I've been doing a good job of updating every Monday and we'll see how that keeps going (: Thank you for the reviews, they mean a lot.

Jasper waited for Bella in her room while she showered. He tried to ignore her emotions and it dawned on him that it was not so hard. Back in Forks she had been an open book and not just for the family but for everyone else. He hadn't had the need to feel her emotions to know what she was feeling, simply looking at her face would do.

Now however it was like he was in the presence of a completely different person. He wouldn't go so far as to say that she had become, hard; but she had changed. She guarded her emotions with such ferocity that Jasper wondered if she was stopping a flood from getting out or preventing one.

"Aw sh-" he heard Bella say and then something dropped in the shower. For an instant he smelled blood and smiled, at least she was still somewhat clumsy. The blood washed away quickly but Jasper had smelled it. Two years ago that heavenly smell had caused him to become a crazed vampire. It still made his mouth water but it in a completely different way.

Jasper stood and walked over to the bathroom door, "Everything okay?" he called. By the sounds of it Bella had been shaving and cut herself.

"Yeah I'm fine sorry for that!" He heard the shower cut off and Bella fumbling to reach for the towel. "Be out in a sec!"

Jasper leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms. Nothing had gone according to his plan. He imagined Bella being scared by his first comment earlier in the evening but the fear he had felt had not been directed at him. She was not scared of him at all, she was scared that his presence meant that the Cullen's were back. She didn't need to say it aloud for him to know, he could have guessed when she looked around the club dreading to find a Cullen.

What confused him was why she would dread that. When she had talked about Edward it hadn't been with affection or love; she had been detached and cold. He thought she had blamed him for the birthday party incident and that's why he had apologized but she had never blamed him, so why was she dreading seeing the Cullen's?

Jasper remembered the day Edward had come back from Bella's after the birthday party. He stopped by the door and without looking at any of them he told them they were leaving. That Bella had wised up and decided she needed space. Jasper had felt terrible, he had volunteered to go over with Alice to apologize but Edward put a stop to that almost immediately. He never considered the whole thing to be fake because his own emotions were overwhelming him. Now though he definitely considered it.

Bella opened the door to the bathroom and shrieked when she saw Jasper standing so close to the opening, "Are you trying to kill me?" she asked hurrying over to a dresser and taking out clothes, "could you act a little less like a vampire for my sake?" She rushed back into the bathroom and he heard her putting on clothes.

Jasper took a step back from the door and uncrossed his arms. He didn't know what to do with his hands so he just stuck them in his jean pockets. When Bella opened the door again, slower this time, she peaked out and saw him standing in her room awkwardly.

"Thanks," she said walking barefoot to her bed and sitting cross legged. She was wearing a giant white knit sweater but no pants. She caught Jasper staring and before he could pretend he wasn't looking she smiled and covered her legs with her comforter. "I have to do laundry, sorry."

"Don't," Jasper smiled devilishly and he wondered where that was coming from. Earlier he had teased her and he had insinuated certain thing's but she had been wearing a revealing outfit. He had planned to drop his antics but he couldn't seem to find the strength.

"You have an accent," Bella said suddenly, a burst of curiosity hit Jasper the next second, "it doesn't sound as strong as Angel's."

"Years of repressing it," Jasper explained. "Alice didn't like it." Bella's face fell. Jasper could feel her conflicting emotions. She was mad and disappointed and a bit of sadness lingered in the background. "Speaking of Angel," Jasper tried to change the subject, "how much do you know about her Bella?"

"Oh no no no," Bella said shaking her head and wagging her finger at him like a dog, "don't you go all Cullen and try to intervene in my life Jasper Cullen, I can handle myself," she lied.

"I told you I'm not a Cullen anymore, if you get the urge to call me by my last name again then please know that it's Whitlock." Jasper paused and watched for Bella's reaction. She wasn't angry but it looked like he had shaken her. For a minute he thought she wasn't going to respond, then he saw her sit up a bit straighter.

"I've handled myself just fine without you or any other vampire for the past two years Jasper, the way I see it this vampire smelled your scent and it got scared and ran away. I probably won't hear or see from it in a long time so you don't need to worry."

"Is that really what you see?" he asked standing up and walking over to the bed but he did not sit down. Bella looked up at him and nodded. "Okay Bella, I'll just go then if you're so sure."

"Bye," she said looking away. When she looked back at where Jasper had stood he was gone. Bella had half a sense to call after him and tell him she didn't mean it but the alarm clock on her desk told her it was time to start the day. She always woke up at 6, just before the sun rose and readied for her day no matter what it held for her. Vampire or no vampire she had student loans to pay and an apartment to maintain. She had her health and as far as she knew Charlie was okay. Anything that could happen to her could just happen as long as nothing ever touched Charlie.

