Okay, I'm being nice and giving you a second chapter to chew on. You'll get another next Friday! Remember, the first four chapters overlap each other. For the story line, it's important that you see both sides at first.

"The beginning of love is the will to let those we love be perfectly themselves, the resolution not to twist them to fit our own image. If in loving them we do not love what they are, but only their potential likeness to ourselves, then we do not love them: we only love the reflection of ourselves we find in them"
Thomas Merton, No Man Is an Island

Twilight is the sole property of SM and publishing company.

Chapter 2

Bella

Rain. Why had I thought it wouldn't rain? Washington was constantly wet, dark, and cold. The weather was always miserable here, that wasn't anything new. It perfectly complimented my mood.

What was new? I was coming home, and considering it had been four years since I had stepped foot in the great state of Washington, I found myself on edge. In all honestly, it wasn't only the rain. I had other things on my mind that contributed to my depression. The last few weeks, I've been haunted by the ghosts of my past. Childishly, I believed I'd left Forks behind and all the misery with it. However, it seemed as though your problems were always there when you returned.

After Charlie's murder, there was little reason for me to stay in Forks, so I packed up and sold the house. Then I moved to Florida with Renée and attended the university, graduating at the top of my class. Charlie would've been proud of my accomplishments. I was all grown up, and thinking about home, and everything that transpired in the little town, opened a chasm inside my heart a mile wide.

When Angela had called three weeks ago and invited me to her wedding, I was stunned. However, I was far more shocked at whom she was marrying. Jacob Black of all people, and there was imprinting involved! Jacob had imprinted on my Angela. My two best friends in the world were in love, and I couldn't have been happier. Of course, I couldn't refuse their invitation. Wasn't there an unwritten rule that stated you were required to attend your best friends' wedding? Regardless of whom she was marrying, I couldn't deny either of them happiness, although, anyone but my little brother (and I use little figuratively), would've been preferable.

Jacob had told me he loved me once, but I found myself incapable of reciprocating his feelings. He was my best friend and nothing more. I was nothing more than a child then, engulfed in misery over the loss of my first love. It was the right of passage for every girl. It seemed silly now but it shaped the person that I was today. Therefore, in a sick sort of way, I was grateful.

It was amusing to think about all the guests that would not have a clue that Jacob and Angela's relationship wasn't a typical love affair. You know the type: boy meets girl, the two fall in love, get married, live happily ever after, and get a dog…ha! Their relationship was so much more, a supernatural love affair. Something magical. A love story passed down through the ages.

Jacob and I had spoken of imprinting many years ago, although, at that time, the conversation was about Sam and Emily, members of the Quileute wolf pack. Yet, I still remembered it as though it were yesterday.

"It's not like love at first sight, really. It's more like... gravity moves... suddenly. It's not the earth holding you here anymore, she does... You become whatever she needs you to be, whether that's a protector, or a lover, or a friend."

Coming home would undoubtedly unearth a myriad of emotions. However, this wasn't a trip down memory lane. This was a happy occasion.

My trepidation had Renée on edge. She had a difficult time forgetting about my stay in Forks and the melancholy I had sunk into following Charlie's murder. She was my mother, though. I supposed it came with the job title to worry, but no matter how many times I had told her I was fine, she couldn't get it through her thick skull. Someday I hoped that she would grow up, or perhaps grow out of it. Not likely, I thought and smiled fondly. Renee was a child housed in a woman's body. She was hardly capable of running a household, let alone raising a child.

Once I had exited the plane, I realized I was dead on my feet, and I was having extreme difficulty keeping my eyes opened. Coffee was definitely on the agenda! I dashed through the crowd and promptly took my place in line at the airport Starbucks. After standing in the line for nearly twenty minutes, I was beginning to lose my patience and my sanity. I had the overwhelming urge to kick the person in front of me in the ass to speed along the process. At that exact moment, I needed a double shot espresso more than I needed anything else in the world.

Everyone in line was staring at me. Or, at least, that was what it felt like. I wasn't comfortable in heels and a dress, let alone makeup. And thanks to my mother, instead of my usual messy ponytail, she had curled my hair into lovely little ringlets that trailed down my back. It was terribly frustrating! Bella Swan's attire had always been jeans, t-shirts, and ponytails, and her little dress-up session wouldn't change my style.

A shrill voice wrenched me out of my reverie and brought me to the present, alerting me that the line had moved. Once at the counter, I ordered my usual drink and paid the cashier a hefty sum, placing the remainder in a tip jar located on the counter. I received a sneer from the cashier when I deposited the remainder of five dollar bill in the container. Obviously an unacceptable tip. Uncharacteristically, I plucked my cash back out of the jar and sneered right back. Sure, the action was quite childish and very rude, but I wasn't in the mood to ignore snide gestures.

