AN: Surprise! I'm posting the second edidet chapter earlier than what I said! Again a big thank you to my beta RedneckAngel. I hope you'll like it; I'm eager to know what you think so review and let me know!

Baci AtEnA


CHAPTER 2: OPERATION: FIND MYSTERIOUS GIRL

JASPER POV

When I arrive at home I'm assaulted by the whole family. It's a chorus of worried "Jasper what happened?" and "Jasper are you okay?" except for my lovely sister Rose. She, with her usual tact, asks "Who did you eat? Damn, now we'll have to move again." Thanks for your trust sis.

Once her words settle, I see and feel the doubt surfacing in my family. I try to shrug off the sadness that their mistrust makes me feel; no one, not even Rose, has really made me feel guilty for my inadequacy but it's hard sometime to live with them knowing to be the weak link of the chain of our family, known to be a burden when my resistance to thirst isn't strong enough.

I struggle to shut these thoughts out of my mind. Still euphoric for the meeting with my mate, I reassure everybody before all hell breaks loose. "Nobody was eaten." I say pointedly, glaring at the blonde of the family, "I just met my mate."

Despite my efforts…welcome hell! Everybody started talking at the same time, raising their voices to cover those of the others and win my attention.

"You met your mate? Where is she? I want to meet her." Esme.

"I'm happy for you, son." Carlisle.

"Where is she? Did you make her flee already? Or is it a guy?" Emmett.

"I knew there was a good reason to send you to Port Angeles, now you owe me. This black Armani dress will suffice." Alice.

"I hope you are smarter than Edward and found a vampire, not a human." Rosalie.

"Wow, congratulation bro! Moving to Forks has been a very fortunate choice, for all of us." Edward.

But I don't have time to waste with their questions; I have a mission that needed accomplices, so I quickly shut everybody up.

"Silence!"

My scream has the hoped result so I continue, "I wanted a family meeting because I need your help to find her."

"To find her? So I was right, you made her flee!" Emmett can't avoid adding his bit and burst out laughing at his own joke. My glare and roar are enough to make him stop immediately.

"Alright family; let's calm down. We need calm to think clearly." It's Carlisle, obviously, who soothes our tempers and takes immediately control of the situation, assuming his role of leader. "Esme, take the groceries in the kitchen and join us in the dining room. Emmet, leave your brother in peace." Once we are all seated he focuses on me. "Now Jasper, start from the beginning."

I nod and take an unnecessary breath, letting his calm embrace and soothe me, then I start recalling the events of the day.

"I was peacefully reading a book, this morning, when Alice asked me to go to a supermarket in Port Angeles. I initially argued; I didn't want to go and didn't understand why the one in Forks wasn't enough or why I had to drive that far, but then I accepted. She insisted vehemently and I eventually relented. She is Alice." I add with a shrug as an explanation.

I see everybody nod, because they know what I'm talking about, and the person in question happily gloats.

"Anyway…I was there, looking for the items on my list when I saw her. I'm sure she is my mate because my entire body reacted to her sole presence. I've read all the books, Carlisle, and felt Peter's emotions when it happened to him, so I know I'm not mistaken." I add heartfelt, fearing to see my only chance at being happy fly away because of the disbelief of my family, not that I would really allow it. But I see Carlisle nod and wave a hand to make me continue, and feel only happiness radiating from the rest of the family except from Rose, who is still cautious, so I go on.

"I was in a bit of a trance, but hearing her voice woke me. She wanted help to reach the upper shelves and grab something called Nutella. I was finally going to talk to her when my phone rang. I obviously didn't want to answer - I didn't want to waste that opportunity - but she quickly thanked me for my help and told to answer the phone. She left me alone, where I did exactly what she told me. Her words have been like an order that my body had to fulfill even though my brain was screaming me to follow her. She was already gone when I ended Emmett's call, but the strange thing is that I keep feeling her sentiments like she is still with me, they hadn't disappeared nor decreased in intensity." I say, concluding my story and rubbing my neck while I try to clear my confusion about this 'side effect'.

"You don't need to justify with us, Jasper, I trust you completely and if you say you met your mate, than you did." Carlisle reassures me and I can, metaphorically, breathe again. "As far as your observations about your gift, honestly, I don't know yet what to think about, I'll do some research; even though this girl seems to have a positive influence on you: you smile and are relaxed even now, despite your concerns."

