Authors Note: Thanks for the nice responds in the prologue. I know it might have been a little confusing since it was obviously in Alice's point of view. From now on it will probably be in Bella's point of view but I MIGHT throw in a couple of Jasper's point of view's but I haven't really decided on that yet or not. So hopefully you guys like this chapter. It will explain a little bit more on Bella and Jasper's family background and a little more of Jasper's military career. Anyways, please review, they give a bigger inspiration to actually write. I have all the story plans for this story in my head and I will mostly be sticking to Jasper's story but changing it a bit since Bella is being thrown into the mix but I still don't know how often I'll be able to update the story. Even though it is Summer for me I don't have much free time. But if you review maybe I can update faster :) So enjoy the official FIRST chapter.

Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure that I am still not Stephenie Meyer so I still don't own anything. The only thing I own are John and Lillie because I made them up.

Chapter One

BPOV

-Texas 1863-

I sighed unhappily and slowly ran my pale hand threw my dark brown locks. I was completely and utterly bored. I was a seventeen year old girl living with her step-parents in Texas during the middle of the American Civil War. As excited as it sounds it isn't actually all that exciting.

That wasn't always the case though. Our house used to be lively and not boring, but that was before my older brother, Jasper Whitlock, disappeared. My parents thought that he was either dead or kidnapped but I knew that wasn't what happened. While my parents grieved over the 'loss' of their only son, I sat in my room alone thinking about whether or not I should tell my parents were Jasper really was. Jasper and I had always been very close. We never kept anything from each other, so naturally I was the only one who knew about what happened to him. Well that was until almost a year after his departure, my parents read about him in the news. Let's just say that things didn't go all that well once they found out what really happened to him.

I heard the front door open and the footsteps in the hall let me know that my father was home. He walked into the parlor where my mother and I were sitting. Mother was knitting while I sat in an armchair, staring into nothingness, a normal habit for me now.

Of course, my parents didn't approve of this depressing demeanor I always had about me at all, but they knew that the reason for my depression was from missing my brother. Which was true, but I also felt guilty. Guilty that I could have stopped my brother while I had the chance and I could have saved my parents so much heartache.

"Hello dear." My father said, giving my mother a kiss on the cheek. I watched as her sky blue eyes lit up at the sight of him. "Hello Isabella." He said, coming over and giving me a kiss on the cheek also.

"How was you day dear?" I heard my mother ask as my father sat down on one of the couches.

"Same old, same old." He replied as he ran his hand through his honey blond hair.

My father was a school master. He taught the younger kids and unlike most school masters, was very kind to the students and tried to teach them things that would not only make them learn important things but also that they could have fun, while learning. All the children loved him dearly and I knew my father loved them in return.

My mother was about to reply when we heard the front door open. We all looked up in surprise and exchanged glances. "We're you expecting anyone, Isabella?" Father asked me.

I shook my head, "No." I answered.

"Were you?" My father addressed my mother this time.

"No." Mother answered.

The sound of heavy boots making their way into the hall made us all become alert. We had heard about the defeat of the Confederate Armies in both Vicksburg, Mississippi and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Maybe the Union made its way into the South to destroy everything. I watched as my father reached into the cabinet behind him to pull out his pistol.

"Show yourself!" My father called out.

"Put the gun down, I'm not going to hurt anybody." A familiar masculine voice called out from the hallway.

I froze in my chair at the words that the man had spoken. That was the last voice I would have ever thought that I would here. At first I tried to convince myself that I was just imagining things but the looks that were written on my parent's faces told me otherwise. I shot up from my chair and ran into the hall, towards the sound of the voice before my parents could even think about stopping me.

Once I got out into the hall I stopped in shock, and almost tripped over my own feet in the process. In the hall stood a man who stood about 6'3" with honey blond hair. He had a lanky but noticeably muscular build and a smirk was plastered on his chiseled features that were practically a mirror to my fathers. I squealed loudly in surprise and happiness and then jumped into his wide open arms which were waiting for me.

"Jasper!" I screamed as I hugged him as tightly as I could.

Jasper's now muscular arms wrapped themselves around my slender frame as he held me in very tight hug. I pulled back to study my brother. He looked a lot different since the last time I had seen him three years ago when he left threw his bedroom window. Back then he had been an awkward seventeen year old boy and I had been a shy fourteen year old girl. I was now a grown up seventeen year old girl and he was now a built twenty year old man.

I jumped out of his arms and gave his chest a hard smack, "You idiot!" I yelled at him, getting over my joy of seeing him and letting my anger take over. "Where have you been?" I demanded.

Jasper chucked lightly, "I have been fighting in the war Isabella. You didn't expect me to join the army but not fight in the war, did you now?" He asked me with a smirk plastered on his face once more. I almost smacked him again for calling my by my wretched full name instead of my nickname, Bella, but I didn't. I decided to let it go since it was the first time I was seeing him in three years.

