Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Twilight characters. Any original content, however, is probably mine.

A/N: This is actually the second part to a previous story, also on this site, called Dusk. If you haven't read the original, I highly reccomend you do so before you begin reading this part, as much of it will not make sense without information in the first part. Also, just a reminder that the four main characters are real people, people that I know, and some of the content contained in later chapters may anger some people. That being said, I did try to keep the characters as close to how Stephenie Meyer wrote them, though I know I could never get them perfect. If you feel so inspired, please feel free to review with criticism or compliments.

Chapter 17 -- Distractions

Joe awoke suddenly, snapping out of sleep as if someone had called his name. He peered bleary eyed around the room and saw that it was completely empty. He sighed and laid back down, wondering what had caused him to wake up so suddenly. As he lay there, his mind wandered back to last night. After Jessica had stormed out, he and Sarah had sat up with each other, neither one talking, yet neither one able to get to sleep for several hours. Finally, in the early hours of the morning, they had each drifted into an uncomfortable, restless daze.

When Joe eventually determined that trying to get back to sleep would be impossible, he groggily wrestled himself up off the floor and changed as quickly as possible. With disdain, he let himself out of the small spare bedroom and traipsed down the stairs.

In the open living room, Daisha and Jasper were standing over the piano, speaking in hushed voices. When they heard Joe step down from the stairs, however, they both looked up immediately and smiled.

"Good morning," Jasper said with a look in his eye that Joe thought he recognized.

"Or good afternoon," Daisha offered with a grin. "Sleep well?"

"Miserably, actually," Joe replied while attempting to suppress a yawn. "But I'll live."

"I remember sleep," Daisha said wistfully, her eyes shifting slowly.

"Miss it?" Joe asked, moving to stand by the two vampires.

"Not as much as I thought I would," she replied slowly. "I never get tired, so I don't really think about sleep much."

"Oh," Joe answered thoughtfully.

"Well," Daisha said, sauntering towards the door, "I was just about to leave... I'll leave you two alone."

After she had closed the door, Joe looked up at Jasper awkwardly and offered a strange smile.

Jasper rolled his eyes grinningly and Joe felt a slow tingling begin to spread up his body. With the prickles, his tension and anxiety melted away, leaving him quite comfortable.

"Thanks," he whispered to the blonde vampire.

"Anytime," Jasper grinned widely.

"So," Joe began, sighing. "Where is everyone else?"

"Daisha just left to go with Alice and Emmett to search the perimeter," Jasper explained. "We think Caius and Jane may have been around last night. At least, some strange vampires were, and they weren't from anywhere around here."

"Oh!" Joe gasped. "Are they gone?"

"Long gone," Jasper confirmed. "If it was them, they were being very careful, and they didn't stay long."

"Wow..." Jow sighed.

"Sarah and Edward are off on their own," Jasper continued. "As are Jessica and Jacob. Carlisle is at the hospital, and Esme is in town running errands."

"Errands?" Joe asked curiously.

"We have an appearance to upkeep," Jasper explained with a sly smile. "We have to be seen in town at some point."

"Oh, right," Joe said. "Duh."

Jasper suddenly leaned in close to Joe and Joe instinctively took a small step back. Jasper's eyes locked onto his and Joe felt as if he was being searched for something. He could practically feel Jasper's mind prying into his emotions, digging through his feelings. Despite all of that, he remained completely calm the entire time.

"Hmmmmm..." Jasper muttered, his expression thoughtful.

"Um..." Joe asked, smiling. "What are you doing?"

"I don't... sense any depression..."

"I'm not depressed anymore!" Joe laughed, ducking his head.

"Anymore?" Jasper asked suddenly.

"Well, I was," Joe revealed, losing any embarrassment he might have had normally. "At first, when Sarah and I had to leave. It was really bad. It was like I was lost and I didn't know where I could go, or who I could go to. I was drowning in it, but then... I left."

"Left where?" Jasper asked, now completely serious.

"Anywhere that could remind me of you," Joe said, now doing everything in his power to avoid Jasper's piercing stare. The vampire's power seemed to be fading now, and Joe's emotions were beginning to betray him. "I... I left everything behind. My family, my friends, I moved to a different state, I completely started over. I even asked to be called by my middle name. I just... I couldn't... It was too hard."

Finally, Joe braved the worst and looked up into Jasper's topaz eyes. They were filled with sadness and regret, the likes of which Joe had only seen mirrored in his own eyes as he drove down the highway away from Forks just months before.

