Making Plans

After Sam, Jacob, and Alice left, Carlisle decided it was time to call Rosalie and Emmett to let them know what was going on with Victoria. I helped Esme put away the leftover food and wash the dishes, while Edward went into the other room and began messing around with his piano.

I found it hard to believe Spring Break was nearly over already. Today was Friday, and school would be back in session on Monday. Speaking of which . . . "Are Edward and Alice planning to go back to school on Monday?" I asked Esme.

She nodded. "They did intend to, though I believe Alice will probably decide to attend school on the reservation with Jacob now."

"The other students are definitely going to notice the difference in Edward. Have you decided on a cover story?" I warned.

She shook her head, furrowing her brow. "Does he really look all that different?"

I nodded emphatically. "Absolutely. I strongly suggest claiming you guys left suddenly because he was diagnosed with a serious illness. Something contagious, in case they see Alice too. I'd be happy to put the word out if you'd like. Otherwise, they're going to hound him mercilessly. He's not intimidating anymore, so they won't keep their distance, and he can't read minds anymore, so he won't automatically know what to say to avoid suspicion. For safety's sake, you don't want the other students posting stuff about him on the internet, trying to figure out what happened to him."

"She's right," Jasper agreed, strolling into the room. "I'm sure the Volturi have someone monitoring the internet, and his name, coupled with rumors about a drastic change in appearance, might catch their interest. Victoria probably has someone monitoring the school as well, and we really don't want her knowing about the change in his status until we're ready to defend against her."

Carlisle came into the kitchen looking disturbed. "Rosalie has decided she and Emmett will be safer staying away from the family," he announced.

I had mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, it's unlikely Victoria will be able to track them down. On the other hand, if they do get targeted, they'll be defenseless.

"You left out a lot in your conversation with her, Carlisle," Jasper declared. "You didn't mention the possibility that she's not truly human, nor did you tell her about Alice's vision, regarding Victoria going to Volterra."

Carlisle frowned. "Alice's visions aren't as sure as they used to be, now that she's human again, and I saw no need to cause her distress before we have any answers."

"Have you run any tests yet?" I inquired curiously.

Carlisle shook his head.

"Well, I think a blood test would be a good place to start. You'll want to check their DNA and their reproductive status. Edward's would be the easiest. Just examine a sample of his ejaculate under a microscope and see if he has any swimmers. I'm sure you did the same when he was a vampire, so you can compare the two in your mind. You'll also want to see how venom affects their blood under a microscope to determine whether or not it's even possible to change them back into vampires," I suggested.

Carlisle grimaced and nodded. "That'll have to wait until later though. I have to get to work now."

I stared after him as he left the room. "He's in denial, isn't he?" I muttered under my breath to Jasper. "He's afraid of what he'll find, so he doesn't want to look."

Jasper looked at me, startled for a moment, then nodded. "Such a dangerous little human. I wonder if you have a gift for perception."

"Nah, it's just natural intuition," I blew off with a chuckle.

"Well, as much as I would love to spend the day with you, I need to scout out all the cities within 200 miles to see if Victoria has more newborns stashed nearby," Jasper informed me.

"Oh," I replied, disappointed. "I should get back to my house then, see if Charlie needs me. Harry was one of his best friends, and the funeral is tomorrow."

"How about I escort you home then and leave from there? I want to make sure Victoria hasn't circled around again after I chased her away yesterday," Jasper offered.

I quickly accepted and left with him, glad to get away from Edward's watching eyes. Whatever was developing with Jasper was too new to have my ex trying to interfere and spoil it.

Jasper outlined his plans and concerns for me on the way back to my house. Once we arrived, he requested, "Bella, I'd feel a lot better if you were to spend the rest of the day on the reservation with Alice. I know Jacob and the rest of the pack will protect her with their lives now, so if you're with her, they'll protect you too. I don't think Victoria will be brave enough to approach our house yet, but you clearly weren't comfortable staying there. We know getting to you is her main goal at the moment, and she's focused on this house. If she comes by in my absence, I don't want you to be here for her to snatch. Now that Jacob isn't head over heels for you, you're no longer a major priority for the wolves. Sad, but true. They will always protect their own first. Everyone does."

