Hey Mynxi, Did you feel that just now? That was me and everyone who reads this story sending you a big, fuzzy, virtual hug for being my beta! Did I use too many commas just now?

Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight.

Chapter Four

JPOV

I sat in the chair across from Andy and waited for his next move. I was interested to see if he would follow Bella's instructions or not. He was emitting curiosity now and the intense anxiety he was feeling when he knocked on her door was gone. He stared back at me, keeping good eye contact. He was clearly sizing me up, but his expression was speculative rather than antagonistic. I looked back at him, keeping my expression neutral. The silence was heavy and I began to wonder if he planned on staring me down until Bella came out. I had no desire to alienate Andy since he was obviously acting out of concern for her.

I decided to speak first and see where things went. "Is my being here a problem?" I asked, making sure to keep my tone polite. He twisted his lips into a small smile.

"You being here is only a problem for me if it's going to cause problems for Izzy," he replied quietly. "She's never told me her story, but I know she's had it real tough. As far as I know, she's completely on her own." He looked away for a moment, apparently gathering his thoughts. "So now you show up, and I have to wonder if this is a good thing for her or a bad thing," he said in a slightly apologetic tone. "I agreed to hold off on the inquisition, but I just won't feel right if I don't ask what you are to her and why you're here." He turned back toward me and raised his head slightly as he waited for my reaction.

I sighed as I tried to find words that would reassure him without opening the door for questions I couldn't answer. I could feel his sincere concern for Bella and I wanted to honor that with as much truth as possible. I began my answer. "I won't tell you Bella's story, that's not my place. I'll tell you that I never intended any harm, but something I did caused her to end up alone."

He tilted his head to one side. "Bella, huh? That suits her," he said slowly as he nodded, clearly hoping for more information. My vampire brain worked quickly, filtering the truth into something I could tell him.

"She was with my adopted brother, Edward. They loved each other as much as I've ever seen two people love. Our whole family was crazy about her, and she loved us too. But…our family kind of associates with some people who are really bad news." I grimaced slightly as I tried to gloss over our interaction with James and Victoria. "Bella was exposed to some of those people and had a really close call. Then I lost control of a situation and put Bella in a lot of danger. Edward decided she would be better off without us in her life, and we all left her. You'd have to ask her about what happened after that, but it all comes back to the fact that I was the one who put her in danger." I leaned forward in my chair and rubbed my hand over my eyes as the weight of that truth pressed on me.

When I looked up, he was still watching me. "I see," he said. I was struck by the sensation that he was seeing more than I wanted him to. His emotions were now a mixture of concern for Bella and a glimmer of respect for me. "Did she tell you how we met?" he asked as he raised an eyebrow. I sighed as I felt my own sadness multiplied by his.

"Yes," I said simply. "I will never be able to thank you enough for saving her from going through that again." He looked away as he fidgeted with the pillow on the couch.

"I just wish I had stopped it the first time," he said sadly. I felt the regret pouring off of him. "I was too messed up to realize that first night. Then when I saw her the next time, I realized what had gone down. She just had this dead expression on her face, and I couldn't stand it, so I offered her a place to stay," he said flatly. I felt the urge to ease his conscience.

"You did what you could. You saved her, Andy." I could tell he didn't believe me. "You're not responsible for what that asshole did to her. You saw a girl who needed help, and you helped her."

I sent him a small shot of sincerity, hoping it would help him accept what I was saying. I was surprised that he flinched slightly as I did it. He gave a small shake of his head and abruptly turned to face me again. His emotions sharpened as he began to speak quickly.

"So now you've found her, what's your plan? Are you stickin' around or are you gonna disappear on her again?" he asked with an edge to his voice. I felt a wave of frustration at his question, but I forced myself to focus on the fact that he was asking because he cared about Bella. I noticed his hands twitching slightly as he waited for my answer, but his eyes remained clear and focused. I had to respect him for standing up to me, even as I could see the signs that the drugs were leaving his system.

