Disclaimer: If you know me, then you know that I am not Stephanie Meyer or associated with her in any way, so therefore, I own nothing save for original characters and ideas.

The Truth?

Something was wrong. What was it, though? I was lying on my bed, looking at the ceiling in silence, thinking to myself. There was something missing, though, and I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. Oh, now I remembered. I didn't have my music.

I always listened to music when I was feeling down or bored. Music was my escape, and without it I wasn't able to relax as easily, which sucked. I guess I didn't need music, but it would sure as hell help kill time until Carlisle got home.

My thoughts were jarred by a soft knock on my door. There were only three people who ever knocked on my door when it was shut, and since Carlisle wasn't home, that left only two options: Esme or Jasper. And just through feeling a wave of calm envelop me, I knew already that it was the latter, likely come to check on me.

"Come in," I sighed.

The door opened and Jasper walked in, bowing slightly as he shut the door behind him. Normally shutting the door would be considered pointless in a house full of vampires, but each of our rooms was reinforced to where it was soundproof, even to our ears. That gave us some much needed privacy whenever we were in need of it, which wasn't often. Well, for me it wasn't, but for the others and their "activities", it was a Godsend.

I sat up on my bed and motioned for Jasper to sit down, which he did. He leaned his back against my wall as I crossed my legs, watching as his tawny eyes met mine.

"Jazz, I'm fine. How many times do I have to say that?" I asked.

Jasper sighed. "Your emotions are telling me otherwise, Bella. I came here to talk with you about your feelings, not to force you into anything. I'm concerned and so are the others. We know you're lying about how you're feeling, Bella."

I mentally smacked myself for not remembering something as obvious as Jasper's gift, especially when his gift had helped me out several times this day. I forgot that he would have known my exact feelings and that he would be the most knowledgeable with what I was going through. I grimaced upon realizing this and ran a hand through my hair nervously.

Jasper sent me a small wave of calm and shook his head. "Bella, you don't have to be nervous. I just wanted to talk with you and see what the problem was."

I hung my head. "I don't know, Jazz. It's driving me insane and I don't know what it is."

Jasper nodded in understanding and took on a more thoughtful look as he appraised me.

"Perhaps if we go back to when you first started experiencing these strange feelings, we may be able to figure out the problem?"

"Well, uh, I suppose so…"

He pulled up his right leg slightly and rested both arms on it as he studied me.

"When did you first begin experiencing these feelings?" he inquired in a gentle tone.

"Last night when I was hunting," I replied. Jasper nodded again and silently waited for me to continue on. I did so grudgingly. "While I was hunting, I chased after a deer because I wanted to have a bit of fun. It was stupid of me to do because I got so caught up that I didn't realize that I was getting close to humans, so I killed the deer and fed off of it. That was when I smelled something that was intoxicatingly sweet and it, well, it sort of drew me in…"

"You mean like at lunch today?" Jasper inquired, cocking his head to the side.

I nodded sheepishly. "I-it was the same smell and…the same person as last night."

"What happened last night?"

"N-nothing!" I stammered. Jasper quirked an eyebrow at my obvious lie. "Alright, look. I was curious about why there would be someone out that late and the scent was really strong, so I moved towards it stealthily. That was when I stumbled onto a human girl who looked like she was looking for something. And her scent…God, it was fantastic. I couldn't stop myself from getting near her because it was so strong, but then she looked up and almost caught me."

"I see," he mused.

"That's when Rose found me. She pulled me away and I almost started fighting her to go back, and I didn't understand why. It was so confusing. And then I saw her today at school and recognized her from before-"

Jasper smoothly cut me off. "Wait, hold on a second. This human from the other night was at our school, too?"

"Yes," I replied.

"It wouldn't happen to be the new girl, would it? Alice Brandon?"

I gaped at him. "How did…?" Wait. Stupid question. Of course he knew that.

Jasper smiled wryly. "It was obvious the moment your eyes met in the cafeteria, Bella. Your emotions were all over the place and so were hers."

"What was she feeling?" I asked suddenly, finding myself more curious than I should have been.