"Okay, Jasper," I agreed. "I don't want you to be distracted by worrying about me. I'll give Alice a call and see if she wants to hang out and get caught up on each other's lives from the past six months."

He waited with me until I called Alice, who eagerly agreed to have me come over and hang out with her. Emily and Kim had missed me as well, so we were going to have a girls' day, much to Alice's excitement. As soon as I ended the call, I found myself in Jasper's arms. "Thank you, darling," he drawled. "That eases my mind considerably."

I smiled up at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and running my fingers through his curls. I let my eyes fall shut as he leaned in closer, concentrating on the sensations. His hands ran up and down my back, his fingernails lightly grazing, feeling so good. His lips parted slightly as they met my own, blowing his cool breath against me. His tongue peeked out, brushing against my lower lip, requesting entrance. I let my own mouth open a bit and was surprised by the feel of his tongue teasing my own. I'd never felt anything like it before - my first french kiss. He tasted sweet, and I unconsciously sucked on his cold tongue like a Popsicle. It must've been the right thing to do, because he moaned and pulled me closer, his desire overflowing and pouring into me everywhere we were touching.

I gripped his hair and tugged, remembering how much he'd liked that last time. His kiss became even more passionate, his hands roving lower, over my hips, close to my backside. His fingers played with the hem of my shirt, and I held my breath, wondering if he would slip underneath. Groaning he pulled away, resting his forehead on mine for a moment as he struggled with our emotions, trying to calm us both.

I couldn't help the pout forming on my lips. I wasn't ready for him to stop. What is it with vampires and their infernal boundaries? At least Jasper's boundaries are a lot looser than Edward's were, I consoled myself. Jasper dissolved my sexual tension and frustration, leaving me feeling satisfied and content, even though nothing had happened physically to merit it. It didn't feel quite right. My body could tell it was manufactured rather than earned.

He could feel the hint of dissatisfaction and frustration still lingering and smirked at me. "Don't worry, beautiful. I promise I won't always leaving you hanging, but I don't want to rush into things physically before we're both ready emotionally. I want more from you than a simple fling. Even supernatural bonds that form quickly need to be nurtured to grow into something healthy. I jumped into things with Alice because I wanted the love she offered so badly, and she constantly lived in the future, basing her actions on what she saw things could be. We never took the time to build our relationship, to communicate our needs, wants, desires, hopes, dreams, and fears with one another, which is why our bond faltered so easily when she became human again. There was nothing tying us together once the supernatural pull to one another was gone. We had nothing in common, like you and Edward.

In the past, Alice would foresee an argument and the way around it. She knew how to get me to agree to whatever she wanted and simply took that path, so we never learned how to communicate effectively or work through our problems together. Without her gift to guide her away from issues and disagreements, to tell her just what to say or do to get her way, it all fell apart. She didn't want to work on things with me. She wanted me to be the same 'yes' man she'd had before, when she knew exactly which buttons to push. She'd never taken the time to get to know me and what I wanted or needed. She was always focused on herself and how to create the future she wanted to have.

So this time, I'm doing it the right way. I want something that will last no matter what, that could survive us both turning human, just in case. That's not the future I want, us being human. I want us to both be vampires, living and loving forever. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees in life though, so if it all goes to hell in a handbasket, I want to at least have the kind of bond Rose and Emmett have. Their love for one another is still incredibly strong, even if it isn't to the epic proportions it used to be."

How could I argue with that? I couldn't, so I simply smiled, sent him my acceptance, and gave him one more quick kiss, before sending him on his way and heading over to the reservation.

xxxxxxx

The next morning, I had Jessica and Angela come by my house for coffee and donuts. Jessica wasn't going to come at first until I told her the Cullens were back, and I had all the details. Suddenly, I was her best friend again. Could she be any more transparent? Of course, I was counting on her love of gossip.

When Jessica and Angela arrived, I led them into the kitchen to have our breakfast and chat. I heard my dad leave his room and start heading down the stairs, planning to head over to the reservation early and help with the preparations for Harry's funeral.

