All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

Special thanks to the very patient PTB team, especially KristenLynn and ElleCC who helped with this. (I've added a bit since the review-any mistakes are my own.)


Chapter 1 (Five years ago.)

"This party is all right, but it doesn't match the blowout you threw for Emmett and me. Admit it, Mom, you love the boys more." Edward nudged Esme with his shoulder.

An enormous event tent was set up in the backyard and strung with thousands of tiny, white lights. The heavy bass beat from a recent chart-topper had the teens dancing. It looked like the entire graduating class of Forks was there. When the Cullens threw a party, it was an event no one would miss. Most of the kids had spent their day visiting graduation open houses. It was finally time to relax, kick back, and enjoy their accomplishment.

Alice stuck her tongue out at Edward playfully. Whenever he was home, she seemed to regress to a naughty five-year-old. She supposed she should be more dignified as the one of the guests of honor.

"Knock it off," their mother sighed with exaggerated impatience. "We couldn't very well have paintball and Halo for the girls. Combining their graduation parties saved Charlie a lot of trouble, and you know I can't resist planning something fun."

"Now you see where I get it," Alice whispered to Edward. She rolled onto her tiptoes to search the crowd for her best friend, Bella.

The girls had been inseparable from the day they met. Bella's summer visitations with Charlie had been Alice's favorite part of the year. The Cullens practically adopted Bella when she moved to Forks after her mother's remarriage. Raising a preteen girl alone had been hard on the police chief. There were too many feminine issues for Charlie to deal with. He spent large parts of that first year stammering while his face flushed crimson. It was Esme who had taken Bella shopping for her first bra, helped her pick out feminine hygiene products, and monitored slumber parties.

Alice spotted Bella near the buffet. She was corned by Eric Yorkie, who was talking her ear off. Eric had recently developed a crush on Bella. Unfortunately, Bella was too polite for her own good. Alice moved in for the rescue, weaving through the crowd and grabbing a disposable camera off a nearby table.

"Eric, could you do me a favor?" she asked. "I didn't get a picture with Bella today. Could you take one? Pretty please?" She pouted at him while she mentally rolled her eyes. Boys were so easy sometimes, she thought.

"Sure," Eric replied. He was unable to say no when any girl focused her attention on him. The friends moved together, locking arms and giving him big, cheeky grins.

The camera clicked, and Alice grabbed Bella's hand. While pulling her away, Alice mouthed, "thank you," to Eric over her shoulder, adding a wink for good measure.

"That was great. I never thought I'd get out of there," Bella said. She couldn't help a glance back at Eric's shell-shocked expression. It was a classic reaction to Alice when she was charming and determined.

"Have you seen Emmett?" Alice asked as soon as they were alone. Her smile was fading. "I want to check on him."

"I saw him. He's here somewhere," Bella said, but she didn't look around. She kept her gaze fixed on her best friend. "I know what you're thinking, and you should leave it alone."

Last month Emmett had told the family he wouldn't be returning to UW in the fall. He'd never been the best student, but he'd loved his school holidays working for a local construction company. After this last semester, he'd decided to keep working instead of going back.

Their parents, Esme and Carlisle, were still reeling from his announcement. The expectation for all of the children was a graduate degree. They'd told him in very plain language that he was now on his own. They wouldn't support a bad decision, and that included financial support.

The children were divided. Edward was neutral while Alice stood firm with Emmett. In the future, she wanted to make her own decisions. Her brother was blazing a trail for self-determination. She would not sit on the sidelines.

"I can't help it," Alice said. "I'm going to find him. See if you can keep Mom and Edward distracted. It shouldn't be hard. Well, at least not with Edward," she teased.

Bella and Edward had an on-again, off-again romance. By unspoken agreement, the girls knew any discussion of their activities was off limits. No one should hear those kinds of details about their brother.

Ducking her head to hide her blush, Bella turned and headed off to meet Edward and Esme. Carlisle had joined their group. He greeted Bella before putting his arms around Esme and giving her a deep kiss. Alice watched from across the room.

For years, the kids had been embarrassed by their parents' public displays of affection. Lately, however, Alice found herself feeling a little proud of them. She sometimes wondered how they managed it. So many of her friends' parents were divorced, but their marriage was still strong after almost thirty years. She'd wondered what made them different.

