I know it's late, but I'm a night owl. And this is also a little late in updating, but I'm all done with my move, so the updates should be a little more frequent from now on.

A few readers weren't too thrilled with Carlisle in the last chapter, but what can I say? He's a vampire - like a real one. But he has reasons for his behavior. Bear with me, and we'll figure him out together.

Thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed, and also to everyone adding this to your faves and alerts. You're all awesome!

How do we feel about a few chapters from Edward's point of view?

This is all un-beta'd, so any lingering mistakes are all mine.

I don't own Twilight, but I'm just making a mess in her sandbox for my own pleasure.


An Exception to Every Rule

Somehow, we make it back to Carlisle's home, but I have no memory of the journey. It continues to rain, and after a while, thunder permeates the air. Carlisle leaves the umbrella at the back door, nudging me through the shop to the stairs.

"I don't expect an answer now," Carlisle says as we ascend the stairs slowly. "And you are not obligated to agree to my plan. But it would be preferable, Jasper. I value your presence, and already, I can see value in Edward's presence."

I stop in the middle of the stairs. "He has more value as my mate than as a member of your coven. And I did not come here to join you."

He smiles and steps closer until my back touches the wall behind me. "I did not go out to find a newly made vampire the day I found you, but find you, I did. Does Edward truly know of the bond we once shared? I was unable to show him before you stopped me."

The haziness dissipates as I stand there knowing what he showed Edward and realizing it was a mistake to stay here. I push my former teacher out of my way and proceed up the stairs to the apartment. "We're leaving in the morning," I huff. "This was a mistake."

He doesn't stop me, and I don't look back.

Edward is sitting on the couch in the living room when I come in slowly. He looks up to see me there, and immediately, I see the remorse on his face as well as feel it inside his heart. I'm confused, and I hurry to him instantly.

"Has something happened?" I beg him. "Are you all right?"

He glances to see Carlisle, speaking softly. "I've never embarrassed myself so badly," he says penitently. "And I never wanted to embarrass you." He bows his head, rubbing his face with the heels of his hands. "Or been disrespectful or angry or acted so selfishly."

I reach for him, cupping his neck in my hand. "Edward," I whisper, sooting him as I rub his neck gently.

He looks at me, his once anger-filled eyes now pleading and sorrowful. Then he looks at Carlisle. "Please accept my apology. I did not mean to raise my voice. Jasper is all I know, and Bella . . . She's so innocent, and I have become attached to her so quickly. She is finding a place in my heart and settling there quite easily."

I turn my eyes to Carlisle, sensing a small measure of guilt from him, but guilt nonetheless. He looks at me and then Edward, moving to the table in front of the couch.

"Jasper is your mate, Edward," Carlisle says reaching for Edward's hand to hold it between both of his. "He has been your protector, your teacher, your lover, and it should frighten you — the prospect of losing him. If it did not, your bond with him would not be complete. But I am no threat to you. On the contrary, I wish for your safety just as I wish for his. It was wrong of me to manipulate my power over you. Forgive me."

Edward reaches for my hand, still holding both of Carlisle's as he speaks. "I know you . . . loved him too, even if he did not return that love in the same manner. He says his life before he found me did not matter, but it does. If you had not found him, he would not have found me. So in a way, I should thank you. And if you say you can keep us safe, then I must believe you."

I expect to feel pride from Carlisle, but when I don't, I look at him to see a strained expression on his face and in his eyes.

"It is I who have disrespected the both of you," he confesses. "When I saw Jasper, I acted on instinct, and I should have used my conscience instead. It seems I have tainted our first meeting. Shall we begin again?"

As a gesture, he moves a hand to mine and Edward's, acknowledging our bond with a nod and a small smile. Edward glances at me, and I also smile, looking at Carlisle.

"Again," I nod, silently agreeing to forget his earlier transgression.

He nods and releases our hands and then Edward's. "I know this will please Alice and Esme, but I must warn you that Rosalie and Emmett are both rather vigorous when it comes to their mating. And we will all feed tonight to acknowledge your place here. What's ours is now yours," he says, rising and leaving before Edward and I can protest.

"Exactly what has just happened?" Edward asks, still holding my hand.

I should be angry, but I'm not. "I believe he just welcomed us into his coven," I say.

Bewilderment overwhelms Edward, and I turn him to face me and take his other hand in mine.

"It will be all right," I assure him. "Bella will remain with us, but these vampires will help keep us safe. The next few days will be a new experience for us all, but once the Guards are gone, perhaps we'll begin settling into our new home."

Heavy footfalls climb the stairs then, and Emmett emerges with a wide grin. He spots us and moves closer.

