Bella tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for a response, any response, from her boyfriend Edward Cullen. He was being unusually silent as a result of her question. Finally, he shifted a fraction of an inch and looked Bella in the eyes. Edward took a deep breath and said, "No."

"Why not? Is it because of what happened on my birthday? My grade shouldn't suffer because of something that's finished. Jasper can really help me." Her eyes were pleading. Her voice was soft.

Edward sighed. It was almost imperceptible. He shut his eyes tightly. "Bella, there are things about Jasper's past that he does not wish to discuss. He won't even speak to Alice about them."

Bella nodded and buckled up. "He doesn't have to tell me anything he doesn't want to. Edward, I just want a first hand account of the Civil War." Edward's silver Volvo sped by tree after tree. The scenery of Forks, Washington never changed. It was always an endless green. He gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"Love, I just don't think-"

Bella silenced him with a wave of her hand. "If it helps, you can stay in the house and keep me safe."

He mad a face at her. "This isn't about your safety, although that is part of it. This is about respecting Jasper's wishes."

She folded her arms. How many times had Alice made him practice saying that? Probably a thousand or so. Alice always went to extremes to protect and keep her husband's past a secret. It was a bit absurd to Bella, but she never needed help from Jasper as much as she did now.

"I can respect Jasper's wishes." Bella muttered. "And I can find out about his past too. He doesn't have to tell me anything he doesn't want to." She repeated once more.

Edward gave Bella a fleeting look. She appeared calm, but he could practically see the wheels spinning in her head. It was times like these that Edward wished he could get inside his one true love's head. He longed to know what she was thinking when she fell into one of her thoughtful silences quite like this one. Although, at the same time Edward knew Bella enjoyed the privacy of her thoughts. He was ripped from his thoughts as he pulled in the massive garage to find Alice standing by her Porsche. She had a look of utter defeat plastered on her pixie like features.

He knows what Bella wants, Edward. I had a vision and Jasper asked me what it was. I didn't have the heart to lie to him. Now Jasper wants to tell Bella his story. Alice thought. I tried to talk Jazz out of it Edward, I really did.

"It's OK Alice." Edward opened Bella's door for her. Placing a hand on the small of her back he said, "Jasper wants to talk to you love."

"Alone." Alice chimed in. It was evident that it hurt her. Jasper was the love of her life and he didn't trust her enough with the story of his past.

"Oh." Bella was too shocked to say anything else. She had already prepared herself for rejection. It was a pleasant surprise to get what she wanted for a change without having to go through so many theatrics.

Alice forced a smile. "He's waiting for you in his study. But, Bella… please don't force him to tell you anything he doesn't want to."

Bella sighed. She had been told that over and over. Between Edward and Alice, Bella couldn't get away from being told not to force Jasper about his story. "I won't Alice. You can stop worrying so much." Alice laughed nervously.

Edward pushed Bella gently toward the door. "Go on up love. Alice and I will be here when you finish."

She nodded and made her way warily toward the door. Bella didn't know what all to expect. Naturally, she knew there would be blood, loss, more than likely pain. But what else? Jasper wasn't a subject she and Edward discussed thoroughly. He was just there for the most part. Jasper was just a Cullen, Edward's brother, Alice's husband. Nothing less yet nothing more. As Bella approached the study, she grew more and more nervous. Never before had she been completely alone with Jasper.

"Come in Bella." His voice was deep with an unbelievably hot Southern accent. Bella felt herself calm down. No doubt, it was Jasper's doing. His gift was an incredible one. To know what people were feeling…

Bella shook her head in an effort to clear her thoughts. As she pushed open the door, she couldn't help but gasp. Jasper was standing in front of a large bay window sparkling in the sun. That wasn't what had taken her by surprise. It was the scars that covered his body. His scars were just like the one she had received from James in the Ballet Studio.

"Do you still want to continue?" He asked. Bella nodded. "Have a seat." Jasper motioned to a couch with several books sitting on the floor beside it. Philosophy books, Bella noticed with interest. So Jasper liked to ponder the mysteries of life? Bella sat down carefully. Jasper continued to stand at the window. She realized he was waiting for her to pull out her notebook. Bella did so with a deep scarlet blush.

"OK. I'm ready." She clicked her pen and pressed it to a clean sheet of paper. "How do you want to start?"

Jasper chuckled softly. "I was seventeen when I joined the Confederate Army. I left a lot back home. Including my soul mate. A Miracle. That is truly the only way to describe her. She was a Miracle to her parents and a Miracle to me."

Bella felt her eyes grow wide. Jasper and Alice… weren't they supposedly soul mates? He smiled sensing her confusion. "This girl is a major part of my story. If you don't want to hear it-"

"No!" Bella shook her head. "I want to hear. Continue, please." He nodded.

"Her name, ironically enough, was Miracle Dunkin. We grew up together, you know. The two of us were inseparable. No sentence about me could be spoken without including Miracle. The same went with Miracle. In fact, Miracle and I were engaged. As soon as the war was over we were going to get married."