"I'm not going anywhere, Andy. Even if it wasn't my fault that she's here like this, I couldn't walk away from her now. I'll help her in any way she'll allow me to." I shifted in my chair as I heard the water stop running in the bathroom. I knew we wouldn't have much time to finish our conversation, so I made eye contact with him again. "I get that you care about her, and I'm grateful for that fact. The fact is that there's nothing I can say to you right now to convince you I'm good for her. I'll be proving that to you while I prove it to her."

I noticed the twitching in his hands was increasing and I could almost smell the craving for narcotics building in him. I was struck by the similarity between us in that moment and realized that I had been judging him harshly. At least what he craved was harmful only to him. If I succumbed to my yearning, someone would die.

We both turned as we heard Bella approach the living room. She raised her eyebrows at us. "Both in one piece, I see," she said wryly. "Did everyone play nice?" I grinned at her, enjoying the sharp humor in her tone.

"Yes ma'am," I drawled out slowly. She laughed out loud at my exaggerated accent as she handed me my jacket. My smile grew bigger at the sound of her laughter. I don't remember hearing Bella laugh much in Forks, but then again, we weren't together much. "Are you ready for breakfast?" I asked her.

I noticed Andy stand up from the couch, scratching his arms absently. "I'm gonna go meet up with some friends," he mumbled. Bella's eyes clouded slightly with sadness.

"Be safe," she whispered as he passed her.

"You too, Bella," he replied without looking at her.

She turned to me and raised her eyebrow at his use of her name. "I take it you two had a discussion about my past," she said, narrowing her eyes.

I realized she thought I had told Andy her story. "Bella, I didn't betray your confidence. If he wants to know your past, he'll have to come to you. He just wanted to make sure I wasn't here to take advantage of you."

Her expression relaxed as she shrugged her shoulders. "OK then, let's go feed the human," she said. I was pleased to see her smile as she spoke.

"After you, Bella," I said as we headed toward the door.

I followed her out of the building and down the street as she headed toward Broadway. "There's a diner a couple blocks down," she said as we walked. She was wearing her standard jeans and sneakers and I noticed that her jeans were worn thin in many places and quite loose around her hips. Her jacket seemed to be in good shape, but it wasn't heavy enough for the winter cold.

I wanted to offer her my jacket as another layer, but I knew I would draw attention walking around in a T shirt in this weather. I clenched my hands as I struggled with the thought of her being cold and hungry. I realized she was still scanning the crowds of people for Victoria and ground my teeth together in frustration at the reason for her fear. I had to battle the urge to carry her off to my apartment where she would be warm and safe. I knew I had a lot to learn about Bella, but I was already quite sure she wouldn't appreciate the implication that she couldn't take care of herself. It was going to be hard to find ways to help her that she wouldn't find insulting.

I followed her through the doors of the diner and waited as she asked the hostess for a table. The diner was quiet since we were ahead of the Sunday morning rush. Bella didn't even open the menu. When the waitress came to the table she ordered two large breakfast platters with coffee and juice. I raised my eyebrow at her as the waitress moved away.

"What?" she asked. "I figure I might as well order something I like, since you won't be eating it." I smiled at her as I replied.

"Feel free, it's my treat after all." We paused as the waitress arrived with the drinks. I enjoyed watching Bella's expression as she sipped the hot coffee. I wrapped my own hands around my mug, savoring the warmth.

"OK, Jasper Hale, time to finish the story," she said as she sat her mug down.

"It's Whitlock," I corrected softly. Her expression was confused. "My name is Jasper Whitlock, Bella. I took Rosalie's last name when Alice and I joined the Cullens. After I left, I went back to my real name." She gave a small nod of understanding.

"Jasper Whitlock, then. It suits you," she said as she picked up her coffee again. I smiled. "It should, it was my name for a long time." She shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever, spill the shit. Alice broke up with you based on a vision, and you left. What have you been doing since then? Are you still in touch with any of them?" I scanned her face as she spoke, wondering if she was indirectly questioning me about Edward. Her face was curious but not anxious.

I decided to answer completely. If she became upset, we would just have to deal with it. "I left about a year and a half ago, give or take. They were up in Alaska at the time, but they weren't planning on staying there long term. I've just been moving around on my own since then. I stick to bigger cities, but I only stay a couple months in one place. I talk to Emmett on the phone and I e-mail Esme every once in a while, but that's it."