Alice slipped out of the tent and into the house. She knew where to find her brother. If Emmett didn't feel like partying, he would be playing video games. Barely in the door, she heard the sounds of animated battle coming from the family room.

"What do we have here? A party pooper?" she asked in a slightly too-bright tone. As the words left her mouth, she realized that Emmett wasn't alone. Stretched out on the couch next to her brother was a lanky stranger.

The guest turned when she entered the room. The first thing she noticed was the striking blue-grey color of his eyes; they were clear and intense. A beat later, she noticed that his shaggy, golden hair was desperately in need of a cut.

"Hey, sis," Emmett called. He flashed her a halfhearted smile and looked back at the television.

"Hey, Emmett. Hello...?" She trailed the question off. Standing in front of the stranger, she held out her hand to be polite.

"I'm Jasper," he said, and got up to take her hand. He was tall, and stood at least a foot over her petite frame. "You must be Alice. Edward and Emmett talk about you all the time." He held her hand a little too long and released it only after she began to pull away.

"I'm sure they do," she muttered. Alice settled into the large armchair next to him. She crossed her legs and smoothed her miniskirt across her lap.

Alice looked over to find Jasper's eyes fixed on her legs. His gaze moved slowly back up to her face. When he finally met her eyes, she looked at him with raised eyebrows. He grinned back at her and shrugged.

She'd busted him checking her out, and he couldn't even fake looking guilty. It figured. He was probably one of those too charming guys; the ones who thought they could sweet-talk their way out of anything.

"Absolutely. Whenever your name comes up, I know I'll be entertained," he said with a smirk. "Did you really fill Edward's gym locker with plus-sized lingerie and size eleven heels the day they did a drug search?" he whispered.

"Don't believe everything you hear," she replied, shaking her head. "Besides, they did far worse to us. Anything Bella and I may have done was self-preservation." Alice leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms over her chest with a huff.

"You know that statement implies you're guilty," he said. His voice grew softer as though they were sharing a secret. There was a hint of something unusual in his speech. It was a faint accent that she couldn't quite place, but it made her want to hear more.

"I'd only be guilty if they didn't deserve it," she said. "Those big, strong boys against two innocent girls? If we hadn't fought dirty, we wouldn't have had any chance at all." She blinked up at him with wide eyes, remembering how she had bulldozed Eric earlier that evening.

"Sugar, that stuff doesn't work on me. You can stop right there," he said, chuckling. "Your brothers were right about you. I bet they have to watch you every minute."

She realized that he wouldn't be as easy to deal with as inexperienced high school boys. It would be harder to distract him and stay in control of the conversation.

"The pranks are fun, but I'd rather hear about the other things," he said. "Did you really compare twenty colleges? Then sort them by major, teacher ratio, weather...?" He watched her expectantly.

She didn't like where this conversation was going. Edward had lots of fun implying that being organized meant she was uptight. Her loving brother must have shared his thoughts with Jasper. The topic was old, and she wasn't in the mood tonight.

"Emmett, are you going to come out?" she asked. "It's okay with me if you don't, but I know it would mean a lot to Mom."

Jasper raised an eyebrow and looked at her. He didn't comment on the fact that she was ignoring him.

"Yeah, I'll make an appearance in a few minutes. It's just hard to make nice right now, you know?" Emmett answered. He never turned his head away from the flashing screen.

"I know," she said softly. "Just don't give them any more ammunition." She wished there was a way to bring the two sides together. If her parents knew Emmett's plans, they wouldn't be acting this way. Unfortunately, he refused to confide in them.

Instead, Emmett had placed his trust in Alice, and then sworn her to secrecy. Her promise forced her to be quietly proud of him and wait for things to improve. Sadly, if patience was a muscle, she was all flab.

Thankfully, she wouldn't have to keep his secret long. In a few months, Bella and Alice would move into their dorm at the University of Western Washington. Bella would rather have been at UW, close to Edward, but she'd received a full scholarship. It was too good an offer to turn down. Alice agreed to join Bella, and all the earlier college research was forgotten.

Carlisle was pushing Alice into premed. He told her psychiatry would suit her. She hadn't told him that she had no interest in medical school, and the idea of dealing with other people's problems all day made her want to scream. Deep down, she knew she'd have to tell her parents eventually. She just wanted to wait until the mess with Emmett died down.