Jasper seemed mildly surprised by my outburst, but his surprise dissipated relatively fast.

"Surprise, worry, excitement, awe," Jasper replied, listing each emotion. "In truth, her emotions were jumbled and I had a hard time discerning between them. I wasn't focusing on her emotions too, since I was more concerned with calming the others down and trying to figure out why you were feeling the emotions you had at the time."

I furrowed my brow. "What was I feeling?"

"Mostly shock, with a bit of fear and confusion mixed in. There was something else though; something that I believe was more subconscious. I barely caught it since you were gone by the time it had registered to me, so I'm not quite certain what it was," he admitted.

"That stinks," I groaned. "Now what am I supposed to do, Jasper?"

"Have you considered speaking with Carlisle?"

"Yeah, I planned on it once he got home," I replied.

Jasper gave me a small smile. "Good. That's the best advice I can offer you, since neither of us know what it is that's going on. I hope you know that if you need to talk, I'm here for you, as are all of the others. Victoria's especially worried about her favorite little sister."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm not her favorite, Jazz."

He chuckled throatily. "Oh, but you are. She loves Jane and Rosalie immensely, but her bond with you is far stronger than the ones she has with them. You should know that since you're the one that brought her into this family, after all."

"Alright, alright, I get it. I know they're worried, and I know that you're worried. But I don't know what's wrong with me, so there's really no point in them worrying. Can you try to reassure them a little bit? Please?"

Jasper ran a hand through his long wavy hair. "I will. And I know you don't mean for us to worry, Bella, it's just how we are. I'm sure Carlisle can give you some answers or some advice at the very least, right?"

"I'm sure of it," I stated, glancing at the clock. Three fifty-seven. Good. Carlisle would be home very soon, since he got out of work at four o'clock. Jasper glanced in the direction that I was looking in and chuckled, shaking his head.

"You certainly are an impatient one," he mused.

"Oh, shut up," I growled playfully. "Why don't you and your fire-crotch go jump in the bushes together or whatever it is you do in your spare time."

Jasper quirked an eyebrow at me. "You stole that from Emmett, didn't you?" he asked.

I huffed. "So? Is it my fault that I'm not good with insults? Seriously, just go already."

He chuckled and tousled my hair. "You are something else, dear sister. But yes, Carlisle will be home soon and you'll want to speak with him about your problems. I hope it goes well. Just remember that if you need to talk with me or Tori or anyone else, you just have to ask. You aren't being a burden on us, Bella. Don't ever think otherwise, alright?"

I nodded. "Yes, Jazz. I'll remember that." We both got off my bed at the same time. He smiled and nodded to me before walking towards the door. "Oh…Jasper?"

He turned and peered over his shoulder. "Yes, Bella?"

I walked over and hugged him. "Thanks."

"Any time, sister," he replied, hugging me back.

Once we broke away, both of us walked out of my room at the exact same time that Carlisle walked into the house. I could both hear his soft footsteps and smell his honey scent emanating upstairs as Jasper and I both blurred down to greet him. Esme had already enveloped her husband in one of her traditional hugs while the others greeted him in turn.

"Hello everyone," Carlisle greeted. "How was your first day at school."

"Awful," Rosalie groaned.

"Boring," Jane grunted.

Emmett laughed. "I thought it was a little entertaining."

"I thought it stunk," Victoria complained. "I don't see how it could be fun in any way, Em."

"He's probably referring to the incident with Rosalie," Riley snickered.

Carlisle appraised his daughter. "What happened, Rosalie?" he asked, a hint of mirth in his eyes.

"Nothing," she replied, attempting to look innocent. Rosalie innocent? Yeah, right.

"She tried to maul one of the students," Jane giggled, turning her head when Rosalie shot her one of her trademark death glares. "What? It's true, Rosie. You did try to kill her. Well, you may not have intended to, but you sure as hell wanted to, from what Riley told me."

"Rosalie," Esme scolded, shaking her head. "What happened this time?"

