peter to grunt and Bella to sob. "Please

Jazz."

She continued moving forward, shaking off Peter's restraining arm. She approached Jasper slowly,
her eyes never leaving his, and Peter and I shadowed her, terrified. He'd never hurt her. Ever. We
both knew that. But this wasn't Jasper, or at least, not our Jasper, and if he hurt Bella in his rage,
he'd never come back. He'd never be able to forgive himself. And we wouldn't be able to forgive

him, either.

When she was a mere foot from him, the furious, dangerous expression on his face faltered, a look
of confusion passing quickly over his face. He jerked his head violently to the left and back. She
lifted her hand to his cheek, speaking softly the entire time. "I love you. Please? I love you. Don't

do this. Fight it, please? I love you. Please come back to me."

Jasper's tense posture returned for a moment, his jaw clenching, the growl never ceasing. It took
every ounce of strength I didn't even know I possessed to remain still, my terror for Bella
overwhelming. I could see Peter out of the corner of my eye, all sharp lines and instincts ready,
watching intently. I stayed silent, and wonder of all the wonders in the world, Peter managed to as
well. We were moving cautiously, staying near enough to protect Bella but far enough from Jasper

that he wouldn't see our movement as a threat.

Placing her other hand on Jasper's shoulder, Bella moved closer, her eyes still never leaving
Jasper's face. As his expression relaxed in small increments, his eyes lightened, and Bella wrapped
her arms around him, pulling him closer to her. With a last growl so full of despair it was crushing,
he gave in, wrapping his arms tightly around her and sinking to the ground. With soft murmurs and

hushing noises, she held him while he sobbed on the forest floor.

Knowing it would be a long road, but the main crisis over, Peter and I slipped back to the house
silently, leaving Bella and Jasper to begin to heal.

~*~

Chapter Thirty-Four

BPOV

I don't know how many hours passed, Jazz and I unmoving on the forest floor. He didn't speak,
and when the sobs tapered off there was only his ragged breathing. I was scared, badly, but even
if I didn't have enough strength left to shield Jasper, I could shield myself, and I did, letting him

feel only my love.

The site of him when I first entered the clearing broke my heart and filled me with a terror that
compared to nothing I'd ever felt before. He was lost and broken. He had completely given over to
despair, wild and uncontrolled, and the manifestations of his rage were evident all over the
clearing. I was so afraid for him. I pushed aside everything else, and concentrated only on bringing

Jasper back to me.

We sat, motionless, until his breathing evened out and I could feel the tension dissolving from his
muscles. His hands began moving, the first motion in I don't know how long, and I was relieved.
They roamed over my hair and face, as though checking to make sure I was real, and really here

with him. We sat, our foreheads touching, my arms around his neck, hands in his hair.

Finally, I risked speaking, and I summoned all my strength and courage to keep my voice from

wavering and showing him just how badly he'd scared me. "Jasper? Are you ready to go back?"

Panic flashed in his eyes, and he looked so lost my heart broke all over again. He seemed to steel
himself, and then nodded. I stood up and held out my hand for him. He grasped it, unfolding his

tall frame and standing, and we headed out of the clearing without a backward glance.

Jasper was quiet, reserved, and not quite himself. That place inside himself he'd had to return to in
order to pull off leading that battle still existed, and the haunted look in his eyes remained for
days. He had little control over his gift, and the sadness in the atmosphere around him was
horrible. He remained in our room for the most part, coming out only to attend the memorial

service we held for Alice and for Anna.

I hadn't even had a chance to grieve for either of them properly, and the service was painful. As
lost as Jazz had been, he somehow found the strength to support me during that, holding me while
I sobbed, comforting me, showing me that there was hope that he would eventually come back
from this completely.

Emmett was Emmett, but there was a sadness in his eyes that had never been there before, and I
worried it was a permanent change. Rose was quiet, Esme heartbroken, Vincent nearly unable to

function.

Allegra had come through her change, and Jasper again pulled himself up enough to help her
through those disorienting first few hours. He'd listened to her hoarse, tearless sobs for what she'd
lost, been the target for her anger when she needed it, and taught her all the things he'd taught
me in my first few hours. She would heal, too. The loss of Anna weighed heavily on her, as it did
me, and we spent long hours talking in the garden. She would be my sister, and I was thankful for
her. She retained all of her abilities she'd had as a witch, and made one amazing vampire. She also

spent countless hours with Vincent, and they helped each other through their grief. Both covens

lost seers that day.