No one spoke for a several minutes. The only sounds in the family room were the yells and grunts from the video death match. Their silence preyed on her nerves, and she spurted the first worry rolling around in her head.

"Emmett, did you find a place to live?" she blurted out.

She didn't want Emmett too far away. While her relationship with Edward was usually action oriented, she enjoyed quiet moments with Emmett. If he went too far away, she would miss the one-on-one time that she loved.

"My parents offered him the apartment above our garage," Jasper said. "It'll be good for my mom. My sister's going away in the fall. Mom will have someone to fuss over."

"Who's moving in with Edward?" she asked. "That apartment is huge, and he's kind of a pig. He's better off with a roommate."

"That new roommate would be me," Jasper replied with a grin. "And yes, I know he's a slob. I'll keep him in line."

"Don't know why you don't just skip Edward's apartment. You should move in with Maria," Emmett mumbled. "You're over there enough."

"Knock it off. You know we're just friends," Jasper said slowly as though they'd covered this topic several times.

"That's your idea of friends, huh? I'll see if I can work that out with some of the girls I meet."

The trio settled back into another lull. Alice thought about asking Emmett to explain his last comment, but decided she might be prying and opted to keep quiet. She began to fidget as though the silence were uncomfortable.

"Emmett, come on," Alice said when she couldn't stand it anymore.

"Fine, bossy. I'll go." She watched as he pulled himself off the couch and walked out the back door. He was trying to look relaxed, but the firm line of his mouth gave his tension away.

Blowing out a sigh, she leaned her head back. Between the tension in the house and the party planning, she was exhausted. The quiet was calming.

Jasper startled her when he spoke.

"He'll be fine. You don't have to worry about him so much. Don't get me wrong...it's nice to see; Emmett's got it rough right now, so I'm glad he has someone in his corner."

"I just want him to be happy. He wants the same for me," she whispered. "The expectations around here are kind of high. He's taking the hit for defying Mom and Dad first."

"First?" he asked. He looked at her with narrowed eyes. "Oh, now I see! You have plans your parents won't approve of either." He shook his head and clucked his tongue. "I thought you were being a supportive sister. You just have an ulterior motive."

"I am trying to be a good sister," she snapped. "Besides, my motives don't concern you."

He moved forward until he was sitting on the edge of the couch with his elbows on his knees. Blue eyes met hazel. "Everything's going to work out. Relax a little bit."

"How do you know it's going to work out? You have some kind of crystal ball?" she asked. "I know I don't. I'll have to put in some effort to make sure things go the right way." She realized she was being snotty and rude, but he'd hit a sore spot.

"The right way being your way? That's a little arrogant, isn't it?" he asked. "Besides, I think you're confusing worry with work. There is a difference."

"It just seems like life goes more smoothly when you're prepared," she whispered. "So many things could go wrong." She looked down at her hands, clasped tightly in her lap. "Never mind. You wouldn't understand."

It was identical to the conversation she kept rehashing with Edward. There was no reason to go into it with a virtual stranger.

"No, I think I do I understand," he said gently, "but you can't prepare for everything. You'll drive yourself crazy if you try."

"I understand what you're saying," she said. "It's just not that easy to let things go."

"My grandmother used to say, 'the best and worst things in life will take you by surprise.' I happen to think she was right." As he recalled the words, his voice took on a distinctly West Texas lilt.

Now she knew the origin of that accent. It didn't change the fact that she wanted to hear more. He could probably read her phone bill and still sound sexy.

"Your grandmother sounds like a wise woman."

"She was, and she'd be ashamed if she knew we were at a party and I didn't ask you to dance. You're way too pretty to spend tonight sitting in here." He stood and held out his hand.

She smiled and got to her feet. For the second time that night, she placed her hand in his.

"Not that we couldn't find things to do inside," he said in a husky, teasing voice.

"Oh, no you don't. Let's go, Casanova." She rolled her eyes and prayed he couldn't see the goose bumps developing on her sensitized skin.

"Let's go see if Emmett will show us his famous dance moves."

"Now that is something to worry about," she laughed before she led him out into the night.

When they reached the tent, he pulled her to the center of the dance floor. The crush of the crowd and the blare from the speakers made talking impossible, but it didn't matter. She loved being near him without the pressure of conversation.