"Nothing, I swear! All I did was chase the little bitch around!" she groaned. "That and threaten to rip her head off, but aside from that…"

Esme pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head, sighing. Rosalie had the good grace to look a little sheepish about her actions, though I knew that she didn't regret it one bit. Esme, despite the reproving look on her face, was unable to hide the obvious amusement in her eyes as her lips twitched. I give the woman credit; she knows how to keep a straight face.

Carlisle chuckled softly, then walked over to where Jasper and I were. "Bella, Jasper," he greeted in his always-gentle voice.

"Carlisle," Jasper and I greeted in unison.

"How did your days go?" Carlisle asked, genuinely curious.

Jasper and I both looked at one another before Jasper responded. "My day was fine, thank you."

Carlisle nodded. "And yours, Bella?"

I bit my lip. "It was…interesting."

I didn't fail to notice a few sideways glances from my other siblings as Carlisle appraised me curiously, obviously noting the tone of my voice. He didn't make a verbal comment on it, though, and merely nodded his head.

"That is good," he replied. "Well then, I am glad that, despite a few minor discrepancies, that all of you had a decent first day at school. I am sorry that things aren't as good as you would like, but I trust that you will adapt, as you always have. Now, unless anyone needs my immediate attention, I am heading up to my office."

"Alright, dear," Esme said, smiling.

"Dude, rematch," Emmett boomed, nudging Victoria. "You too, Jazz."

Jasper smirked and, after giving me a brief look, sauntered over to his mate and brother, plopping down on the couch alongside them to play a game. Rosalie decided to join in with them while Jane and Riley both watched on. Esme hummed to herself and danced outside, likely to tend to her flower garden in the back of the house.

"Bella, would you like to talk?" Carlisle asked softly.

I nodded. "Yes."

He nodded and started walking up the stairs, me a step behind him. I started tossing around how I would approach the subject at hand, namely asking him about these strange feelings and urges that I've been having for the past day and a half. Of course, I would have to tell him about the incident several years ago first, since that had a bit to do with it, too. Plus the Brandon girl, since she seemed to be a key part in all of this for reasons I didn't understand.

Carlisle held the door to his office room open for me, beckoning me inside. I smiled and gave him an appreciative nod before walking inside and seating myself in the comfortable chair in front of his desk, resting my chin on my palms. Carlisle calmly strode past me and seated himself in the chair behind his desk, clasping his hands together and giving me a thoughtful look.

"What's wrong, Bella?" he asked, clearly concerned. "You look troubled."

"You could say that…" I murmured, running a hand through my hair.

"Did something happen at school today?"

"Sort of," I replied. Damn it. Why was this so hard to get out?

"Bella, you know you can tell me anything," Carlisle said gently.

"I know, Carlisle," I sighed. "This is…a bit hard for me to get out, that's all."

He nodded in understanding. "I know, dear. You don't have to say anything if you choose not to, that's your right. I would like to help you in any way I can, though, because I can tell that there's something bothering you. I could see it in your eyes and in the other's eyes, Esme's especially, that there was something wrong. Please, share your thoughts."

I took in an unnecessary breath in order to figure out how I was going to explain this to him.

"Alright," I started, biting my lip. "Well, ever since the other night, I've been getting these really weird feelings and urges. I can't really describe them because I've never felt these types of things before, but they're really confusing and bothering me."

He nodded, taking on a thoughtful look. "Was there a specific moment in which you started to feel these strange urges? When you arrive home, perhaps?"

I shook my head. "No, I started feeling them when I went hunting with Rose," I explained.

"Interesting," he mused. "What happened while you were hunting?"

"Well, uh, I kinda chased after a deer because I wanted to have a bit of fun with it. I got so caught up with chasing it that I almost went into the town, so I killed it and fed from it before that could happen. That was when I smelled a human nearby…" I paused and sighed. "I, uh, I was curious about why a human would be out that late at night, so I kinda crept towards the scent, which was…just incredible."

He clasped his hands together, eyeing me curiously. "Describe this scent, if you would."