Carlisle had contacted the Denali coven, the largest but for our own now that the Volturi were
gone. It was necessary to have some system of checks and balances, but Carlisle wanted to make
sure that all of the power didn't rest with one coven. Therefore, he and Eleazar would head the new
"committee" at mine and Jasper's insistence. We didn't want the job, and they were both good men
and more than capable. Vincent, Edward, and Peter would round out the committee, and we all
knew the best people for that particular job had been chosen.

The family remained together, not discussing the future, not making plans to relocate immediately
or to go in different directions. Right now, we all just needed each other. It was anticlimactic, after

the prophecy and the battle, but it was just what we needed. We'd come full circle.

Several weeks after the battle, I came upon Jasper and Peter in the garden. Charlotte would be
arriving tomorrow to stay with us for a few weeks before they both headed home. I'd miss Peter,
and I hoped Jazz and I would go visit them soon.

Peter saw me approaching and, throwing me a wink, got up from the bench they were seated on.
He paused long enough to kiss my cheek and smile at me, and strolled back to the house. I sat
down next to Jazz, glancing sideways at him. His face was calm, his eyes sad, but they'd lost that
horrible haunted look they'd had for weeks. He pulled me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around
my waist.

"Hi," he said, softly.

"Hey," I said, and I couldn't help smile at how many serious conversations we'd started with those
simple words. "How are you feeling?" He hated people asking him that, so I tried not to, but it was

hard.

"I'm okay, babe. Really," he replied, giving me that lazy grin that made me weak in the knees. I

couldn't help but beam back. He was going to be okay.

JASPER POV

It almost like I went from the battle straight into the aftermath with no time to actually process the
fucking aftermath. I couldn't have guessed how much time was passing while it was actually
passing, and it was only in retrospect I realized how fuckin' lost I'd been. Thank God for Bella.

I swore I'd never return to that dark place again. I'd scared Isabella, and badly, and that would
haunt me forever. I knew it was necessary, and that my ability to be that leader had helped to

save all of our lives, but it hurt that I'd scared her and caused her pain.

I spent every available minute with Isabella. She was my lifeline and anchor, and I was hers. I'd
never really understood the term "soul mates" before. Now I do. There was little doubt we were
destined for each other. I don't know how I got so fuckin' lucky. She was always so full of love, and
she brought me back from the edge, tethering me, loving me, accepting me, and trusting me. Her

faith in me was staggering. I'd spend the rest of my existence making sure it was warranted.

We'd gone to see Jacob about a week after the fight, delayed by Allegra's change, the memorial
service for Alice and Anna, and my own personal demons. He was nearly fully healed and in good
spirits. It wasn't difficult to see we were going to be friends even without a battle looming over our
heads. We'd come to trust and respect each other, and Bella was so pleased, her eyes bright, a

huge smile on her face.

Once some time had passed, things with Edward were far less tense. I knew he still loved Bella,
but he'd become just a friend, and there was no awkwardness. I trusted him completely. I knew
her happiness was as important to him as it was to me. He wouldn't hurt her or do anything to
upset her, and neither would I, so we both made an even bigger effort to get along until it was just

natural. We were brothers again.

Vincent's wounds healed, leaving him scarred over his arms, neck, and chest. We talked about that
a lot, the two of us, and although his scars weren't nearly as pronounced or as numerous as mine,
it seemed to help him to have someone to talk to about the self-loathing that came with looking in
the mirror at times. We also had long talks about Alice, and how sometimes she kept her visions
for herself depending on her own judgement. As angry as we both were at her for awhile because
of that, we couldn't hold it against her. We didn't know what the outcome would have been if she'd
remained in the clearing, but we knew she'd have done what was best for her family. When that

happened, he was able to forgive her and grieve, and then begin the process of carrying on.

I worked with Allegra. She was going to be seriously bad-ass. Her powers were wicked cool
anyway, and then to add to them the speed and power that comes with being a vampire. It suited
her. She had a couple of bad days where the grief and sorrow and resentment threatened to
overwhelm her, and then she made a conscious decision to embrace her immortality. She'd chosen
to remain with us, saying she trusted us, and the vegetarian lifestyle was the only option for her

anyway.

