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Chapter 1- Meeting

"Swan!' My name soared through the air by sergeant. I left my spot immediately and jogged over to the loud voice. I was in sweats and a tank top, perfect for working out as much as we were. I was standing straight, breathing in and out heavily through my nose facing a blond, tall, muscular boy with blazing blue eyes.

"Sir?" I asked. The boy was standing much like me, but less straight, and his three bags in his hands.

"This here is Jasper Hale! He will be your partner! You two will cover each other's backs constantly! You die together! Do you understand, Swan?" He yelled with unnecessary volume that I had grown accustomed to. My face stayed emotionless, improved from the shy Bella I used to be. The army will shape you like that.

"Sir, yes, sir!" I replied just as loudly, still facing forward with my legs slightly apart and my hands behind my back, fingers intertwined. He left, leaving me alone with Jasper after handing me a paper with all needed information about my new "partner". I let my body relax and smiled at him, my tough façade completely forgotten.

"I'm Isabella Swan, but call me Bella." I held out my hand and he shook it. He smiled back brightly, dropping his bags before caressing my hand.

"Jasper Hale. Nice to meet you, Bella." I grabbed one of his bags, but he protested. "No Bella, it's fine. I've got it." It was then that I noticed a southern accent in his deep voice. I ignored him and led him to our room that was filled with about twenty people. When I say people, I mean girls and boys. But most were boys, I'll admit it. He grabbed his bags and chased after me.

"So, Jasper, why are you here?" I asked, tossing his bag next to our bunk bed. He had the top, because I didn't like it.

"It's something I've always wanted to do. My wife let me, even though it's hard to be away from her." He said longingly. I frowned.

"You miss her." I stated, rather than asking. He nodded in confirmation as he dug in backpack. He pulled out picture frame and handed it to me, showing me a picture of him in a black tux next to a beautiful woman. She was much shorter than Jasper, in a princess white wedding dress that was tight around her torso, but flared along the bottom. A big bow was in the back, and her pale cheeks were flushed with happiness and her green eyes shining with excitement. Her short black hair was curled at the bottom, looking elegant and classy.

Jasper and his wife were holding hands in front of a white tree that had pink flowers hanging on the ends of the branches. Some of the flowers had drifted just for the picture, it seemed. It was a vision of beauty.

"She's beautiful." I whispered. He beamed at the compliment, happy when his heart was complimented. They were perfect for each other, so perfect I couldn't help but feel a little envious. Hey, I'm only human.

"Thanks. I think you'd like her. She's great. She loves to shop, like so much she'll max out her credit card in one trip, to one store." He rolled his love-filled eyes. I cringed at the thought of shopping. Look at me! Do I look I enjoy shopping?

"I'm very fond of shopping." I snorted and he chuckled, staring at his picture.

"Still, she'd like you," He said confidently.

"And how do you know, Mr. Know-it-all?" He rolled his eyes. "You don't even know you. For all you know I'm a spy undercover, and this is merely a mask."

"You're so weird, you know that?" He asked.

"I never claimed to be normal. Now do you think I'd be worthy of your wife?" I questioned.

"Alice." He whispered.

"What?"

"Oh. Um- her name's Alice." He stated and I smiled.

"Oh."

"And yes, I know you'd get along with Alice. Wanna play 20 questions?" He asked excitedly. I rolled my eyes at his child ness. It's been very long since I was able to act as a child.

"Sure." I shrugged and sat cross-legged on my bed. He sat directly across from me, copying my exact pose.

"But this doesn't count as a question." He said. I shrugged, waiting for the game to start. "Why are you in the army?"

"Same as you. Except I have no one holding me back, so it was even easier to decide." I explained more easily than I thought I would be able to. The lump in my throat reminded me about my past.

"So no boyfriends?" He teased, trying to lighten my darkened mood. I rolled my eyes.

"That counts as one of your questions. And no. No boyfriends, fiancés, or husbands."

"Really?' He looked surprised.

"Yeah. Why do you seem so surprised?"

"It's just you're pretty, so I thought you'd at least have a boyfriend." He smiled and I blushed and I murmured a thanks. I wasn't used to compliments other than my handle on a gun or my speed. My looks weren't anything special, especially compared to his Alice.

"How long have you been married with Alice?" I changed the subject.

"A year and a half, but we've know each other since I was thirteen and she ten." He smiled. "Who's your best friend?"

"Well, I don't really have one any more. He left a long time ago, when I was ten, and I haven't seen him since then."

"Who? Why?" I chuckled and pictures danced in my head.

*Flashback*

"Bells, we're sorry!" Charlie, my father, called through my locked door. I was huddled under a blanket, wrapping it around me tightly, tears recklessly falling down my face.

"It's best for us, honey." Renee called.

"Leave me alone! I hate you!" I screamed angrily. Irrationally. Unnecessarily. I had no right to say such hurtful words, but they hurt me, and I responded the way I heard them respond to each other after their long-night fights.

"Do not talk to your mother like that, Isabella Marie Hayden!" Charlie raged. I couldn't stand it. Couldn't take it. I can't trust them. All thy do is hurt each other and me. I ignored them and slipped on my ballet black flats. I opened the heavy, but silent, window and climbed out. It was another typical rainy day in Forks, Washington.

I ran through the rain, warm tears sliding down my face but blended in with the water drops from the sky. There was only one person I could trust. Only one. My best friend. Emmett McKarty. I rang his doorbell, drenched, cold and only under the light of the shining moon. The instant the door opened, I ran into his warm, tired, surprised arms.

"Shh… Bells, are you okay?" He asked.

"It happened." I whispered. "They're getting divorced." And with that, he pulled me into his house and Mr. McKarty came to check what was happening. He woke up his wife and they called my parents, who let me spend the night.

A month after the divorce of my parents was final, Emmett moved. We lost all connections ever since that. Four months after Emmett was gone, my parents died, and because of me. I tried to run away, to try and find Emmett, and when they looked for me, they died in a car accident.

*End of flash back*

I explained it quickly to Jasper, trusting him completely.

"Sorry, Bells. Err… I think I know who Emmett McKarty is." He said quietly. Most everyone was asleep by now, so we kept quiet.

"What?' I asked, my voce choked.

"Emmett. I live in Forks Washington-" That alone caught my attention. But… he moved. Well, so did I. I was put in an orphanage out of Washington. "And he's planning on proposing to my twin sister, Rosalie."

"I'm sure that's not Emmett. Emmett doesn't take things seriously." Marriage? Did he change that much?

"Oh, he doesn't. He likes to make fun of us, but when it comes to marrying Rose, he can't seem to strap on a pair and ask her." He chuckled and I did as well. That sounds about right.

We continued talking about Emmett and it was him. It was! I knew it. It had to be… It was. I sighed and fell asleep after Jasper climbed into his own bed. My dreams drifted back to my best friend I missed terribly.

So? Hit or miss?

I won't write my next chapter until I get five reviews! The more reviews, the faster I type! Love you! Ilianna