She glanced up as the waitress arrived with the huge plates of food. I watched as she began to eat. She dove in, obviously enjoying the food. I was getting a kick out of watching her eat, but I knew we had more issues to discuss. "I haven't seen Edward since a couple of weeks after we left Forks." Her chewing slowed and she glanced down at her plate for a moment.

I started to worry that bringing Edward into the conversation had been a mistake, but her face was calm when she looked up. She reached across the table and stole a piece of bacon off my untouched plate. I automatically picked up a fork and began to move food around to make it less obvious that I wasn't eating.

"So how are you managing out on your own?" she asked with a little smile. "I guess I should have made sure you could afford my appetite before I volunteered you to buy me breakfast," she joked.

I smiled at her as I replied. "You haven't broken the bank yet, Bella. I'm managing to stay afloat even without knowing what the future holds for the stock market." I realized she had tried to shift the conversation to a more superficial level and that I had fallen for it.

I decided to offer more personal information about me in hopes that she would open up more about herself later. "As for being on my own, it's pretty good. Better than I thought." I searched for words to describe how I had changed. "I'm sure you've noticed I'm a lot more in control of my thirst now and that has a lot to do with not feeling the others' thirst on top of mine."

She shook her head as she stole my toast. "I never thought about that before, Jasper. That must have been really hard to deal with," she said before taking a bite.

"I can't blame it all on that, Bella. I've also worked really hard to build up my tolerance to being around people," I clarified.

"Still Jasper, it's something to be proud of. I remember how hard it was for you just to sit through school, and now you go to bars and sit next to sleeping humans with no problem."

I laughed softly. "Well, I haven't actually tried the sleeping experiment with anyone else, so I don't know if I can take credit for that yet, Bella." I moved the conversation back to my life, noting how good she was at manipulating what we were talking about. She must have developed that skill over the last two years to deflect people's curiosity about her.

"I have to admit it's been hard in some ways though," I said softly. "It was…difficult to get used to living without Alice," I admitted. I really hadn't discussed the end of my "marriage" with anyone, not even Emmett. But I knew if I wanted Bella to let me into her life on a long term basis, I would have to give her a reason to trust me.

Her eyes widened and her expression softened. "I'm so sorry, Jasper. I can't imagine how difficult that was, after so much time together," she said gently. I was glad to see that the things she had been through hadn't taken away her compassion for others. She pushed her empty plate away and laid her hand on the table top. I watched in amazement as ever so slowly, she reached out and laid her hand lightly on my arm.

We sighed at the same time as that wonderful peace washed over us. I was so lost in the moment that I didn't notice the waitress approaching. I was actually startled when she asked us if we wanted anything else. I was startled to see that Bella had pretty much cleaned both our plates. Bella declined anything more to eat and I reluctantly moved my hand away to pay the bill. I followed her as she stood and headed out the door and back onto the sidewalk.

She turned toward me as we walked. "What about breakfast for you, Jasper?" she asked with a grin.

I smiled back as I answered. "I'm more of an afternoon snack kind of guy recently, Bella." She gave a short laugh and continued walking toward her apartment. "I was hoping we could talk a little more at your place this morning," I said hesitantly. She slowed her pace and nodded her head slightly. "I usually go hunt in the afternoons and I have a few other things to take care of today after that."

I saw her posture tense at my words and wondered what had upset her. "No problem, Jasper. I don't want to keep you from anything." I felt a quick touch of sadness from her before it disappeared. She looked away as she continued. "It's been good seeing you and catching up, but I really don't like to dwell on the past this much. Maybe we could just say good-bye here and skip the heart to heart," she said tersely.

My head spun as I realized she thought that I was leaving her permanently. I should have been more careful with my words, knowing how she had lost everyone who mattered to her. I struggled to find a way to reassure her without coming off too pushy.