"So, Edward and Alice came to see me Thursday evening," I began. I heard Charlie freeze at the bottom of the steps, hiding just out of sight. Excellent! I want him to hear all this too.

"Oh, Bella! That must've been so hard," Angela sympathized.

"Really? Oh, my God! What did they say?" Jessica demanded.

I smiled at Angela and shook my head. "No, it wasn't hard. It was wonderful. You see, the reason I was so depressed all this time was because I thought Edward and Alice were dead. I was mourning them, so when I found out they were alive and well after all, it was such a relief."

"Why would you think they were dead?" Jessica wondered, looking at me as if I were stupid.

"The Cullens needed to leave so abruptly because several of them came down with a rare wasting disease, and the whole family had to go into quarantine," I explained. "Rose and Emmett brought it home with them from a visit to the tropics over summer break. Edward had just started coming down with it when they left. The thing is, he told me it was fatal, and there was no hope and no cure. He thought that would give me closure and allow me to move on, not thinking about how distraught I would be to imagine them all wasting away to death. He didn't want me waiting around for him when he didn't know how long it would take for him to get better, so he thought I'd be better off believing they were dead."

"Really?" Angela asked, shaking her head. "I thought he was smarter than that."

"I know, right?" Jessica agreed. "Guys are so stupid sometimes!"

I nodded in agreement and continued, "Then he thought I would just take him back, as if nothing happened, now that it's all over. I told him I was happy they were all still alive, but I wasn't the slightest bit interested in getting back together. He not only lied to me and disrespected my feelings, he lied to his entire family. They all gave him letters to give to me saying goodbye and including their new contact information, but he destroyed them instead and told his family I didn't want anything to do with them anymore. I'm not interested in a relationship with someone who's willing to deceive everyone who cares about him and who thinks it's okay to try and control me, thinking he knows what's best for me better than I do or anyone else does. He disgusts me, and I want nothing more to do with him."

I heard Charlie's relieved sigh.

"What an asshole!" Angela agreed, blushing from her use of profanity.

"So he's fair game then?" Jessica wondered.

"Jessica!" Angela scolded, appalled.

I laughed. "Yes, Jessica, he's all yours if you want him. I should warn you though, he doesn't look the same as he did before. He lost all his muscle tone and a lot of his intelligence. He's not a super hot model anymore. He's just a regular guy now, complete with pimples and peach fuzz."

Jess shrugged. "Okay by me."

I chuckled, wondering how long her infatuation would last after encountering the new Edward.

"So how many of his family members got sick?" Angela wondered.

I sighed and admitted, "Everyone except Jasper and Dr. Cullen. Alice has decided to attend school on the reservation, so you probably won't see her, but the illness definitely took its toll."

"Ohh, I see," Angela replied with a nod and an understanding smile. No doubt she figured Alice was ashamed to be seen in her current state by her former peers.

"Wow! It's like something out of a movie or something!" Jessica cooed, oblivious to the unspoken messages passed between Angela and me. "Poor Eddie."

"All the girls at Forks High have my blessing to try their luck with him. He won't be so high and mighty now that he's had a brush with death and lost most of his good looks and muscular physique," I suggested. "I may be angry and disappointed with him, but I do feel sorry for him too. I'm sure he's going to be overwhelmed with people asking questions, and I thought I'd ease his way a bit by sharing his story. I do have permission from the family to do so. He's still recovering and isn't strong like he used to be. I'm not going to be the one holding his hand and protecting him in person, because I don't want to give him the wrong impression, but I thought perhaps the two of you could help take some of the pressure off of him by answering the crowd's questions. Let him have a little breathing room."

"Oh, you definitely came to the right person, Bella," Jessica praised. She pulled her phone out and started texting all her friends.

"Thanks for letting us know what's going on, Bella," Angela asserted, watching Jess like a hawk. "We'll have Edward's back if he needs us."

Jessica grinned up at me and gave me a wink. "Don't worry, Eddie'll be in good hands. I'm an excellent champion."

I waited until she went back to her phone before rolling my eyes. Angela saw me though and hid her smile behind her hand.

xxxxxxx

AN: So what do you think the crowd at school will make of the new Eddie?