She knew she was being delusional but being hopeful instead of realistic seemed more optimistic. Hope springs eternal right? She sighed and started to pick up dirty clothes and strip her bed. As she was going to bring her dirty stuff to the laundry room her and the other tenant shared she happened to glance at Angel's gift.

She put her dirty things on the floor and picked up the gift. It was a simple porcelain doll. Not like the creepy blue eyed curly haired ones. It didn't look realistic at all or for that matter fragile. A kid could play with this and toss it around and it would never break. In fact she remembered dropping it on her tile floor once and there wasn't a single scratch on it. The doll was small, smaller than her palm and it had long black hair that looked a lot like hers. The porcelain was tough but smooth and it formed a thin body. Bella realized the doll looked a lot like her. She put it back on her desk, a bit closer to the door and picked up her clothes to take to the laundry room. She should have asked Jasper exactly how that gift had saved her life...

She was feeling increasingly more guilty about how she had reacted to Jasper's question the more loads she put into the wash. It wasn't his fault the other Cullen's had been so damn intrusive. He had kept her safe in the hotel room when they had gone to Phoenix. Some of the little interaction she had with Jasper had been then. She remembered asking him why they were there, risking their family to protect her and he had said she was worth it.

Bella leaned against one of the driers and looked out the small window in the laundry room. It looked out onto the street, it was raining; again. And there was a vampire outside who had been to her door probably wanting to go inside. Probably sent by Victoria to bring Bella to her or take care of Bella for her.

But Bella had kept herself alive hadn't she? Or had Victoria decided to let her live a while longer? That had been her plan at first.

Bella rubbed her hands on her face for a moment and closed her eyes.

It was the day after graduation and she had slept in. Jacob was supposed to be over later to help her pack for college. Charlie had gone out fishing with Billy and left hours earlier and Bella had never felt better since the Cullen's departure a couple months back. She had gone from barely alive to zombie to almost human. With the help of Jacob, her little big wolf she had gotten a bit of herself back.

There was no Renee to take care of, Charlie was doing fine, there was no possessive and overbearing boyfriend to worry about. All she had to care for was college and student loans and classes.

But that all changed the very same day. For months since Laurent's visit werewolves had been changing in the La Push area. Bella still feared encountering Victoria but she felt safe with Jacob around. Hadn't she heard a play by play of how the wolves had taken care of Laurent? Hadn't she forced herself to trust them? If they could kill Laurent then surely they could kill Victoria.

Bella remembered walking down the stairs and instantly feeling like something was off. There was a breeze in the room that only came when Charlie forgot to close a window or when he left the door open. When she rounded the corner to the kitchen she gasped. The glass doors to their backyard were definitely open but it was what was on them that made her take a step back. Attached to the glass doors was a note that Bella carefully made her way over too.

This had to be from her. Who else would smear blood on every inch of her glass doors?

Little Bella, I have not forgotten about you. You will pay for the death of my mate and the death of my servant. Live your life as I plan the best way to torture you. You'll always look over your shoulder wondering when I'll strike but be sure that I will.

It was not signed but it didn't have to be. Bella rushed over to her cabinets for some rags and into her old laundry room for bleach. She had to get rid of the blood before Charlie got home. She was on autopilot, she didn't know what to make of the note but she knew she couldn't leave.

Victoria would just follow, she couldn't tell Charlie because that put him in more trouble than he already was and would he have even believed her? After an hour of cleaning she had decided that her only option was to keep going and meet Victoria when Victoria was ready. In the meantime the werewolves would keep an eye on Charlie and maybe even catch the redhead.

But it had been two years and Bella hadn't heard of or seen Victoria. Everything was normal according to Jacob and Charlie was now dating the Clearwater's mom. Suddenly Jasper shows up and so does another vampire and her life is in mortal peril again?

That same exasperation and anger bubbled up inside her again from when she had realized how stupid she had been to fall for Edward. He wasn't her mate, or else he would have come back. He hadn't really loved her or he wouldn't have left. And the one thing she was sure about, he had never respected her and their relationship had been unbalanced. He was a controlling know it all prick who left her in the woods. What an idiot. What if Laurent or Victoria had shown up then?

A part of her knew it would be wise to keep Jasper close but the other didn't want help, didn't need it. And even if she did want Jasper back, he was gone. She hadn't asked him where he was staying or what his number was.

With Jasper she could have had answers and protection, if he had volunteered. Without him, she was closer to death.

Bella grabbed her things once they were out of the drier and hurried onto her apartment. She kicked her door shut and the vibrations of her studio apartment caused Angle's gift to fall on the floor. She didn't know if it worked just inside the house or on its own but she grabbed it nonetheless and stuffed the doll into her purse. It couldn't hurt.

I know it's short but I'm writing this story different to my other stories. I'm trying something new if you will.

Thank you for all the lovely reviews, they're the best payment a writer could ever get.

Please review! :)

-Maria