*~~* chapter 1 *~~*

JPOV

It seemed like it was going to be a normal struggle-to-not-kill-someone day. I was standing near the science building waiting for my Alice to come out of the classroom, when I felt a sudden influx of curiosity, then resolve. Then I heard her walk up behind me. It was Jessica. I took in a deep breath and held it.

"What'cha doing Jasper?"

"Waiting for Alice." I said simply.

"Ok, So-," she started to say, then I heard, it, or rather felt it. Fear, anger, helplessness, coming from my Alice.

"Alice!" I heard Edward say from his car, where he and Bella were waiting for us. I ran at my fastest speed towards the emotions where I found Alice in the grips of a newborn, which had his back turned to me. The rest of my family was in front of it. It was obviously using Alice as a shield. A large crowd of humans were also on the other side of the newborn, behind my family. Then I smelled her. Maria. The smell was coming indirectly from the newborn. So she had come back.

I crouched down and stalked silently up to the newborn. Edward was relaying information from Alice to me via emotions and slight head motions.

Can I attack yet?

A slight head shake. No. I waited a few moments then tried again. Before I got the question out he nodded. It had to be quick then.

I crouched deeper then sprang up on the newborns back, twisting it, him, away from Alice, and effectively sinking my teeth into its arm, ripping it off. Some of the humans gasped, a few screamed. None ran. I poised my teeth at his neck and said in a half snarl, "Where is Maria?"

The newborn didn't feel like answering so I gave it a heavy dose of fear. I asked again.

"She's in an old abandoned house on the outskirts of town."

"How many newborns are there?"

"16."

"What was the purpose of your coming here today?" this time the newborn didn't respond. My grip on its head tightened as I started to twist its head. I never liked interrogations, now even less than then.

"To steal Jasper Whitlock's wife so he will fall into Maria's trap and come back to her or suffer the punishment he deserves for deserting her in her time of need."

"Her time of need?"

"Yes she was gravely injured when she returned to find him gone, sir." I felt that I could get no other use out of him, so I yanked his head from his shoulders and dismembered the rest of his body, quickly setting fire to his body and walking back to my family and hugging Alice fiercely. Then Edward brought me back to reality by saying, "How are we going to cover this one up?"

"We are exposed Edward, we have no choice but to tell them. They'll take it like Bella did, most of them anyway. I can see it," said Alice from my chest, where I still held her tightly.

"And what will the others do?" I asked.

"They will tell their parents, who will call the hospital and spread the news, and Carlisle will be pissed. But, there is nothing we can do."

"So how do we tell them we are vampires?" Emmett said loudly. Loud enough for the humans to here.

"I think you just did, idiot," I said. The whispering in the crowd got louder as I heard exclamations of what he had just said. And they obviously believed us. I sent them reassuring emotions and acceptance. They seemed to be doing well, but a few looked like they were going to panic and a few were already talking on cell phones. Ahh, well. We can only hope Carlisle will pity our sorry asses.

CPOV

I was walking out of a patient's room when heard the whispers. As I passed the nurses' station, most of them stared openly at me, mouths agape. Not that this wasn't normal, but it was starting to give me a bad feeling.

I started to ask one of the nurses if something happened that I was unaware of, but she looked terrified, then ran down the hallway, to tell another nurse what happened. She explained that the vampire just asked her a question. The vampire. This had my children written all over it. I stalked back to my office in surly silence to find it jam packed with every doctor on the hospital.

They started to ask me more questions than even my vampire mind could handle. Before I could open my mouth to speak, my cell rang. I turned my back to the doctors and flipped it open. I answered it and Alice greeted me on the other end. She explained what happened at school.

"YOU WHAT?"

"I said, we told them what we are."

"YOU TOLD THEM? YOU MEAN THEY ACTUALLY KNOW!"

I shut the phone slowly and turned back to the doctors.

"Excuse me, I must go find my children now, they seemed to have gotten into a bit of trouble with others of our kind. Good-bye," I said as harmlessly as possible.

"So it is true!" one doctor said.

"How is that possible? How dare he? He should be staked!" I heard from the crowd. I turned to leave, but they all gathered in around me really close. One doctor came out and represented the mob.

"I'm sorry Carlisle, but we can't let you go."

"Sir, with all due respect, you downplay your danger, you think a crowd of humans are going to stop me leaving? You thought you could stake me!" I said in disbelief.

Then Esme was there, pushing through the crowd, telling me she had gotten some phone calls from people, saying that they knew what she was. She looked on the verge of tears. I hugged her gently and tried to comfort her. Together, we made our way out of the crowded hospital corridors and we flew through the town, stopping in front of the cafeteria, where I could hear my children talking to different humans. They didn't seem afraid. That was good.

JPOV

I noticed my history teacher working on some notes for class the next day and I decided to see what the topic would be. Edward seemed amused by this, but I ignored his emotional input. I sat down next to him and he flinched, but gave no other sign of fear. Good.

"Excuse me sir, but what are you planning for tomorrow?"

"I'm doing a special presentation on the civil war. It's about the youngest major in the civil war. Jasper Whit-lock." He slowed down on that last part. So this is why Edward was amused.

"And what do you know about this Jasper Whitlock?"

"Well, I have pictures of him, as a child, and right before he left at sixteen to join the army. I also have an army picture."

"May I see it, please?"

"Sure. I guess, it's old though so be careful."

"I know exactly how old it is sir."

And right there was a picture of me in my new confederate's uniform, smiling like I was the king of the world. My best buddy, Todd, standing next to me. I handed the picture back. He studied it real hard for a second and I could feel him making the connection.

"Jas-per, um, how old are you?"

"If your asking if that's me in the picture, it is me, and I'm around 235 years old."

"Wow, would you mind speaking in class tomorrow? How did you disappear anyway?"

"Yes, I would love to, and I was captured and changed into a vampire for a whole different war."