I gingerly sipped at my drink, as I walked slowly through the airport, stopping in front of baggage claim. Seeing as though my plane had yet to release my baggage, I decided to kill two birds with one stone and walked over to the rental counter to secure my vehicle.

I paused half-way and grabbed my i-phone out of my purse, starting it up. Once the software had loaded and connected to my carrier, I checked for missed calls and scrolled through the list of emails. I highlighted and opened one in the list and sighed. It was from Jenny, a coworker of mine. The infurating woman went on and on, griping about how awful it was of me to go on vacation while she was stuck at work. I wanted nothing more than to strangle the twit by the end of the message. In closing, she wished me well and desperately hoped that I would get drunk, get laid, and lighten up.

"Carefree vacation my ass!" I said under my breath.

I snorted under my breath. When had a trip to rainy Washington been considered a vacation? Never. Plus, I was to fit drunken sex into the equation.

Sure! That'll happen when Hell freezes over!

Of course, I had unintentionally told Jenny that I was attending my best friends' wedding. Obviously, in her opinion, attending weddings involved way more fun than I was willing to indulge in. However, I wouldn't mind taking a spin around the dance floor with Embry. Now that everyone was grown up, it wouldn't feel quite so wrong. Besides, I was single and according to Angela, so was he. The thought sent a chill into my lower abdomen.

By the time I got to the rental counter, I realized the line was longer than the line at Starbucks. I rolled my eyes. Twelve people separated me from the keys to my reserved Mustang. The curves were calling my name, and I planned on taking them as fast as my nerves would handle, perhaps faster.

I continued to fiddle with my phone as I waited impatiently in line, reading a few more emails, one from Renée. She informed me she would be calling me in exactly fifteen minutes had I not called her first, so I slung my little red purse over my shoulder and waited.

Suffice it to say, I wasn't paying attention to my purse when the man involuntarily ripped off my arm.

I had to give the man credit, he was faster than I, and far less clumsy. Sadly, due to my poor athletic skills, there was a very good chance that he was going to escape with all of my money, credit cards, and I.D.

"Damn," I breathed.

The man was tall and portly, in his late forties or early fifties, and wore a blue suit jacket and fedora. No, kidding! Who wore fedoras nowadays?

I took off in a sprint and dropped my drink in the process, attempting to remain conscious of every step I took. Running with heels might turn out to be far more dangerous than learning to ride a motorbike.

"Stop that man! He's stolen my purse," I called out to hoards of people.

My dress billowed wildly behind me, satin swishing with the movements of my body, as I weaved in an out of the swarms of people. The clinking of my shoes kept up steady rhythm mimicking my heart.

It amazed me how many people seemed oblivious to what was occurring around them. Of course, they might've been too afraid to intervene, or frankly not cared. It wasn't as though it truly affected their lives, so they gave it little thought.

I once again pleaded for help, begging the bystanders to aid my cause. They allowed him to pass though the crowd as though he were Moses, and they were the Red Sea. Unbelievable! At that exact moment, I had little faith in humanity.

Swiftly and without warning, literally plucked from mid-air, my assailant lay in a heap on the airport floor. The movement was fluid and instantaneous. Just as suddenly, a tall statuesque man with golden blonde hair crouched over the thief's shaking form. His hands curled into claws and locked at this side ready to strike.

"Vampire," I whispered, sliding to a stop.

Great, I wasn't in Washington one whole fuckin' hour without running into a vampire. I chalked it up to poor luck on my part. Washington and I just didn't get along. Even though I was unnerved, I was grateful to my savior. Regardless of his undead status, he had shown me a great kindness. I only hoped he wouldn't require any of my vital fluids as thanks for his gallant efforts. The vampire swiveled on one heel and fluidly stood with my purse aloft in his outstretched hand. I jogged over to meet him, thankful for the end of the ordeal.

"Oh my goodness! Thank you for saving my purse! I wouldn't have been able to get—" My breath stuck in my throat, cutting off the sentence mid thought.

If I were asleep, I still wouldn't have believed who stood before me. Jasper Hale, an over-6 ft tall beauty, who was just as ethereally lovely as ever.

The shock of the moment caught me off guard, and while I had been conscious of every step in my mad dash to retreive my purse, I faltered. The abrupt change in momentum caused me topple backward, and I landed directly on my ass.

What a day this had turned out to be! Of all the vampires in the universe, I ran into this one. I was certain, at any moment, a tiny ebony-haired pixie would dance over and swoop me into a bone-crushing hug, just as if she and her family had never broken my heart. Alice's betrayal had been the most hurtful, simply because I considered her my sister.