"I'm so... sorry..." Jasper mumbled. "I had no idea it would be so... hard for you."

"Wasn't it for you?" Joe asked, not knowing if he wanted to know the answer.

"It was harder for me than I think even you know," Jasper replied, slowly bringing his hand up to brush along Joe's jaw line. "If it weren't for Carlisle, I would have gone after you, but after all that Carlisle has done for me... and Alice..."

"Alice..." Joe sighed.

"She and I have reached a sort of understanding," Jasper said softly. "She is still one of the most important people in my life, nothing could change that. Now, however, it's a different closeness, like brother and sister."

Joe was silent for a little, then he and Jasper headed over to the sofa together. They sat down and Joe rested his head comfortably on Jasper's rock hard shoulder.

"I think I would go after you now, though," Jasper revealed.

"Really?" Joe asked, shocked.

"Knowing what I put you through before," Jasper continued, "I could never do that again. Never."

Joe smiled to himself, and he knew that it came from within himself, and not from Jasper's uncanny ability. Before he let himself get too carried away, however, he grabbed for a change of topic. "So, why were you looking for depression in me, anyway?"

"Oh," Jasper stiffened suddenly, and Joe raised his head. "No reason."

Joe felt the tingling of comfort washing over him again, and for a split second he was tempted to let it go, but he managed to fight it and his curiosity got the better of him. "No, tell me!"

Jasper sighed, clearly worried that whatever he knew would upset Joe more. "I don't think I should," Jasper said slowly.

"Why not?" Joe asked. "If you don't tell me, I'll just assume the worst."

"You wouldn't be mistaken..." Jasper said, almost to low for Joe to hear. "I could just never leave your side, and make sure that it didn't bother you again."

"That's cheating," Joe accused with a scowl. "Not that I would have any problem with the whole never leaving my side part."

"Fine," Jasper said in exasperation. "It's something that Alice saw... about you."

"What was it?" Joe asked, worry creeping into his voice.

"You were..." Jasper began, then he stopped. "Well, it looked like you were... putting a gun... to your head."

Joe stopped suddenly, his mind flooded with emotion. Worry, fear, confusion, shock. Then a sudden wave of peace came over him, and he looked gratefully at the vampire whose features were pulled into a worried frown. "I knew I shouldn't have told you," he said softly.

"No," Joe said, shaking his head. "I'm glad you did, but I don't see how that could happen. I would never do that... Even when I left Forks, that thought never entered my head. I was lost, depressed, but I always kept thinking that I had to get through the next day. I never once gave thought to giving up."

Jasper's face slowly relaxed into a relieved smile. "I'm sure it was a mistake. Nothing to worry about."

Joe forced a smile too, but Jasper saw through his facade. "Actually," he stated, "Alice saw several other things last night that really didn't make much sense. I think she's been overstressed lately. Maybe it's affecting her vision."

"Maybe," Joe said, unconvinced. "I still just don't see why I would --"

"You won't," Jasper interrupted, reaching out and pulling Joe into a tight embrace. Joe allowed himself to be drug in, then he wrapped his arms around the freezing man, clasping onto him as if his life depended on it. "I won't let you," Jasper whispered.

Sarah cast a worried glance at Edward's face. "What's wrong?"

Edward sat up, looking at Sarah with a peculiar expression. "Wrong?"

The two of them had been relaxing in Edward's favorite clearing for hours now. The beautiful trees above swayed in the gentle Autumn breeze, casting shadows and lights in a natural show. The perfectly circular meadow was like a dream come true every time Sarah was brought into it.

"Come on Edward," Sarah pushed. "Just because I can't read minds doesn't mean I'm stupid. Tell me, I might be able to help."

He sighed, then ran his fingers through his perfectly messed up bronze hair, his pale skin contrasting with the copper. The sky above was cloudy, so his skin didn't glisten when the bottom of his shirt rose up slightly, exposing an inch or two of white stone above his expensive looking belt buckle. "I don't see how you could help me this time, Sarah."

"It couldn't hurt," Sarah sighed. "Could it?"

Edward shot her a bemused look. "You never give up, do you?"

Sarah beamed.

"That's one of my favorite things about you," he said with a half smile, then sighed. "Alice had some very interesting visions last night."

"Like what?" Sarah asked, laying down on the slightly damp grass.

"In one of them," Edward continued, looking off into the unknowable distance, his mind preoccupied, "I was holding a dead body."

"Whose?" Sarah asked, her heart beat increasingly steadily.