They danced for hours, but barely touched, skirting around each other, laughing and teasing. Occasionally, his body or his hands would brush against her. With each touch, shivers shot down her spine. At first she tried telling herself it was the exercise, but she finally had to admit that he was leaving her breathless.

"Okay, Emmett, would you rather french kiss Mrs. Cope or wear Coach Clapp's jockstrap for an entire day?" Edward asked with a grin. Quiet snickers broke out around him.

After the DJ left, the remains of the party moved into the family room. A few boys played video games, but the rest just relaxed, sprawled onto big leather sofas. A movie played low in the background.

"Aw, man! That's easy. Mrs. Cope, hands down. Who knows when Clapp washed that thing last?"

His answer was met with disgusted groans from around the room.

"All right, my turn!" Emmett grinned while sizing up his choices. "Alice, would you rather drive Bella's truck for a month or wear the same clothes for a week?" His grin was evil while he watched her open and close her mouth in disbelief.

"There's no way that's fair!" she huffed. "The same clothes for a week would smell, and I can't drive Bella's truck! It's the automotive equivalent of dating an eighty-year-old man!"

"I'm feeling the love over here," Bella replied dryly. She was tucked into the corner of the couch, sitting next to Edward.

"Fine! I'll take the truck, but I'm doing it under protest! At least it's my turn now." Alice moved to the edge of her couch, sitting up as she evaluated her contestants.

"Jasper, would you rather lose every Halo game to Edward for the rest of your life or only date Emmett's castoffs?" she asked, flicking a pointed finger between her brothers.

"Ha! He wishes he had my castoffs." Emmett grinned at Jasper.

Edward pulled Bella's feet into his lap with a casual motion. The entire position shift took place without either one looking at the other. The motion was still intimate somehow, and Alice looked away, feeling like she was intruding.

Jasper shook his head with a grin. "You forget...I've met the girls Emmett dates. He likes 'em sweet and dumb as a box of rocks. I just can't be that bored. Looks like I'll take the Halo."

"All right. Now I need to call bullshit. I went out with Lauren Mallory twice freshman year, and I've never lived it down," Emmett grumbled.

Alice's eyes drifted back to the other couch.

Edward's hands rubbed across the arches of Bella's feet. A deep flush crossed her cheeks. Bella was enjoying his attention far more than she wanted to let the group see.

"So that makes is my turn, right?" Jasper looked to Edward, who nodded. "I know you just went, but I'll go right back to Miss Alice." He turned to look at her with a smirk.

"Alice, would you rather spend a month of your life living spontaneously or make a bad decision that gives you a good memory?"

"Ha! She couldn't do either," Emmett laughed. "Mom and Dad joke that she planned her escape from the womb. That's why she and Bella get along so well. They're both eighteen going on forty."

"Still right here..." mumbled Bella. Her eyes were closed now, and there was a breathy note to her voice.

Alice had heard that tone from her friend before. It usually meant one thing. Bella would be very tired in a few minutes, and Edward would be volunteering to drive her home.

"He's right," Alice said, because there was no reason to deny it. She looked at Jasper, trying to figure out what he was up to. "I wouldn't want to do either."

"Now that sounds like a damn shame," Jasper replied. He turned that grin on her again and her heart sped up. "I'm telling you, sweetheart, the best things in life aren't planned."

"Yes, I believe you mentioned that," she said, crossing her arms and leaning back. "Go on. Ask someone else. You've beaten your dead horse." Her knee started to bounce rapidly.

"Oh, I think we could work on it some more, but we'll let it go for now." He turned to Edward and posed his next question.

The game continued with gentle teasing and inside jokes. Alice did her best to ignore Jasper, but it was nearly impossible. When Bella gave a yawn, Alice thought it was true fatigue; she didn't think her friend couldn't act that well.

"Bella, your truck is still at home. I'll give you a lift," Alice offered as they headed to the front door.

"Don't worry about it. Edward's going to drive me home," Bella insisted, looking more awake now with red cheeks and bright eyes.

"Fine, Bella," Alice said quietly, realizing she'd misread Bella's signals. Her friend wasn't tired; she was just ready to leave. "Just make sure Edward wraps it up, okay? We won't have room in the dorm for a crib."