"What were you planning on doing with your purchase?" he asks, meaning the supplies from the hardware store. "There's enough to mend a moderately-sized house."

I glance at Edward, seeing a lovely blush in his cheeks as I look at Emmett again. "When we found Bella, she was inside an abandoned house. We had plans to fix its cosmetic problems to make it more liveable."

Emmett nods, still smiling. His emotions are easy to read as he glances over Edward and then our joined hands. "Forgive me for being so bold," he says, "but how do the two of you . . ."

Edward laughs, squeezing my hand, and I look at him, smiling widely.

"The same as you and Rosalie," I chuckle, "but different, of course. And you're forgiven."

Emmett smiles and shakes his head, speaking after a minute. "Everyone else is in the kitchen," he says, rising and prompting us to follow him. "Carlisle likes for us to meet like humans and share our thoughts. And I'm sure we'll all have thoughts on this."

We follow Emmett without question, and he leads us through the apartment with an unabashed smile on his face.

"I suppose there really is an exception to every rule," he says as we walk.

"In what way?" Edward asks.

"As you being mates but also forming attachments with a human — a female human most specifically. I'm intrigued how you manage this without the need to kill her interfering. But Alice has been chattering about this for weeks."

Hushed chattering catches my ears, and a few seconds later, Emmett steps into the kitchen with us behind him. Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie and Alice are all sitting around a small round table while Bella eats from a silver-looking plate full of food. It doesn't seem to bother her that she is sitting in a room full of vampires, and they do not seem bothered by her eating in front of them.

If nothing else, they all look very please with her appetite and her eagerness to please them.

"Jasper," Carlisle says, "Edward, please sit. There is much to discuss, and as soon as Bella has finished her meal, we will begin."

Slowly, I guide Edward to an empty chair which happens to be next to Alice as she watches over Bella. Emmett accommodates me with another chair before sitting down himself next to Rosalie.

The last of Bella's meal disappears slowly, and she gulps down the last of her milk before Esme steps in to take the pate and cup for them to be washed. Because they still keep several humans, this action of her cleaning in the kitchen must be something she's accustomed to.

"What's most important," Carlisle says from Esme's side, "is our survival. It's a two-day run to Tanya's coven, but if we leave now, it won't give us enough time to disassociate ourselves with the townspeople. If we leave without laying a trail, Demetri and Felix will be able to follow us through the wilderness."

"Their arrival is still imminent," Alice says with her eyes on me and Edward. "If they find Bella here, we won't be able to stop them from taking her. Every time I look, I see them overpowering us." Her eyes never leave Edward's, and he looks at me without saying anything.

I know whatever she's seen has something to do with him, but I don't know what she's seen. She's worried and scared, and Edward is confused and . . . angry. Whatever he's seen, it isn't good.

"Then we will need to be even more cautious," Carlisle says. "We can't leave the safety of the apartment until it's safe to travel. So far the next two days, we'll devise a plan to get Bella to safety until we can ensure Aro won't be able to send more guards."

"How will you do this?" Edward asks softly.

Carlisle says nothing, but he bows his head.

"In the meantime," Esme says, "we need to keep our strength up, as well as Bella's, and we'll have to do extra sweeps of the town to ensure we're aware of Demetri and Felix's arrival as soon as possible. Rosalie and Alice will help me get everything ready for tonight. Until then, we need to stay inside."

"What about our house?" Bella asks.

Carlisle glances at Emmett and then Rosalie. "How far away from town is this house?" he inquires.

"Approximately ten kilometers," I reveal.

He looks at Alice and Esme, obviously thinking over what I've said. He doesn't say anything, but Edward's confusion increases slightly.

"Emmett and I will go there tonight," Carlisle decides. "If it's not a lot of work, we should finish before the sun rises."

"But after you feed," Esme stipulates.

No one argues with her, and it's settled.

The afternoon disappears as Alice, Esme and Rosalie vanish in the depths of the apartment to prepare for the meal tonight. The rain stops, and the sun comes out while Edward and I pace around our room. Bella sleeps the few hours away, and her emotions simplify.

While I'm watching her, I think back to what Carlisle said earlier when we talked and when he showed Edward his plan.

"I know Carlisle plans on killing Demetri and Felix if he has the chance," I say, and Edward stops pacing. "What did he show you?"

Edward turns his eyes to Bella as she sleeps. "He said, in so many words, that it was my responsibility to keep Bella safe," he explains. "And he sees in my mind and my heart much more clearly than I. How I am to protect her, and from what or whom, I do not know. But his insistence was plain." He stops and looks at me. "Jasper, I don't want this to happen, but I can't seem to stop it. What am I supposed to do?"