"Bella, I really hope you'll let me come back to your place. I think there's a lot we haven't told each other yet, and this is a good chance while your roommate is out," I said quickly. Her shoulders were still stiff and I knew I was losing her. "I do have to leave to hunt this afternoon, but after that, I was hoping I could pick you up. We could grab your dinner and head over to my place if you want." I forced myself to keep the pleading from my voice.

Her heart raced for a moment before it calmed down. She didn't turn back to me as she whispered her answer, realizing I would hear it. "Fine then, Jasper. Come on up." She turned into her building and I followed her up the stairs.

BPOV

I grabbed my things and stormed into the shower. I was irritated with both Andy and Jasper, but for different reasons. I was upset that Andy had interrupted our conversation. I was so confused by what Jasper had told me about Alice's actions, and I was desperate to ask more questions. I was also concerned that Andy would start asking questions that were too dangerous to answer.

And Jasper, I thought to myself. What is it with those Cullen men and blaming themselves for everything that happens in the universe? It was true that it was Jasper's lapse that night that made Edward realize that life with me was too complicated, but you could just as easily blame Alice for using wrapping paper instead of a gift bag. I huffed again as I finished my shower. I finished getting ready quickly, worrying about the two men sitting in the living room.

I was relieved to see they both appeared calm as I entered the room. I sighed to myself as I noticed how twitchy Andy was. He'd be off soon looking for his next fix. He was such a good soul, but he was losing himself more every day. I teased them about surviving my shower and Jasper drawled out a "Yes ma'am," at me. It was so adorable that I couldn't stop myself from laughing. It felt really good to laugh and I realized I couldn't remember the last time I had. I noticed he was really smiling at me, and I was amazed at how it lit up his face. I couldn't remember seeing him smile much in Forks, and boy had Forks missed out! His amber eyes glowed softly with humor and a lock of his blond hair fell into his face. I actually had to stop myself from reaching out to move it back into place.

Andy excused himself and got ready to go get high when, he dropped my real name. I was immediately pissed and began to question Jasper on what he had told Andy. I was relieved when he told me he hadn't sold me out. I felt kind of bad for doubting him, but it wasn't safe for Andy to know too much about me. We made it out of the building and I began walking to my favorite diner. I walked quickly through the cold air, my thoughts turning busily. I began to feel anxious about spending more time with Jasper.

Waking up this morning while he held my hand had been surreal. From the cocoon of my room it had felt natural to share my story with him and I couldn't deny how he had comforted me. But now that we were out in the real world I was questioning the wisdom of letting him into my life. I had become used to being self sufficient and the idea of starting to depend on someone else was frightening. I couldn't afford to be emotional and weak if I was going to focus on staying alive. I also had no idea what Jasper's intentions were. I couldn't imagine he would alter his nomadic lifestyle for me and I needed to be prepared for the fact that he will leave again.

I resolved to keep the conversation focused on him and what he was doing. No more heavy revelations about my past. Hopefully he would follow my lead and we could just sort of fade out of each other's lives by the end of the morning. I dreaded an awkward good bye and began to sift through various excuses to cut the morning short. We arrived at the diner and got a quiet seat. I ordered two huge breakfasts, smirking at him when he looked at me funny. The coffee was fantastic and I enjoyed the warmth as I waited for the caffeine to take effect.

I decided to take the initiative and asked what had happened after Alice dumped him. The fact that she had ended their relationship was still hard to accept. Then he corrected me about his name and it just hit home. The vampire sitting across from me had changed as much as I had since we had left Forks. He filled me in on his lifestyle and about how much contact he had with the Cullens. I listened intently as I ate the fantastic breakfasts. Rent was due and money would be tight until I worked again on Wednesday, so I planned to eat up. Then he mentioned Edward and it got hard to swallow.

I forced myself to stay calm and distracted him by stealing a piece of bacon off his plate. I didn't spend much time dwelling on Edward, but the memories still made me sad. I had never really had the chance to grieve over the ending of our relationship, but now was hardly the time. I moved the conversation back to him. I really was interested in the things he had accomplished on his own. He seemed much more at peace than he had in Forks. I was proud of him for moving on. Then he mentioned how difficult it had been for him and I couldn't stop my hand from reaching out to him. I hated that he had suffered and was possibly still suffering. That crazy peaceful feeling flowed between us and we just sat there until the waitress ended the moment by bringing the check.