At the time, I was uncertain if Jasper even recognized me. However, when he gazed down at me, I knew better. Seeing him again was like a kick in the gut, and a treacherous tear broke free and ran down my cheek.

Jasper bent slowly and offered me his hand, a smile jerking the corners of his mouth. God, he was fucking beautiful. He could have been a Greek god in his former life.

"Hello, Bella. I see your balance has not improved in my absence," he said softly, chucking under his breath. Dick!

Of all the things he could have said, that phrase was poorly worded. He had said absence as though it were an amicable parting. That ruffled my feathers.

"Jasper, I…I didn't think…I'm happy to see you, too," I said softly, attempting to hold myself together. My whole statement was a huge lie, but I needed to be polite. After all, he had done me a great service.

I reluctantly reached out my hand and took his in my own. He pulled me to my feet with a quick flick of his wrist. Of course, my balance had always been poor, and I wavered at the abrupt change of my equilibrium.

"I was right. You haven't changed one little bit," he said humorously.

Another tear ran down my cheek. I was both happy and furious at the sight of him. Jasper hesitated but reached over and brushed the tear with the pads of his fingers. The touch was uncomfortable, and I pulled away swiftly, heart beating frantically beneath my breast. I nervously shifted from foot to foot and fiddled with my dress, keeping my eyes firmly fixated on the floor, willing my tear ducts to stay dry.

Jasper looked just as uncomfortable, eying me like a slab of meat. His liquid onyx eyes never wavered, fixating on the blood that was wildly coursing throughout my veins. Edward had mentioned that Jasper had the hardest time sticking to the vegetarian lifestyle, so I found it odd that to see him in the midst of the airport.

"Jasper, where's Alice?" I said softly, hoping to break his gaze. However, he didn't answer and continued to stare at me. I cleared my throat and asked again.

He shook his head and brought his eyes back to mine, nervously answering my question, "I'm sorry, Bella, I just dropped her off at the terminal. She's going on business in South America."

His body language betrayed his statement. Being an empath, he should've been able to lie more convincingly. Even I had done better than that, and I was terrible at deception!

"I guess I'm glad she's not here," I said sorrowfully, "It would be hard to—"

I immediately halted that statement. My words made me sound weak, like a sad little girl, and my body language sent the same message. I squared my shoulders and stared him straight in the eye like the adult that I was. I decided to make him sweat it out, so I left a noticeable pause, before I began again.

"I'm actually surprised to see you. I'm curious to know why Alice didn't see me, and warn you to steer clear," I said steely.

"Why would she say such a thing?" Jasper questioned, looking rather confused by the abrupt change of direction.

I glared at him and continued, "Well, let's be frank. The Cullens have always been master manipulators. Anyone privy to their circle is likely stabbed in the back."

"Bella…I don't know what to say. No one, absolutely no one in our family ever wanted to hurt you. I can see how you could-or would think—" he said thoughtfully.

I refused to listen to another word and cut him off.

"Jasper, I refuse to stand here and allow you to make excuses for all of your fucking shortcomings! You've been gone for five fuckin' years. All of you—gone. I haven't received any letters or phone calls. I didn't even rate high enough to get a goodbye. If I had not caught Alice off guard, I wouldn't have ever seen any of you again. For whatever reason—here you stand. Although I wish, you would just go. I'm done. D-o-n-e," I said icily, emphasizing the last word.

I spun on my heel and tossed the hem of my dress behind me in a wild display of displeasure. To the bystanders, I was convinced we looked like angry lovers quarreling after a long journey. Of course, that wasn't the case. At the moment, I hated the Cullens, and Jasper was no exception.

I stalked over to the baggage carousel and grabbed my bag. I opened it and dug through my bag. As my blood continued to boil, I began tossing various items to the floor in frustration. When I had found the little bag with my Aspirin in it, I snatched it up, popped a couple in my mouth, and piled everything else back in the bag. I was livid, and he damned well knew it by the stupid look on his face.

"What an asshat! What gives him the right to pretend to be shocked?" I muttered under my breath.

I knew that he heard me, because vampires had excellent hearing. I slung my purse and bag over my shoulder and with a flurry stalked out of the airport, not giving Jasper another look. I realized that I'd have difficulty getting home without a rental car. Although, I refused to turn around. For once in my life I needed to stay in control.

As the doors whooshed shut behind me, I left Jasper standing in the midst of angry, tired passengers, mouth agape, still looking like an idiot.

Poor Bella! Her life should have stayed vampire free! Unfortunately, her luck seems to include them! Two more chapters with overlapping POV, then I promise the story will take off! I believe this is necessary to lay the ground work for the story.

Please R&R!