A/N: Hi! It's been a long time since I've posted anything. That sucks, but it's not my fault! School tends to interfere with these things. But, between homework and other random stuff, I have found time to post this, at the bidding of the lovely edwardcullenlover107. (Thanks for taking an interest in my Twilight stuff!) Okay, here's the thing you have to understand before you read this: I wrote this after reading Twilight, BEFORE I read New Moon. It kinda scared me that this showed some similarities to Bella's birthday party. HA! I always knew I was psychic! Personally, I'm not sure if I'm very happy with this one. It's kind of cute, but I'm afraid it might be a whole lot of nothing. Well, the only way I'll know for sure is if you all read and review, okay?

Shattered Normalcy

It was a normal day. At least, as normal as a day can get when it is being spent with vampires. Bella was at the Cullen house, visiting Edward, Jasper, and Alice. Carlisle was at work, and Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie were nowhere to be found. Edward had brought Bella to "hang out" with Jasper and Alice, for lack of anything better to do. The large house was even more open because there weren't as many people in it as usual.

It wasn't a very memorable day. The four sat around and talked, and occasionally one of them would crack a joke, causing the others to laugh. The mood was casual, light, needing no help from Jasper.

The moment was really too fast to even see it. Bella rose from her seat next to Edward, and as she did so, she cut the back of her hand on the small coffee table in front of her.

"Oops," Bella muttered.

It would have been a harmless mistake, had Jasper not reentered the room a second later, his eyes dark with hunger, and crazed with the scent of blood. Bella tensed, every muscle in her body pulling taut. By the time she realized that this was not her reaction, but Jasper's, the latter had crouched into a hunting stance, and bolted across the room.

Neither Edward nor Alice realized what was happening until Bella screamed, and tried to wrench her hand out of Jasper's stone grip. Jasper, having lost all control, grinned as his tongue caught the blood running off of her hand. He didn't hear the feral snarl from across the room, but he did feel Edward's fist connect with the side of his head. Jasper was forced to let go of Bella as he fell to the ground.

Alice hurried to Bella's side. "Are you okay? He didn't bite you, did he?"

"No," Bella panted. "No, I'm fine."

Alice put her arms protectively around Bella as the girls turned their attention back to Edward and Jasper.

Edward glanced at them, anguish on his face. He did not want to hurt Jasper, but he had to protect Bella at all costs. Meanwhile Jasper had nearly gotten to his feet, ready to resume his attack, and Edward, making his decision, hit Jasper in the eye.

This time when Jasper fell down, Edward pinned him there. Jasper struggled wildly against Edward, until Edward let fly another punch, which landed in the center of Jasper's face.

Jasper let out a strangled, "Ahh!" and stopped struggling as blood flowed from his nose. Edward kept Jasper pinned like that until he was sure that Jasper had regained control of himself.

"Edward?" he gasped, and slowly he seemed to become aware of what had happened. "Oh, god! Is she okay?"

Edward nodded.

"Edward, I'm so sorry. I couldn't – I don't know why – you were right, I should have been more careful. I'm so stupid…"

"Shh," Edward interjected. "Don't worry. It's fine, okay?" he said, brushing a tear from Jasper's bruised eye.

Jasper nodded.

"Edward, do you want me to take Bella home?" Alice asked.

Edward looked up at her. "No! No, I can. Just gimme a sec."

Alice gave Edward a pointed look. I'll go. You stay and take care of Jasper.

Edward sighed and nodded.

"Come on Bella, let's go."

Bella allowed herself to be led out of the house, casting a guilty glance over her shoulder at Edward and Jasper.

Jasper attempted to sit up, but Edward's firm hands held him in place. "Edward, go. I'm fine."

Edward shook his head with a wry smile. "Bella will be fine with Alice. Now, let's get you off the floor. You can lay on the couch."

"I don't need to lay down. I'm fine," Jasper insisted.

"Your nose is bleeding all over, now come on," Edward said forcefully. Then he grabbed Jasper's shoulders and fairly carried the younger vampire to the couch. "Stay there. I'll be right back."

And he was. In a matter of seconds, Edward returned form the kitchen carrying a rag. "Tilt your head back, okay?" Edward said, gently taking Jasper's chin in his hand, and he began to wipe up the blood.