I tried to keep the conversation light as we headed back to the apartment when he mentioned leaving to hunt and take care of some stuff. I couldn't stop the wave of loss from sweeping over me before I tamped it down. I steeled myself and realized I had been correct to try to cut this short. If I was already so disappointed that he was leaving, seeing more of him could only bring me more heartache. I tried to brush him off, but he surprised me by offering to come back to take me to his place that night. He sounded so sincere, I found myself unable to say no. My mouth formed the words in a whisper, but I knew he would hear me tell him he could come back with me to finish talking.

He held the door for me as we entered the building and I noticed how tall he was as I walked past him. He had a somber expression on his pale face as he followed me into my apartment. "Andy probably won't be back for several hours at least," I told him. "He doesn't like to be messed up around me for some reason," I shrugged. He just nodded back and I got the sense that he was struggling with some sort of internal dilemma.

I decided to call him on it as we headed into my room. "What's up, Jasper? You look like you're in pain. Are you getting 'hungry'?" I asked nervously. He sighed at me and shook his head. I wondered what could possibly make him this nervous. After my revelations this morning, it was pretty much all out there.

He pushed a stray lock of hair out of his face and looked straight at me. "Bella, do you want me to call Edward?"

I sat down on my bed and looked at him in shock for a moment before I answered. "Why would I want you to do that, Jasper?"

He looked surprised by my answer. "I just know he would want to know all about this Bella, and he would want to fix it."

I suppressed a surge of anger at Jasper's words. No one was going to "fix" my life but me. "Jasper, Edward made it perfectly clear before he left Forks that I wasn't good enough for him. I hardly think the things I've done over the last two years are going to improve his opinion," I breathed out quickly.

Now it was his turn to appear shocked. "Not good enough for him? I don't understand Bella. That doesn't make sense." My stomach sank as I realized I was going to have to elaborate on Edward's departure. It wasn't something I ever enjoyed thinking about and telling someone else about it was not high on my list of fun things to do.

"He told me he didn't want me, Jasper. That he was tired of pretending to be human around me and that I wasn't good for him." I was pleased to note that my feelings were more angry than sad. "I don't think he could be clearer than that. I can't think of any reason that he needs to know anything about me or my life now," I said firmly.

I was surprised at the truth of that statement. For the first few months after I left Forks, I had dreamed that Edward would somehow find me, scoop me up and take me away from everything. But reality had finally hit and I just stopped thinking of it after awhile. Now that I was actually talking about it out loud, I realized that Edward's abandonment was losing the power it had over me.

Jasper was staring at me like I'd grown a second head. He actually sat down on the floor with his back against the wall. He looked like he was struggling to find words. "Bella, I think I have to tell you something, but I'm afraid it's going to upset you," he whispered. "I think you should know, but I don't know if you'll want to know," he murmured.

I slid off the bed and moved over to kneel in front of him. He looked at me earnestly. "I just don't want to make things worse, Bella. After everything you've been through, I just don't want to make anything worse."

I slowly reached out and took his hand in mine, relishing the sensation of calm as it came. "Just tell the truth, Jasper. Always the truth for me," I said softly.

He grasped my hand firmly in his and looked into my eyes. Even through the calm that was surrounding us, I felt so sorry for the turmoil I could see in his eyes. "Bella, he lied," he began slowly. "Edward lied when he said those things to you."

I smiled softly at him. "Jasper, you don't have to try to make me feel better about it. It makes me sad, but I don't let it define my existence."

He shook his head. "No, Bella," he said as he grasped my hand tighter. "Don't forget, I was always there, feeling what he felt. The whole time…when he met you, while you were together, even after we left. He loved you absolutely." His voice was filled with belief in his words. I clung tighter to his hand, but I could feel anxiety pushing through our little peace bubble.

