Author's Notes: Me again, trying to update as often as possible to keep you guys updated. Xx

Thanks to JenJenSon for being my beta on this story! What an angel!

Disclaimer: I don't own it, don't sue

Scars

Chapter 6

Bella POV

I took one last look at my empty apartment and closed the door with a happy sigh. I wouldn't miss it one bit. Truth be told it was a horrid apartment but I hadn't been able to afford anything better. I wouldn't have had to if I'd have stayed in Forks but I just couldn't do it.

I left my keys in the post box for my apartment downstairs where the landlord told me to leave them and headed out to my truck carrying my last box. To be honest there was only about four boxes. Two with clothes, one with books and one with pretty much everything else I owned. When you only have a tiny apartment you don't have room to have much stuff in the first place.

It was raining but even that couldn't dampen my mood on the drive to Jasper's...well my house. It was going to be weird thinking of it as my home because we hadn't spent much time there in the past month or so we'd been friends. It was just easier for him to come to me because he could run.

Jasper was most likely still out hunting because I was earlier than planned but packing hadn't taken as long as I had thought so I headed over anyway. I put the key in the door and carried in my first box. I placed it in the hallway and headed back out for the next. After I had all the boxes indoors I headed upstairs with the first one. Jasper had given me the bedroom and turned the second smaller bedroom into his own room...or more like a study really. It was just his own space.

I opened the door to my new room and set the box down on the bed. The room was tidy and had been rearranged since I that first night I saw Jasper. The furniture was the same except it had been moved around to make room for a desk. I walked over to the desk when I noticed the ribbon on it. On closer inspection the ribbon wasn't on the desk but attached to a laptop sat on it.

"Surprise." A voice from behind me called.

"Jasper you didn't have to do this. It's too much." I protested, spinning around to face him only to practically jump back as he appeared in front of me. "I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

"Sorry." He replied. Then he turned me back around to face the offending laptop. "It's just a present Bella, one that is practical and necessary and you like it." I sighed in defeat leaning back against his chest.

"OK but that is it. No more presents." I told him firmly.

"Not even dinner?" he asked. I turned all to face him again and pretended to think about it.

"Well...us humans do need food..." I said thoughtfully.

"Well then you head downstairs and check the pizza box on the kitchen table and I'll bring the rest of the your boxes up here for you." He said.

Jasper POV

After placing the boxes in Bella's room I joined her in the kitchen. She was happy tucking into a slice of pizza while looking out of the window.

"Good?" I asked her.

"Yes, thank you." She said, turning to smile at me. "But I don't think you needed to get a large one I've only eaten two slices."

"Sorry." I told her. "Better too much than not enough though I guess."

"That's ok I can have a few more slices later...or for breakfast." She shrugged. I personally thought the prospect was disgusting but I didn't tell her so.

"Do you need any help unpacking or anything? Is there anything you need?" I asked. I wanted nothing more than for her to be happy living here. She just smiled and shook her head and poured herself a glass of water.

"Jasper relax in your own home and I guess I'll try to get used to doing the same." She said softly. "I don't want you to feel like you have to do things for me or check I'm ok. You've done enough."

"Alright. I'm going to my study for now then and just let me know when you're off to bed or if you do need anything." I told her.

Maybe she didn't feel quite so comfortable around me as I first thought...but she seemed happy maybe I was over reacting, she probably just wanted a few moments to let it sink in.

Bella POV

My clothes were put away and books on the desk and on the shelves above it. I put a picture of me and my mom on the desk and then lifted my photo album out of the box, I didn't dare open it, Instead I slid it under my bed.

I quickly unpacked the rest of the box before I picked the last thing out of it.

I looked at it; in fact I couldn't look away I just sat there looking at it. I hadn't even realised that this was in the box... I hadn't looked at it since I left Forks either.

She never slows down.
She doesn't know why but she knows that when she's all alone, feels like its all coming down
She won't turn around
The shadows are long and she fears if she cries that first tear, the tears will not stop raining down

Jasper POV

I was in Bella's room the instant I felt the huge wave of grief hit me. I found her sat on the floor with her arms huddled to her chest.

"Bella?" I asked, more to let her know I was in the room than anything. She didn't move, her eyes just looked up towards me as I moved to sit next to her on the bedroom floor. I was tempted to calm her but I knew in the long run it probably wouldn't help. Maybe this was it, the moment she would finally have to remember whatever it is she's been trying to forget. Sure enough as I put my arm around her and pulled her against my side I spotted something in her hand...a small brown leather web hid in her grasp, she held onto it as if it were her life force.