"We don't know," Edward said in a whisper. "It could be any girl on the face of the earth."

"It's a girl?" Sarah asked, her skin beginning to pale with anxiety.

"It's not you," Edward said quickly, by her side in an instant, pulling her into him. They laid like that for several minutes, with Sarah feeling Edward's cool chest beneath his shirt pressing into her back. "It can't be you," Edward kept repeating. Which one of them he was trying to convince, Sarah had no clue.

"How do you know?" Sarah asked, her breathing shallow.

"Because I would never let that happen," Edward explained.

Once again, the two of them laid in silence. For a moment, Edward debated on whether or not to tell Sarah about the other girl who stood in the background, watching silently as he mourned the death of the unnamed girl, but he decided against it. Best not to worry her.

Slowly, as if trying not to scare her, Edward lifted her and placed her on top of him, and she opened her eyes to look into his. The liquid gold that met her melted her heart, and she could feel herself becoming more and more a part of him, and vice versa. It was a stupid decision, what with Carlisle sure to kick them out again as soon as this was all solved, but she couldn't resist, and her heart ached for more. With as much restraint as she could manage, she allowed her lips to trail up Edward's neck, feeling the frigid skin beneath her. She moved to his jaw where she kissed delicately, not wanting to forget even a moment. Then, she finally made her way to his lips where she pressed more firmly, and she could feel him kiss her back, their lips dancing together, their tongues flirting childishly, meeting for only a second, then dashing back until the next time. She felt Edward pull back for a split second, and she regretfully eased back as well.

"I love you," he whispered, his eyes closed in the purest of bliss.

Sarah paused, not wanting to let herself be so badly again, but not wanting to lose her one and only chance to get what she wanted with every fiber of her being. "I... I love you too."

They kissed again, more passionately, and Sarah embraced the cold that came with it.

Jessica sat on the large rock and bit her lower lip. "Jacob... are you sure?"

"Yes," he replied, holding onto her hand for comfort. "You run down a cobblestone street and fine me, lying in the road ahead."

Jessica began to get a wave of dizziness, and she closed her eyes, allowing it to pass. When it finally did, it left behind a sick, nauseous feeling. She couldn't lose Jacob. She couldn't. If something ever happened to Jacob, she would rather give her own life then go on without him, no questions asked.

"Where are the nearest cobblestone streets?" Jessica asked suddenly. "As long as we stay away from them, we should be safe, right?"

"I don't know!" Jacob growled in exasperation. "Jessica, we've been going over this for hours. You've been asking the same questions without giving me time to think. We've gone over every possibility, exhausted every scenario. We just have to face that we don't know shit!"

Jessica sat stunned, unable to speak. Never before had Jacob spoken to her like that, like... an animal. Her first reaction was sorrow and confusion, not sure why he was this angry, but that was quickly replaced by an annoyance of her own. Couldn't he see that she cared about him so much that the thought of losing him was unbearable to her? She refused to accept that there was nothing she could do about it. For that reason and for that reason only was she so persistent, so demanding for answers.

"Look, Jacob," Jessica snapped without warning. "I understand that you're worried, and upset, and mad, but that's no reason to take it out on me." She stood up, almost knocking him over in her hurry. She didn't want to use those harsh tones, but there was something within her that was sparked and she couldn't control it. She was pissed. "I'm going back to the house to think. Feel free to join me when you've cooled down enough to understand that I love you." With that, she stalked off toward the Cullen's elegant white home.

It was Jacob's turn to be shocked now, and he stood up as well. "Jessica, wait!" he called after her. "Jessica! I'm sorry!"

But she kept walking, ignoring her love's pleas. She couldn't be around him right now. She didn't like being yelled at, especially for doing what she thought was right.

Jacob stood still for several minutes, watching as Jessica strode up to the front porch that they had rebuilt together and go inside. He made no move to follow her. He had lost control of his growing temper, and he would pay the consequences. Sullenly, he gazed up at the grey sky and sighed heavily. He pushed his mind to its limits, trying to find some way to prevent his acclaimed future from coming true.

Silently, he swore to himself that he wouldn't stop until he guaranteed that he would never let him nor Jessica come across the dreaded cobblestone street. He would do whatever it took, anything to make it up to Jessica.

Slowly, he began walking into the forest, his mind dead set on preventing the inevitable. He would make sure it didn't happen. For her.