I forced myself to breathe evenly and allow the feelings to come. Jasper's touch seemed to help me stay in control as I felt my emotions fighting with each other. My first response was pain and a sense of betrayal. If Edward had loved me, why would he have hurt me so badly when he left? He would have known that his words would destroy me. I realized he had taken it upon himself to decide what was best for me, regardless of my opinion or my feelings. I felt anger rising up. Who did he think he was, ripping me to pieces because he thought I would be safer without him in my life? Jasper just sat and held my hand while I processed my thoughts. I began to realize that Edward had frequently been slightly condescending during our relationship, so sure that he knew what was best.

Jasper's angelic face was full of anxiety about my reaction, but I was grateful that he was giving me time to feel. He was so used to responding to people's emotions, it must be second nature, even though he wasn't able to "read" mine. I sighed in frustration as I felt tears start to fall. I hated that I cried when I was angry. I looked Jasper in the eye and squared my shoulders. "Then I feel sorry for him, Jasper, because that's not real love. Real love is built on respect and faith. Real love makes you fight, not walk away."

I felt another spike of anger underneath the sense of calm. "As for 'fixing' my life, that's not anybody's job but mine!" I said loudly. "I've fought so damn hard, Jasper. Running in fear, working till I'm exhausted, but I'm doing it. I'm keeping my head above water and I'm sitting here alive. So the idea that anyone would think they need to rush into my life and take over to make it better doesn't sit too well. I'm twenty years old and I'm not going to be treated like a kid playing with kitchen knives!" I all but shouted at him. "So no, Jasper, I do not want you to call Edward. I don't think I want to see Edward ever again," I said, my voice softer but still firm.

His lips began to twist upward in a small smile as I spoke. I felt our sense of calm begin to change slightly and realized he was sending a wave of pride toward me. "OK then, Bella. I'm sorry if I upset you, but I'm glad to know how you really feel about it. I wouldn't have felt right not telling you," he said as he slowly let go of my hand.

I felt a tug as the peace slowly faded away and realized I missed the physical feeling of his cool hand in mine as well. I reminded myself that this was dangerous water and that I needed to avoid becoming dependent on him. I scooted back and stood up. "I'm glad you told me, Jasper. It's good for me to know." I turned and started making my bed, feeling the need to do something as I waited for him to respond.

JPOV

I was relieved when Bella said I could come back to the apartment with her, but the feeling was short lived. I planned to spend the afternoon working on helping Bella and I was quickly becoming aware that she would not welcome me just sweeping in and taking care of everything. I'm going to have to reign in my desire to atone for attacking her, so I don't push her away with my interference. My brain buzzed with possibilities and scenarios of how I could make things better for her, but I realized I needed to know what she wanted for herself. I wondered if she would want to see any of the Cullens. She seemed to be tolerating my reappearance in her life, but every now and then I sensed a trace of reluctance to be near me. I had no idea if she would want anyone else from the family around, or if seeing them would cause her more emotional pain.

I was insanely frustrated by her ability to block my talent for reading her emotions. I sighed to myself and realized I needed to come out and ask her about Edward and whether she would want him to know about her. If that was what she wanted, I would make it happen. Edward and I had parted under tense terms. I had still been overwhelmed by my guilt and he was almost incapacitated by the pain of leaving Bella. However, I knew I owed her anything I could do to make her happy, so if she told me to, I would have Esme contact him. I dreaded asking her about it though. She was clearly trying to keep things more superficial, and this was sure to be an extremely personal conversation.

I followed her into the apartment, and she must have seen my internal struggle on my face, because she asked if I was getting hungry. I shook my head as I pushed my hair out of my face and blurted out my question. "Bella, do you want me to call Edward?"

She sat down on the bed abruptly, clearly in shock. Her heart raced as she asked me why I would think she would want that. I was surprised by the vehemence of her question. I explained that I just knew that Edward would want to know and to help. Her face showed a trace of anger for a moment, and again I wished I could know what she was feeling. Then she told me exactly how Edward had left her, exactly what lies he had used to force her not to follow him.