She won't make a sound
Alone in this fight with herself and the fears whispering if she stands she'll fall down
She wants to be found
The only way out is through everything she's running from wants to give up and lie down.

I just sat with her in silence for a good few minutes. She was the first one to break the silence. She practically flung herself into my chest and wrapped her arms around my waist as tight as her fragile human arms could and started sobbing.

"Darlin', what am I going to do with you?" I murmured into her hair. I had to stop myself getting carried away taking in her scent, I didn't want to risk scaring her by wanting her blood right now.

She started trying to say something but to start with I couldn't make any sense of it through her tears but then she said something I did understand. Something that made even my cold blood, practically freeze in my veins; 'Oh god Charlie!'.

So stand in the rain
Stand your ground
Stand up when it's all crashing down
You stand through the pain
You won't drown
And one day, whats lost can be found
You stand in the rain

"Ssshh Bella..." I soothed, trying to get her to look up at me, but finding her under her mass of dark curls proved no easy task with her tears sticking them to her face. When I finally got a look of those brown eyes I understood everything. She looked so haunted, so guilty. I knew that look. Something awful happened after we left Forks and Bella clearly blamed herself for it. "Bella...what happened after we left Forks?"

For a moment she didn't reply, I reached my hand out to stroke the rest of her hair out of the way. She looked like she was deciding, and her pain was killing me. I wasn't sure how much more I could take before I would have to calm her or end up crying myself.

"They came back...V-Victoria and-" she whispered.

"To Forks? Bella what happened?" I asked, I could hear my impatience and desperation creeping into my own voice. I had to get control; getting upset would only make her feel worse...

"She wanted me..." she breathed. "I was at La Push with Jake and when she sent Laurent to my house looking for me...he found Charlie..." I hear her voice crack and it confirmed what I already suspected a few moments ago. Bella's father was dead.

"What happened to Victoria and Laurent? Are they still after you?" I asked her, sending over a few small waves of calm. She shook her head.

"No, the wolves killed them...but some of them got hurt...some pretty bad..." she sobbed. My eyes flicked to the dreamcatcher on the floor as I remembered that Bella had a close friend at La Push. Carlisle had told us all the stories of the wolves and the treaty but he had assumed that the gene had died out...we didn't imagine that they would still be around.

Bella had practically climbed into my lap by now and I could feel her warm tears had soaked through my shirt. I lowered my head to her shoulder to speak in her ear.

You calm the storms, and you give me rest.
You hold me in your hands, you won't let me fall.
You steal my heart, and you take my breath away.
Would you take me in? Take me deeper now?

"It'll keep now." I told her. "I'm not going anywhere." I was grateful for her for finally opening up to me but I doubted it actually had anything to do with her trusting me more now than she did last week or the week before...it was just one memory she could no longer ignore and I happened to be here.

Now I knew why us leaving hurt so much. We left her without even thinking about Victoria. We had killed her mate and not even thought about what she would do in return. We left Bella unprotected and not only that but Alice hadn't seen a thing. Bella probably thought that maybe Alice had seen but not cared enough to do anything about it. Now I knew why Bella had wanted to leave Forks...ever her happy memories could only provoke the sad ones and who could ask her to live in a house her father had died in. I didn't even want to know whether it was Bella who had found him or not. I just hoped to god not.

It was a good while later that Bella's breathing returned to normal and her body started to relax in my arms.

"Thanks Jasper..." she whispered, sleepily.

"I think it's bedtime for the human." I murmured.

I helped her to her feet and left her to get ready for bed but only moments later I heard her call me.

I found her in bed already and she greeted me with a small smile.

"Something wrong darlin'?" I asked.

"I just wanted to say night." She sighed, snuggling into the duvet. "And thanks for earlier...it must have been hard for you too..." This girl still amazed me. She tells me that because she was involved with my family; James, Laurent and Victoria had tried to kill her...and myself as ashamed as I am about it. Her father was killed and her friends hurt...and yet she was worried about me feeling her pain.

I knelt down next to the bed so I was level with her face.

"I'm not going anywhere." I told her. "Goodnight Bella."

Author's Notes: Hope you like it. I hope I'm not revealing too much too soon and that it didn't come out as a load of unbelievable soppy crap. And once again I managed to sneak in a few lyrics from Everything by Lifehouse. I just think the song fits the story. Also there's lyrics from Stand in the Rain by Superchick. If you're enjoying this story I have another Bella/Jasper up called Hideaway and also a Bella/Carlisle called Shards of a Fairytale so check them out.

As always I love reviews so if you like it please review it xx