"It was…rich and sweet. It smelled like chocolate to me. It was probably the most delicious smelling scent I've ever been around. And I felt so drawn to it, Carlisle. Like it was a magnet pulling me in from afar. The strangest part was that I didn't feel thirsty when I smelled it, I felt all tingly inside and the urge to get as close to it as possible."

"I see," he murmured, rubbing his chin. "That is interesting, to say the least. What of the human in question? Did you get close to him or her?"

"It was a girl," I replied. "I, uh, I didn't know who she was at first because Rosalie grabbed me and dragged me off before anything could happen. It was weird because I felt like I wanted to go back to her despite the fact that she was a human. And then today it school, I found out that it's the Brandon's daughter, Alice. What really confused me was that, during lunch, I was the only one who could smell her scent the way that I did. It didn't stand out to the others the same way."

Carlisle cocked his head to the side. "Do you know this girl from somewhere, Bella?"

"Uh, well, kind of," I admitted, turning away from him.

"How so?" he inquired gently. "You do not have to respond if you don't want to."

I sighed again. "Do you remember about eleven years ago, when I came home looking rather…"

"Upset?" he finished, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, upset," I blanched, remembering that day again. I'd come home feeling more nervous and paranoid then I'd ever felt before. Jasper and Esme both calmed me down, but I refused to tell them anything. My mind had been a jumble from everything that had happened involving Edward's appearance and my exposure to the human, even though she was just a girl.

"Something happened back then," Carlisle murmured. He could tell by the look in my eyes right away that there was something I was keeping from him. He didn't look hurt or upset like I thought he would, just concern for me.

"I…I…" I grimaced. "I exposed myself, Carlisle, to a human. And that same human is now going to school with me, the very same human whose scent calls to me every time I'm near her, even though I try to keep away. The worst part is that every time I look at her, I see her when she was a child when I exposed myself to her to save her life."

"What happened?" Carlisle asked, no change in his demeanor.

"It was him," I seethed, remembering the twisted smirk on his face as he attempted to end the life of an innocent child.

Carlisle's face darkened. "I see. What did he do?"

"He tried t-to kill her," I breathed, shaking my head. "He tried to murder a little human girl, Carlisle. He would have run her straight over without a care in the world, and I know that he wanted to do it to torment me because of my weak control. I couldn't let him do it. I couldn't sit by and watch someone so innocent and pure die at the hands of a murderous bastard. So, despite the fact that it was sunny out, I leapt forward and grabbed her, saving her from being killed."

I ran the tips of my fingers through my long hair, staring down at the floor. Thinking of Edward always made me feel both sick and angry, like I could vomit despite the fact that there was no bile inside of my system anymore. I let out a shaky breath as I dispelled the images of the person I loathed most in all existence and looked at Carlisle, wondering what he was thinking.

Carlisle appraised me with placid eyes. "You did the right thing, Bella," he stated softly. "Saving that girl's life, even though you had to expose yourself to her, was the right decision to make, even if there had been other humans around. I take it that there weren't any others around at this time, were there?"

"No," I replied. "It was just her, which was weird because I wondered why any sane parents would allow their child to go out on their own like that."

He nodded again, agreeing with me. "What happened after you had to step into the sunlight in order to save her from being hurt?"

"She just looked at me," I replied, shrugging. "I turned her around and ran off as fast as I could, not even caring at that point if anyone else could see me. I was scared and worried and angry about Edward being there. But as I ran, I felt the urge to run back to her. It was a fainter version of the urges and feelings I've felt ever since I saw her again."

Carlisle seemed to think of something, pursing his lips as he did. "This is all very interesting to hear about. I have a theory of what it might be, but I am not one hundred percent certain on it as of yet." He tapped his chin thoughtfully before meeting my eyes. "Thank you for telling me all of this, Bella. I am glad that you have gotten it off of your conscience."

"You're not mad at me?" I asked, surprised.

Carlisle chuckled. "Heavens no, dear. Why would I be mad at you? You did a good thing by saving that girl's life. There is no reason for me to be upset with you."

"He's right, honey." I blinked and turned to see Esme standing near the doorway. "You don't have to apologize for doing what you felt was right." She walked over to me and wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a warm, loving hug.