I was beyond words for a minute. I sat down to try to gather my thoughts. I couldn't imagine how Edward had been able to convince her he didn't care. His love for her had been so strong it was sometimes overwhelming for me to be around. His passion had been mixed with an almost obsessive desire to protect her and it had frequently made me so uncomfortable that I would avoid them. I now faced another choice. Should I tell Bella the truth… that he had lied to her and that to my knowledge still loved her? I couldn't guess if the knowledge would help her or hurt her.

She knelt in front of me, clearly concerned about me. I was struck again at how selfless she was. I explained my hesitation at telling her something that might make things worse. She actually reached for my hand as she asked simply for the truth. That lovely calm drifted over me, and I resolved that I would never lie to her, never hide anything from her. Her strength of character demanded that respect from me. So I explained to her that Edward had lied when he left her. She was reluctant to believe me at first, thinking I was just trying to make the memory less painful.

She clutched my hand tighter as she finally accepted what I was telling her. I watched her struggle to control her reactions. I still wasn't feeling her emotions, but right now I could see them clearly on her face. The pain I had expected was there, but it was quickly replaced by anger. I wanted to comfort her but I realized that she needed time to process the information. My heart ached for her as I watched her tears fall even as she visibly pulled herself up by the bootstraps. She told me she felt sorry for Edward because that wasn't love and I was staggered by her strength. Her description of love made me pity Edward as well. She had loved him fiercely and he had walked away from it instead of fighting to stay near it.

She began a tirade about people "fixing" her life, and I warned myself to tread carefully as I tried to help her. I would need to earn her trust before I could really begin to make a difference and help her change things. I felt lucky that she was even willing to sit in the same room with me after all the turmoil I had caused her, both in the past and over the last few hours. I couldn't stop the wave of pride from escaping as I admired her independence, but I couldn't tell if she felt it. I reluctantly let go of her hand as I apologized for upsetting her. A strange expression crossed her face as she reassured me that she was glad to know the truth. She turned to make her bed and I stood up.

"Bella, I'm glad you let me come back up to talk. I really do need to hunt today and I have some phone calls to make, but then I'm all yours if you'll have me. I'd love to show you my place," I said, hoping I could convince her to agree.

She turned from smoothing the bedding. "OK, Jasper. I don't have to work, so I wouldn't be doing anything anyway," she said softly.

I tried to hide my relief as I answered, "Good then. Can I just come back here for you when I'm done?"

I hoped she would let me pick her up. The thought of her out there alone while Victoria was on the loose was hard to tolerate, but I realized I couldn't expect her to stay home just because I wasn't around. Thankfully, she agreed without an argument, but I could almost sense that she was eager for me to leave. I imagined she needed some time to herself to digest everything I had told her this morning.

She walked me to the door of the apartment. "I'll see you later then, Bella."

She nodded as she replied wryly, "Enjoy your afternoon snack, Jasper."

I couldn't resist teasing her. "Meh, it won't be as delicious as you would be, but a deer or two will get me through," I deadpanned.

She raised her eyebrows but couldn't hide her smile. "Really? I'm glad to know I'm the star of the menu," she quipped back. "Now get the hell out of here," she said with a smile, as I turned to step through the door.

"Stay out of trouble," I ordered half seriously as she closed the door. She made no reply, but I heard a distinct snort as I walked down the hall.

I strode quickly down the streets back onto Broadway and hailed a cab. I wished I could just run at vampire speed back home to get started on my "rescue mission," but at least traffic wasn't too bad this Sunday morning. We arrived at my building and I quickly paid the driver. I rushed into my apartment, already dialing my cell phone now that I had privacy. I started up my computer as the phone rang. I pulled up Google and began to type when I finally heard the voice I was waiting for. "Jenks, its Jasper Whitlock. I have work for you." Mission begun, I thought as I began to give Jenks instructions.

AN- Thanks to all who are reading, and especially to those who take the time to review! I love to hear from you guys! I know this is moving really slow, but we're starting to get their histories wrapped up and should be able to move into more present time action!

Thanks as always to Mynxi for everything she does to make this pretty! Who else would keep me consistent on how much Bella ate? ;P Love you baby!

Guess what, Anadaybel is reading this! I'm squealing like a fangirl! If you haven't read her fic Wanted yet, go right now! Its hellagood- great plot twists and character development!