"Yes, you are right; it's a very welcomed sensation. Her feelings were very intense and refreshing, so to speak, they affected me immediately. Still feeling them helps me to relax because they are a tangible proof that I've finally met my mate…that I haven't just imagined her and that I'm not alone anymore. Not that you haven't made me feel loved and cared for but…" I quickly add when I feel horror and pain coming from my family, especially Esme.

"We know what you mean Jasper and we are all very happy for you. I don't need to tell you this, I'm sure you can feel it by yourself." Esme sweetly reassures me with her usual motherly smile. I nod and answer her with my smile, then focus on Carlisle.

"Esme is right son; anyway, we'll deal with this later, now what is more important is finding your girl. You said you met her at a supermarket; can I assume that she is human?" I just nod, Rose swears loudly. "Did you see a car?" Carlisle keeps questioning, while I shake my head no. "Okay then, here is what we'll do: the two of us are going where you met her and we'll ask for the manager. The cover story is that you scratched someone's car in the parking lot this morning while you were leaving your space, but got scared and run away. You are young so the story is plausible. Once at home you confessed your mistake and I, as your father, convinced you to do the right and responsible thing, so we'll ask if he can show us the security tape of this morning to find and repay the owner of the other car. If your mate had an auto, this was certainly filmed and we'll see its license plate that we'll then give to Jenks; otherwise we'll find a way to follow her moves, even if it means hacking the traffic cameras of the street and neighborhood. I think this is our best move. Do we all agree?"

Our nod is the sign that the meeting is over, so we all stand up. I'm following Carlisle to the garage when Esme stops and hugs me. "Don't worry Jasper, you'll find her and everything will be all right." I wrap my arms around this little but strong woman and sigh; I wasn't even aware I needed some reassurance. I thank by her kissing her cheek and then leave.


Convincing the manager of the supermarket to help us has been easy, a little more difficult making the security guard leave Carlisle and me alone to check the security tape. He had a very strong work ethic and fear of losing his job. That hadn't waivered when approached with gentle asking or pleading, but he hadn't resisted Carlisle's bribe. When he saw the money, he said 'fuck work ethic' and walked away. Asshole.

So here we are, reviewing the security tapes. It has been an hour since we started watching the boring activities of the parking lot and except for two kids racing with the carts who had almost ran over their mother, nothing happened. Theoretically, for vampires, an hour should last like a second. I think this one lasted like an entire day.

I'm absently watching the tv screen when I finally see my girl appears.

"There she is, the girl with the guy pushing the overflowing cart. Who is that guy, anyway? He's not her boyfriend, right? She can't have a boyfriend! I'm her boyfriend…or at least will be soon." The relief I felt as soon as I saw her disappears when I notice the soon to be dead human with her and I start to panic, but luckily Carlisle manages to quickly calm me down.

"Relax son, he's just the morning guard. He is helping her with the heavy cart; look, he's already gone." Carlisle must have a doctor gene in his DNA, he has just saved another life, although not in the usually way doctors do, and my heart can start to, metaphorically, beat again while we observe my girl loading her groceries in an old green car, returning the cart and driving away.

At the last frame we are both smiling - the license plate was perfectly visible. "She is very pretty, son, and seems really nice, congratulations. Now we just have to call Jenks, you want me to do it or do you want to?"

"Yes she is and I'll make the call, dad." The last word draws his attention the way I know it would; I rarely call him so, only on special occasions. He looks at me astonished but happy, and looking straight in his eyes I continue "I wanted to thank you for your help, my brain and strategic ability seem to disappear when my mate is involved and I would still be fumbling without your help."

"You don't have to thank me. We are a family and that's what families do…help each other, so if you don't really feel like making the call to Jenks, I can do it for you."

"No, I want to do it. I need to know that I'm actively doing something to find her and if I can't help in the planning, I'll take the easy and practical work. But thank you."

Carlisle nods and pats me on my back. "As you wish. And now let's go home, son. Your mother will be dying for curiosity, as will the rest of the family, and I'm sure she won't even give me enough time to kill the engine before she starts interrogating me about your lovely girl." With our work done, we thank the manager for his help and finally go back to Forks.