I hurry to him as he begins weeping, stepping in front of him and taking him in my arms as I did when I first saw him. He latches onto me with such ferocity that I'm astonished at his strength but also his fear. "Edward," I whisper. "It's all right. For now, it's all right." Then I move to sit on the bed with him. "You found her, and you helped her see she was not alone. My attachment to her is just that. Attachment. I've come to care for her a great deal in such a short period of time, and I would have nothing happen to her. But I can see much more than that in you. And it's all right. We shouldn't presume we know how this will end when it's just beginning. Please, my love. Do not be afraid until there is something to fear."

The bed moves behind us, and we both look to see Bella awake and watching us from the other side of the bed. Sleep in her eyes and on her face disappears slowly, and she extends her hand to us. Edward moves instantly, laying over the bed in front of her and taking her hand in his. I rise slowly, meaning to step away when Bella reaches for me.

"Don't go, Jasper," she pleads.

I'm helpless to resist, moving around to the other side of the bed and laying down with my chest to her back. Her little body fits inside the shape of mine, and Edward scoots closer to form a cocoon around her.

There is no tension in Bella's body as she lays her forehead against Edward's and closes her eyes again. She doesn't sleep, but she feels content and happy. This is something I know draws me to her. Whatever plans Carlisle has, this here with me now is all I care about.

I'm more relaxed than I've been in a while when I feel it.

Fear. A lot of it. From more than one person. More than one human.

I don't remember this when I was with Carlisle, but the more it grows, the less I can ignore it, leaving Edward with Bella to keep her safe while I investigate this feeling.

The hallway outside our door is empty, and I step into it without making too much noise. From here I can hear Rosalie and Alice's voices as they whisper so softly that I can barely detect them.

I have to strain to listen, but what I hear doesn't surprise me.

"You should've told Carlisle everything you saw in the beginning," Rosalie hisses to her coven mate who may as well be her sister. "You've been watching for this for months."

"He didn't know that until today!" Alice hisses back. "How was I supposed to know for sure what Edward's power was? I only saw the girl and Jasper. I saw fire and someone on fire. I couldn't piece it together until now. Be careful with him. Esme told you to stop scowling at them."

I know what they're doing without seeing them as they prepare the humans with them for feeding all of us. I move down the hallway enough to feel at least seven humans with them — but two of them were not here until today. It's their fear I'm feeling. It's a boy and a girl from the village, and they've been drugged to be brought here.

This is a common practice among vampires who do not wish to hunt for their food. I don't always like thinking of humans this way, and I know Carlisle doesn't either. It's the lesser of two evils, especially when considering all the noise a frightened human can make when they're running from a predator. When I was with Carlisle but still working to master my ability, I had been given the task of keeping our humans relaxed. It was an arduous task, and an exhausting one at that.

Why didn't they ask me to help them? If I'm a member of their coven now, the opposite of what Carlisle said earlier is also true. What I have they can use to survive. It's how we survived before I left.

"Damn it, he urinated himself," Rosalie grumbles.

Alice follows suit, releasing the human in her hands. "I'll start the bath. Watch them."

A door down the hallway opens, and Alice steps out, turning to see me there and stopping in her tracks. She doesn't say anything, and neither do I. I've surprised her, and not in a good way.

Rosalie comes out then, obviously to inquire as to why Alice has stopped, and then she sees me and huffs loudly. "Well, are you going to help or not?" she demands.

I know this is Rosalie's way, and without waiting for at least a polite request, I move closer to them and then step into the room where the boy and girl are being kept. They're even more afraid of me, but I change that quickly, sitting at the girl's side as she watches me with new wonder in her blue eyes.

"It's all right," I soothe. Then I look at the boy. "Everything is all right. You're both safe here."

That settles everything, and while I hold the girl closer to keep her calm, Alice comes in for the boy and takes him across the room for a bath. Rosalie just stands and watches.

About ten minutes pass, and Alice returns with the boy as he walks naked in front of her. She gives him clothes and then moves around to where I'm sitting.

"Jasper," she says laying her hand over my shoulder. I look at her, and she lifts her palm to my cheek. "I've missed you."

I speak more honestly to her than I did the last time I saw her when I left. "I've missed you as well."

She smiles and steps back to Rosalie's side so they can tend to the other humans who are already accustomed to being here. They leave without saying anything, and I don't move from the bed as the boy sits down across from me.

At least while I'm here, I'll have some sort of function.


I'd say that was unexpected, right? Or maybe it wasn't. I'm feeling it out for right now, so let me know what you think.

And chapters from Edward, yes, no?

It's not too late, but I've got that other job that pays for the expensive crap in my room to get to, so this will be all for now.

Goodnight!