"Esme…" I breathed, nuzzling into the crook of her neck. "How long…?"

She chuckled and squeezed me lovingly. "I've been listening through the door since you began to talk. I only decided to enter a moment ago because I could tell that you needed some reassurance. Honestly, Bella, as if your father or I could ever be angry with you over something like that. And what is this crap about me not getting let in on this secret, hm? Do you not trust your mother dearest to be a part of your story?"

I blanched. "Wha-no, no, that's not it at all, Esme. I just…I wasn't…"

Esme giggled and kissed me gently on the lips. "Hush now, sweetheart. You know I'm only playing around with you. You don't have to worry, I'm sure you would have told me about it eventually. I just couldn't resist listening in on it. But in all seriousness, we're not mad at you, honey. We're proud that you did what you did and we're sorry we weren't there to help you."

"Thanks mama," I murmured, hugging her tighter to me.

"Any time, dear, any time," she cooed. "Now, what's this I hear from Jasper about a young lady who's caught your eye, hm?"

I gaped at her. "Wait, what now?" I asked.

Esme pulled away from me slightly and lifted an eyebrow. "Don't try playing coy with me, little missy. So tell me, what's this girl's name? Do I get to meet her? Is she cute? Oh, I wonder if-"

"Esme!" I whined. "Stop! There is no girl that I like and I would certainly not bring her here!"

Esme put her hands on her hips and pouted rather petulantly. "Well why not?" she huffed. I forgot how childish Esme could be at times. It was usually a fun childish, sometimes even a cute childish, but it still surprised me every time I saw her that way. I mean, being the matriarch of the family, one would think that Esme would be more down-to-earth and serious. Nope. Not really. Not unless one of us was in danger or hurt, that is.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and shot Carlisle a glare when he chuckled in amusement.

"Esme, trust me, there's no one. I…" I paused and furrowed my brow in confusion. "I thought you said you'd been listening in to our conversation? I thought you knew what we were talking about was something different entirely, not some type of interest or anything."

Esme glanced at Carlisle. The two of them had one of their trademark silent conversations for a good minute or so while I looked between them, frowning at being left out. Once they'd finished, Esme turned to me and gently touched my shoulder, jarring me from my thoughts.

"Bella, may I speak with you for a moment?" she asked.

"Um, sure," I replied, standing.

She led me out of Carlisle's office and into her own personal room, where she often spent her time painting or drawing. I always loved Esme's room. It was such a bright, cheerful place full of beautiful paintings and other amazing works of art, like a sculpture of each of her family members and a perfectly drawn rendition of her and Carlisle's marriage. I often came in here to watch her work, astounded by how skillful she truly was.

Esme sat down on her usual chair and gestured for me to do the same, which I did. We sat in silence for a minute and a half as Esme collected her thoughts before she broke the silence.

"Did I ever tell you how your father and I met?" she inquired.

I bit my lip. "You were a teenager and you broke your leg while climbing a tree."

She nodded. "Yes, that's correct. Did I ever tell you how I felt when I first saw him?"

I blinked and thought back on it. "No, I don't think you ever did," I replied. "Why?"

Esme's warm amber eyes met mine and held my gaze as she spoke.

"When I first saw Carlisle, I was enamored by him. I'd never laid eyes on anyone as handsome or gentle looking in all of my life. I was so surprised that I couldn't even speak when he asked me for my name. It was quite embarrassing, actually." She paused and chuckled at the memory before sobering up and continuing. "He spent a good portion of his time just talking to me once I'd been treated. I felt so attached to him, like I'd known him all of my life. More than that, I felt empty whenever he was away from me and wanted to always be near him. I didn't understand it at the time, of course, but I was a child at that time."

"You were still human, too," I pointed out.

"That is true," she agreed.

"So how did you feel when you were released from the hospital?" I inquired.

"Devastated," she admitted. "I didn't know why, but I wanted badly to return to see him, even though I knew he was busy with his work. I never saw him again for many years because he left shortly after I'd been released. I always had him in the back of my mind, even as I grew older and tried dating other men. I had dreams about him from time to time and I would always imagine that I'd heard his voice or smelled his rich honey scent, which I thought was cologne."

