Disclaimer: If I owned Twilight, it would be so much better.

Author's Note: I'm almost, ALMOST done with Jacksonville Blues. I just have to finish the last chapter and the epilogue is literally three words long, so there's that. I still love all of you, I just wish that some of the people who used to review would start again. I miss you all!

Jacksonville Blues - Revelations (James' Point of View) (1156)

I was browsing through the shirts when I heard someone clear their throat. I turned to see Bella standing behind me. "Hey, how did your talk with the short one go?"

"It was fine. James, he's back in the country," she looked down at her feet and scuffed them. "Now that Alice knows we're together, he'll try to find out where I am from her. And if he does…" she trailed off.

"So there's a we now," I laughed lightly. "I jest, for all of her veggie short fallings, Alice is essentially a good person. She'll try to keep her thoughts to herself."

"I know. I just don't know how much longer I can run," she looked like she was going to cry.

I started to panic. I had no experience with crying women. "It's gunna be alright. C'mon, let's get some new clothes."

"Oh, no, I couldn't take money from you," she flushed red.

"Bella, I have enough money to buy two small houses and a pony, and that's just in one bank account. If you don't want to pick out new clothes, I'll pick them out for you," I barred my teeth in a feral smile. "I think we should start at Victoria's Secret, I saw the sexiest bra just in your size."

She turned even redder. "We'll start at Macy's."

Three pairs of jeans, four t-shirts, a jacket, and a blouse -- not to mention all the things that I got -- later we were back in the parking lot. Without my vampire's strength it would have been impossible to stuff all of our purchases in my and Bella's tiny backpacks.

When the time came to choose a motel, there were two choices: adult and B&B with creepy owners. I wanted to go to the adult; Bella wanted to go to the B&B. We went to the B&B.

"Would you two like a room with two beds or one," the cozy woman at the front desk asked, smiling politely in a creepy manner.

"Two beds, please," Bella answered.

"So you two aren't a couple? That's too bad," she pulled one of the keys off the wall. "You're cute together!"

"It's probably because we're siblings," I slung an arm around Bella.

She gave me a look that almost melted the wallpaper.

"Oh, I knew it," the little old woman grinned and opened the door to our room. "Here it is! Just return the key when you check out," she retreated down the stairs.

The room was tiny. It had two single beds that took up almost all the room. They almost touched in the middle. "So much for two beds. It really doesn't make much difference."

"It makes all the difference," Bella dropped her bag on the bed. "I'm going to take a," she peeked through the narrow doorway in the corner of the room. "Bath and then I'm going to get a good night's sleep!"

An hour later she exited, refreshed and smiling. "That was the most peaceful hour I've had since I ran away with you."

I grunted.

"James?"

I grunted again.

"A while ago you slipped and called E-E-Edward your brother," she inhaled deeply. "Afterwards you told me that it was just a slip of the tongue and that the only reason you called him that was because you used to be in the same coven."

I grunted a third time.

"I don't believe you. I think that he's your real brother."

I turned to her. "And just what makes you think that?"

"Sometimes when I look at you quickly, I think that you're him. Your features are somewhat similar and you even sound a little alike. Please, James, tell me the truth."

My mind searched for a good excuse to lie, but found none. "Sit tight, champ, this is gunna be a long one."

She rearranged the pillows and settled herself into the bed. "Ready."

"Edward was-- is my little brother. I was born a year before he was, almost to the day! When I turned eighteen, my mom was so terrified that I would be drafted into the army that she sent me to Canada. For the first couple of weeks I wrote to her whenever I got the chance. Then I met Victoria.

"She was the most beautiful girl I'd ever met! After a week with her I was head over heels in love. I stopped writing my parents. I guess it worried them, because a little while later, dad came up to see what happened. He brought mom with him.

"They said that I should come back for a visit. At least for a week. But I was too caught up in Victoria. I told them that I was in love and they could have America, I was staying there," I stared at my hands. "I'll never forget the look on my poor mother's face when she heard what I said. It broke her heart. I never heard from her again.

"Just after they left, Victoria came in and asked me if I would like to live forever. Love does funny things to a man. I said yes and next thing I knew, I was a vampire. Then I heard that my entire family had died of the flu in Chicago.

"When I saw Eddie in the '60s, it was the best surprise I'd had in years! I thought we could be family again! By that time, Viccy had lost interest in me and when Edward came, she found a new toy to play with. It's a good thing that the Doc came and got him when he did, otherwise Eddie might have never gone back to being a veggie," I shrugged. "My life in a nutshell. Any questions?"

Bella was sitting straight up in bed. She was staring at me in a peculiar fashion. "Uh, Bella," I snapped my fingers in front of her face. "Are you alright?"

She lunged forward and hugged me. It came as a shock and for a minute I wasn't sure what to do. When she started to sob I really didn't know what to do. I patted her back (hey, it'd worked before!) and murmured comforting little phrases. When she didn't stop crying, I decided to ask what was wrong. "Why so blue, champ?"

"It's sad, that's all," Bella sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I wish you had gotten to talk to your mom before she died. Do you think she would have forgiven you?"

"Most likely. She was a very loving person," I felt a burning in the corners of my eyes. I realized that this must be what it felt like for a vampire to cry.

She sniffed again, then wiped her nose on her sleeve. "I think I'm going to get to sleep now. No offense."

"None taken. Go get some sleep, champ."

Bella adjusted her pillows, then briefly turned to me, glowering. "Don't call me that."