Emmett and Daisha had their fingers intertwined as they strolled through the deepest parts of the surrounding forest, both of their senses on the alert for any sign of the Volturi. Except for the small whiff that Alice had sensed earlier that morning, there had been no sign of any of them. They hadn't spoken a word since they had split up from Alice earlier, each of them just enjoying the others company. Finally, however, Emmett had to reveal what was on his mind.

"I've been thinking," he said slowly, his deep voice out of place in the serene woods.

"Congratulations," Daisha said through a grin. Emmett laughed softly and elbowed her in the ribs.

"In Alice's vision," Emmett continued, "someone roughs me up pretty bad, huh?"

"According to Alice," Daisha said thoughtfully.

"But you and I both know that no human or regular vampire around that's stronger than me," Emmett continued, slowly getting to his point.

Daisha's dark red eyes focused on Emmett's gold. "Right, but it's not all about strength."

"I was just thinking, though," Emmett said, his voice getting softer. "What if it's a newborn vampire? They're stronger than me, for the most part."

"You can handle a newborn, Emmett," Daisha said with a sigh. "You've done it before. You took down lots of newborns."

He laughed. "Well, yeah..."

Daisha smiled with him. "If you ask me, this is all messed up. Alice has been wrong before, and none of these visions seem very likely. It's all just... ugh... it's stupid!" Daisha yelled out the last word, punching a nearby tree. The entire trunk exploded in a clash of bits of bark and wood, and the rest of the tree went tumbling to the earth below. She stared pointedly at the damaged stump that remained, not breathing. Emmett placed an ice cold hand on her shoulder, and she leaned into it. "What if the Volturi get me?"

"They can't make you do anything you don't want to do," he said. "If they had that power, they wouldn't need you, not would they?" He smiled at her and pulled her in closer. He wrapped his thick, muscular arms around her, and Daisha could feel the sheer muscle underneath them tighten. "If they get you, just refuse to do anything they tell you to until I can get in and save you. And I will. Deal?"

Daisha nodded in his arms, her mind a thousand miles away.

Jane stepped into yet another dark alley, following the scent of the unfamiliar vampire. She was enraged. How dare Caius assign her this lowly grunt work? She deserved more challenging missions than tracking down lowly vampires in downtown Seattle. She should be out on the front lines with the others. As she narrowly avoided a dark puddle, she silently cursed the whole mission.

On the plus side, she thought, at least her brother Alec had arrived today. Having him in their ranks made Jane that much more confident that they would prevail. Without Alec, Jane always felt a little lost, but now that they were together once more, it was difficult for her to have a pessimistic feeling about Caius' insane mission. Not to mention that Alec's ability to teleport virtually anywhere in the world in a matter of mere seconds would greatly help everyone out. His gift was widely praised throughout the entire Volturi, and without him, Jane didn't see how Aro stood a chance.

The ridiculously cheerful Caius was back in their part of the forest discussing plans on getting Carlisle out of Forks. Carlisle was the glue that held the rest of his coven together. Without him, the rest would surely crumble, and make picking them off that much easier. Jane had to admit, even with scouring the city looking for a loner vampire, the plan did seem like it would go off without a hitch.

Suddenly, she stopped and took a deep breath. She was close to him now, and they both knew it.

"Come on out," Jane taunted. "I've been following you for the last twenty minutes. Surely you're getting tired of this game."

"I never get tired of games," a hissing voice rattled back.

Jane sighed. "Show yourself."

After a moment's pause, a tall, lanky man stepped out. He wore sunglasses and smelled of dry blood. Jane crinkled her nose at the sight of him.

"It's about time," she muttered.

"Why are you following me?" the man asked, cocking his head. "A child such as yourself, surely you must know what I am."

Jane scowled. Child? Her? She would show this scum just how much of a child she was. With the slightest of efforts, she glared at the man in the darkness of the alley. In less than a second, he had fallen to the ground and was rolling, gasping for help. Jane continued to focus on her gift, making sure that this man never forgot who she was.

After several minutes of watching him writhe in agony, he fell limp, and Jane lost interest. Slowly, she approached him, and kneeled down next to the still softly shuddering body.

"Who... are... you?" he managed to force out.

"A few months ago," Jane said as she kicked him over, forcing him to look at her, "you bit a young girl named Daisha. After leaving her to die, you inadvertently turned her into a vampire, like us."

The man looked at Jane with a mixture of pain and confusion. "What..." he choked out.

Jane's pouty, childish lips curved upward into a maniacal grin, and she stood, her small stature towering above the scum that cowered beneath her. "You're going to pay her a little visit."