"Edward… I'm really sorry," Jasper whispered.

"Me too," Edward responded quietly.

"For what?" asked a surprised Jasper.

Edward smiled again. "For hitting you so hard. Here, hold this to your nose," he said, handing the rag to Jasper.

Jasper did so, but immediately pulled the rag back with a sharp gasp.

"What is it?"

"It hurts. Bad."

"Let me see." Edward again took Jasper's chin in his hand, this time looking at Jasper's profile. "Oh. Shit," Edward muttered.

"It's broken, isn't it?" Jasper asked conversationally.

"Yeah. I'm really sorry, man."

"Don't worry about it."

"I'm gonna call Carlisle."

"No, don't," said Jasper. "I don't want him to leave work for a little broken nose."

"It's gotta get put back in place," Edward told him.

"I'll do it. It's not that hard."

Edward reached out and grasped Jasper's wrists firmly. "No."

An indignant thought found its way into Jasper's head before he could stop it.

Edward blinked. "Fine. If you want me to, I'll do it," he said.

Jasper glared at him. "Stupid little mind reader," he muttered under his breath. Then his muscles tensed. He nodded once and said, "Do it."

Edward tried to move swiftly, putting the bone back into place with a sickening scrape that made him wince. Jasper clenched his teeth as a cry of pain escaped his lips. It was all over in a matter of seconds.

"See? Not that hard," Jasper said with a forced laugh.

"Your mind says differently," grinned Edward. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

Edward handed the rag back to Jasper and said, "Gently hold this to your nose."

"No argument there."

"As long as you're actually laying still, I want to take a look at your eye."

Jasper sighed. "Edward, my eye is fine."

Edward glared at Jasper and said, "I sure hope you mean your right eye." Jasper's left eye was black with bruises and swollen shut. "I just want to make sure nothing else is broken. It'll only take a second."

Jasper crossed his arms in front of his chest and attempted to pout, which of course, didn't phase Edward. With gentle fingers, Edward felt the bruised area of Jasper's eye. Once he was satisfied that nothing was too badly damaged, he said, "I'm going to hold your eye open. I want you to follow my finger. The faster you do this, the more painless it'll be."

Jasper didn't even try to resist. He winced slightly as Edward pulled his eye open, but followed Edward's finger up, down, left, right, in a circle. Then Edward let go of Jasper's eye and it fluttered closed, watering slightly.

"See? Painless," Edward said smugly.

"Was not! That stung," Jasper argued.

Edward wisely decided to change the subject. "Has your nose stopped bleeding yet?"

Jasper examined the rag. "Nearly."

Alice reappeared then, reporting that Bella really was fine.

Two hours later, Carlisle arrived home from work. "Edward! Alice! Jasper! I'm home!" he called from the doorway. Then he walked into the front room. "What happened?"

Edward quickly filled him in while Jasper glanced guiltily around the room. When Edward finished, Jasper dared to look at Carlisle. "I'm sorry," he said, his voice barely a whisper. But instead of the anger Jasper expected, Carlisle's face was kind, sympathetic.

"It's okay. Let me have a look at you."

Carlisle put a splint on Jasper's nose, and repeated Edward's test on his eye, while also shining a bright light into it. "How are you feeling now?" Carlisle asked Jasper.

"Hungry."

"You can't smell, so you won't be able to hunt for awhile. But, on the plus side, no smell means you won't be tempted by anyone. You'll just be extra hungry for a few days."

Jasper nodded. Then he asked, "What should I tell them at school?"

"That you got in a fight with Edward," Carlisle responded, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You could even say it was over Bella. It'd be true," he added.

Edward and Jasper laughed. "Nah, 'a fight with Edward' is just fine."

The next day at school, Jasper approached Edward and Bella. "Hey, I'm really sorry about what happened. I don't know what came over me."

Bella smiled. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

Jasper narrowed his eyes at her. Then he turned to Edward. "She means it. She's completely calm about it! That's – "

"Don't even start," Edward interrupted him with a smile. "I already know she's insane."

Bella put on a pout and said, "Hey!" but Edward and Jasper just laughed harder.