Several months after the battle, things were getting back to normal. What-the-fuck-ever THAT is. I
guess my sarcasm returning was a good sign, or at least Bella and Peter thought so. We'd noticed
how much time Vincent and Allegra spent together, and Bella, Rose, and Esme started that
matchmaker shit. It was amusing, really, to see Esme making up errands to send them on
together. It made it more difficult that she couldn't send them into town for things. That wasn't
exactly the best place for a newborn.

Bella had completely adjusted to immortality. We'd barely had a chance to savor our relationship
before the prophecy, the battle, her change. We spent a few weeks going on long walks, just

holding each other, and talking about the future. We were all healing.

One Year Later

JASPER POV

The crashing sound of trees falling brought Charlotte flying out of the house. "Peter!!" she

bellowed, in full-on pissed off mode. Peter was giggling like mad, and Bella looked chagrined.

"Sorry, Char!" she called, smacking Peter as soon as Charlotte turned around and hissing, "You're

gonna get us in trouble!"

I had to laugh at both of them. It was like watching kids play. They each brought out the imp in
the other, and I was thankful for the hundred thousandth time that this woman was my wife and
this man my brother, and even more so that they loved each other, too.

We'd come to visit two months ago, needing time away from the family. We'd always be family,
and we'd all come back together again in the future, but now that we'd all healed as best we could
from the tragedy of a year ago, we all needed time away. Carlisle and Esme were in Alaska, Rose
and Emmett in Maine. Vincent and Allegra were also in Alaska, but they'd be coming to see us
soon. We couldn't wait. Edward was in England studying music. He and Bella often texted and
emailed, keeping in touch a couple of times a week. Jacob also kept in touch, and had been invited
by Peter to come down and spend sometime. Vincent and Allegra would be stopping in Forks for a
visit to La Push to try to convince him to come with them. I was hoping to surprise Bella with a
visit from him.

We were going to stay here and build our life. Bella had been working on the online end of her
book store, still refusing to give it up because she loved it. The physical store in Forks was doing

well. She'd hired a manager for it, and they talked by phone and email.

Peter swooped Bella up with a whooping yell, and her peals of laughter rang out. Grinning, I
rescued her from Peter's clutches. "Goin' in the house, fucker," Peter, always eloquent, said,
embracing us both in a huge bear hug. He kissed Bella's cheek and grabbed her ass, winking at

me. She pretended to swoon, and I rolled my eyes at them both.

"Get your mitts off my woman, asshole."

"Fuck you. She likes when I grope her." He swatted at her playfully, then dodging like lightning

towards the house.

Still laughing, hand in hand we walked to the corner of the yard, where Bella had recreated the
secluded area of Esme's garden where we'd spent so much time. Her eyes dancing with mischief,
she yanked my arm, hard, pulling me towards her. I placed my hands on either side of her head
against the brick wall that separated the garden from the rest of the yard, and from Peter's nosy-
ass eyes. She looked up at my through her lashes, and pulled her bottom lip into her mouth, biting

it gently. Fuck.

Lowering my head, I captured her lips in a rough kiss, full of want and need. She moaned into my
mouth, her hands twisting in my hair. I pushed my hips into hers and we both groaned.

"Fuck....Isabella...."

"I need you Jazz....please...."

Removing our clothes quickly, I pinned her against the wall again, lifting her. Wrapping her legs
around me, her heat and wetness pressed up against my erection, I groaned again, sliding into her

in one quick thrust, and it was like coming home.

PETER POV

Glancing once over my shoulder, I watched Jasper and Bella heading to that little sex spot she'd

created in my yard. She really was a wildcat, that Bella of ours.

They knew the Cullens would eventually come back together, but they didn't know what would be
the catalyst for that, and I decided to let them live in peace while the peace was plentiful. They
were happy, and so in fuckin' love.

Neither of them wanted a place on the committee....what a fuckin' ridiculous term THAT is.....that
would head the vampire world. Too fuckin' bad. It was their destiny to head that as much as it had
been their destiny to take down the Volturi. But for a while longer, I'd let them be two immortals in
love, stronger because of the struggles they went through. They could live, love, and laugh, and
then later....when it was time....they'd be strong enough to handle it when fate stepped back in,

forcing them again to be the sword and the shield.

-The End-