Three years previously, my brother decided to run away and join the new army, which was none other than the Confederate States Army. Since then we had not heard from one word from him, although we did occasionally read about him in the papers when he was mentioned but now here he was, standing in the flesh.

I huffed at him in annoyance but I couldn't hide that smiling that was lighting up my face and giving me away, "Oh hush Jasper." I said. "So what have you been doing in the army the past three years?" I asked him.

Before he got the chance to answer a soft, feminine voice came from the parlor doorway. "Jasper, dear. Is that really you?" I heard my mother ask.

Jasper and I both turned and saw her standing in the doorway with her hand resting delicately on her chest and tears starting to form in her eyes. My father stood behind her, his hands resting on her shoulders and a keen look in his eyes.

"Yes mother." Jasper answered her.

I watched as my beautiful adoptive mother freed herself from my adoptive father's grasp and ran to embrace her only 'real' child. You see, Jasper is not my real brother and Lillie and John Whitlock, aren't really my real parents. But to me, they are my real family for they have been all I have ever known. According to Lillie my real birth parents died in a fire when I wasn't even three years of age but somehow, I was saved from the fire. John and Lillie Whitlock, who had been friends of my birth parents, decided to take me in as their own. As I grew up I never thought of Lillie and John as 'Lillie' or 'John' or my 'adoptive parents.' To me, they were my real parents, just like Jasper was like a real brother to me, even if we weren't blood related.

"Jasper!" My mothers voice said, shaking me from my reminiscing, "You gave us such a fright! Why did you just up and leave us like that?" she asked Jasper.

Jasper sighed and ran his hand through his hair, just like John did when he was frustrated or tired, "I'm sorry mother but I did it because I knew if I told you that you would never agree to let me go. So I just up and left."

"Your damn right we wouldn't have." Father said sternly.

"I'm sorry father." Jasper said as he hung his head in shame, "I just wanted to help out our new country. I regret not saying goodbye to you all—" Jasper gave me a pointed look at this part, for he had said goodbye to me. "But I don't regret joining the army to help out country." He said firmly to his father.

John sighed and looked Jasper straight in the eyes when he spoke, "I guess I shouldn't be too hard on you son." He confessed. "I did the same thing when I was younger during the War of 1812."

Jasper and I both looked at our father in shock. "You did?" Jasper managed to croak out threw his surprise.

Our father nodded, "Yes, I did."

"Let's not talk about this now." Our mother pleaded. "Lets just be happy that Jasper is home happy and safe." She said.

I smiled, "Of course. So Jasper, you never answered my question." I whined and tugged on his arm, imitating a little kid.

Jasper laughed, "Well if we can all go out into the parlor I will explain everything that has happened over the past three years and what I'm doing here in the first place."

Jasper led us into the parlor. Our parents sat down side by side on the couch while Jasper and I positioned ourselves on armchairs that were on either side of the couch.

Once we were settled I looked at Jasper, "So…." I said impatiently.

Jasper snickered at me before he began to tell his story, "After I left here I went straight to the army. I wanted to try my hardest to protect our new country from falling back into the hands of the Union. I trained hard and fought hard too out on the battlefield. With all my hard work, I was recognized by higher officers and I quickly rose through the ranks over more experienced men. It seemed like everyone liked me, although I'm not sure why." Jasper mused as he scratched his chin lightly.

"It's your charisma son—you have always had a knack for being able to influence the others around you." Father told Jasper with a proud grin gracing his features.

Jasper smiled at our father before he continued, "Anyways, it has been a long time since I have been home, three years to be exact. For about a year now I was considering about asking the higher officers if I could go home and visit my family for a while but I always chickened out at the last minute. I mean, who would let one of their major's leave in the middle of a war to go home for a while? Especially since we just lost the Battle of Vicksburg and the Battle of Gettysburg." Jasper said, his voice becoming bitter during the last part of his speech. "But finally I racked up the courage to ask the officers and to my surprise they actually let me come home. I have a feeling they felt sorry for me. They know it's hard on me, being so young yet having so much responsibility."

"How long are you here for?" Mother asked quietly.

Jasper sighed once again, "The officers gave me a month to visit you guys and then I have to turn to the battlefields." he told us solemnly.

I thought mother was going to break down and cry right then and there, "Just promise to say goodbye to us this time and don't sneak out in the middle of the night like last time." She sniffled.

Jasper hung his head. I knew that more than anything he felt guilty leaving like that but he did have a point, if he would have told our parents that he was going to leave and join the army, they would not have let him go.

"I promise mother." Jasper said.

I watched as our mother sniffled again and then got up and pulled my big, almost twenty year old, brother into yet another hug. He embraced her just as tightly. For the first time in almost three years my family was finally complete and back together.

So, any thoughts? Please review!