We are now at home. Or at least Esme and I are. It hasn't even been a day since call to Jenks and I haven't jet had news.

I called him yesterday, it was the first thing I'd done once at home, then I went on a quick hunt because I needed to stay alone and recollect myself. But all too soon I had nothing to occupy my mind and I started fidgeting.

This fact apparently makes me a little nervous - I can't control my gift so I may probably have been spreading out a little bit of my feelings to all the family, driving them away.

Fine!

I've totally lost my cool, so as soon as possible everybody ran: now Edward is with Bella, Alice is shopping, Emmett and Rose are hunting and Carlisle is at the hospital, but what else am I supposed to do? I can only wait and it's driving me crazy. All I had to do was phone Jenks; I've already done it, where I gently asked, or maybe menacingly growled…our relationship has never been based on education and courtesy…to find everything he can on the license plate and my mysterious girl. In the meantime there's nothing else I can do and I feel like I've been waiting an answer for years.

This is why Esme, the always loving mother, stayed with me when everyone else literally ran and is now trying to distract me and keeping me to check the time compulsively. She made me help her gardening, designing her new project which, with my suggestions, looks now more a barrack than a house, remodeling the first floor of our home, hell even cooking.

We are now playing chess and she hates chess; apparently this game is too cruel and based on the concept of sacrificial helpless pawns.

I remember when the first film of Harry Potter was released, the one with the Wizard Chess, where the pawns really attacked the others. Esme cried for hours and banned the rest of the films from her house. And despite this she agreed to play, even though kindergarten children could play a more interesting match than ours. I was going to move my queen and let her win when suddenly the phone rings and I'm flying through the house before my brain actually makes the thought to move.

"Hello"

"Good a-a-a-afternoon mi-mi-mister Whitlock." I've only said hello and Jenks is already scared. This can't be good.

"Don't waste my time with useless compliments and tell me what you've discovered." I roar in the phone.

"Y-y-yes sir. I have good news and bad news. T-t-t-he good one is that I've found the owner of the car - the bad one is that I h-h-h-haven't found your girl." The last words are as loud as a whisper, but unfortunately for him my hearing allows me to hear as if he shouted them. He knows I'm not satisfied and I swear I can practically feel his fear with my gift through the phone, now cracked for my not too gentle grip.

Esme snatches the phone from my hand before I can describe that useless human being one of the numerous vivid images of torture I know, and chastises me. "If you make him have a heart attack we won't know what he's discovered. I'll talk to him, you just listen."

I reluctantly obey and sit on the floor. "Mister Jenks, hello, this is Esme Cullen, can you please tell me what you found out?" She politely asks. My frown clearly shows my disapproval for her methods but I'm blatantly ignored.

"Oh Mrs. C-Cullen, what a pleasure. As I was going to say to M-m-m-mister Whitlockthe license plate wasn't very useful: the car belongs to an eighty year old widow, a certain Mrs. Giles, so she's not your girl. I checked for relatives but there isn't a niece or granddaughter who matches the description you gave me."

"Thank you, Mr. Jenks. Is there anything else?"

"There aren't reports of theft for the car, so Mrs. Giles must know the girl. I have her address if you want."

Esme silently asks me what to do and I nod, at least I can interrogate the widow. By the time the call is ended, I have the address written down. Luckily this woman lives here in Forks so I can go immediately. I hope she doesn't nap; it's two p.m. My cell phone vibrates as I'm standing up. It's an incoming message from Alice.

Why am I watching you tying up a poor old woman to her chair and interrogate her - even with a lamp pointed in her face?

Esme reads her words from over my shoulder and glares at me. "That's how you want to get information from that poor, old lady? She isn't a war prisoner Jasper and I have raised you to behave better than this, I've raised you to behave like a gentleman. I'm sure not even your mate would be happy if you mistreated her."

Damn, now Esme has a new weapon in her arsenal to make me feel guilty. But she is right, I want to impress my girl and this isn't certainly the way, especially because there's a high possibility that the two know each other.

Properly chastised again in less than ten minutes, I promise to behave and run to Forks knowing that I'm literally approaching my future.