"I remember how I felt when he changed me. How I felt so connected to him, in ways I never thought possible. I felt drawn to him despite barely knowing him and I felt as though that I would give the world for him to be safe. It was…strange at first, but he felt similar feelings. We allowed ourselves the opportunity to explore our feelings and came to one conclusion. We felt the way we felt towards one another because he was my mate, and I his."

I bit my lip and absorbed the information that she was telling me. It made sense. Esme and Carlisle were meant for one another, there was no way around it. You'd have to be blind, deaf and insane not to see the genuine love between the two of them. They were soul mates.

"Rosalie told me something similar long ago when her and Emmett ended up getting together, the same with Jasper and Victoria and Jane and Riley," I murmured, running a hand through my hair. "It makes sense, really, that you would know."

Esme looked at me placidly. "Bella, honey. There's a reason why I told you this."

I furrowed my brow. "Why?"

"Think about it, sweetheart. Think about how you felt when you saw this girl all those years ago and think about how you felt when you saw her now. Think long and hard on it."

I frowned, but did as she asked and thought about it. I remembered each emotion, each urge…

Wait.

"No," I breathed, gaping at her. "That's….that can't…that can't be right."

"Bella," Esme soothed.

"No," I stood up from the chair abruptly. "No!"

"Bella," Esme sighed, her voice still gentle, but a tad firmer. "You can't deny your feelings."

"I-but, y-you don't mean that…" I trailed off and plopped back down, staring at her. "That girl, Alice, she's…she's…" I was at a loss for words. This couldn't be happening. It didn't make any sense. No, there was no way…

"Go ahead and say it, dear," Esme urged, grabbing my hands and rubbing circles into the backs of them with her thumbs.

"My mate," I breathed. "Alice Brandon is my mate?"

Esme nodded. "Both your father and I believe so, dear. The way you reacted when you talked about her, how you described the feelings that you were having. Jasper even told me when I asked him about them, showing me what you were feeling. It was the same way that I felt when I first saw Carlisle all those years ago, the very same."

"But she's a human!" I exclaimed. "There's no way that she could possibly be my mate. I mean, I don't feel anything…"

I thought back on it, all the feelings I'd felt when my eyes connected with those piercing crystal colored orbs. How drawn to her I was through her amazing scent, how much I wanted to be kind to her and to be near her despite not even knowing her.

It all clicked together in the back of my head.

"My God," I breathed, staring at Esme. "So she's really?"

Esme nodded and squeezed my hands. "Yes, dear. This girl, Alice Brandon, is your soul mate."

A/N: Gasp! I didn't see that comi...oh, wait, yes I did.

Too soon for the revelation? Maybe. But Alice doesn't know yet, does she? So nyah. Ahem. In all seriousness, I do intend to draw this out a bit rather than jump in head first like some stories do. So while a few people might not be pleased, they will hopefully be pleased with knowing that it will be a while before Bella and Alice begin their relationship. But I won't say anything on it now, since there'd be no fun in that.

I hope that everyone is liking this story. I know, it might be a bit slow, but hey, it'll pick up as time goes on.

I liked writing a close Bella/Jasper sibling relationship. They never got that in the Twilight books, so I wanted to do them justice in my stories. There will be much more closeness between Bella and her other siblings, because I aim to give them all screen time. So the people who like good Jane and Victoria (and Riley, don't forget) will be able to see them develop more too. After all, if there's one thing I want people to know me for, it's for the way I characterize the characters. ;)

So...obligatory "I have three Tumblrs open" comment here. Might consider adding special Tumblr specific oneshots of some kind there, I haven't decided. Also, obligatory "go and read ManaMila's Fire's Angel" comment here. That story is a current favorite of mine and I really do think more people should read it. Other stories that deserve some attention are Stessa's "Once in a Blue Moon" and megster1992's "Full Moon". Just sayin'.

And I have some ideas for a few potential stories to work on once Blood Solstice ends. More details another time. Peace.