I don't own Twilight, Stephanie Meyers does.

Chapter 10

Bella sat on a chair drearily looking out the window. Her father sat on another chair watching a silent television. Their relationship had changed since Jasper's revelation to her but it was still strained. Neither seemed to know how to talk to each other.

She sighed dramatically and leaned her forehead on the cool window. She missed the Cullens. Missed Alice gracefully dancing through a room, her pixie voice chattering away about everything. Emmett playing a video game loudly and Rose rolling her eyes at him but secretly smiling with love at her boyfriend. Esme baking something for one of her many fundraisers and Carlisle when he wasn't working sitting at his desk looking at his computer. The Cullen home had been so lively, she had enjoyed sitting there with Edward and watching them as they interacted.

Bella glanced over at her father and caught him watching her with concern. She gave him a small smile. She knew he worried over her and she wished she could be brighter for him. She wished she was like the Cullens or her mother. Someone who knew how to fill in the empty spaces instead of someone who watched from the background.

She jumped when she heard a knock on the door.

"I'll get it dad." She said thankful for the distraction.

She opened the door to find a soaking wet Jasper. She looked up into his dark hood searching for some glimpse of his face. Her father had told her a little, he had scars that embarrassed him and caused him to hide himself, but it made her curious. Jasper sensed her curiosity and turned his head.

"Jasper!" Her father said startling Bella. She hadn't heard him get up. He grabbed Jasper's arm and pulled him into the house eagerly. Bella looked at her father strangely, but followed them into the dining room.

"Bella I have an extra coat for him in my room. Can you fetch it for him. It's the gray hoodie in the back of my closet. Also a towel might be nice." Charlie told her.

Bella stood there for a moment unwilling to leave. She was hoping to catch a glimpse of him. She let out another dramatic sigh before following her father's wishes.

She quickly found the hoodie and grabbed a towel. She stopped before entering the dining room hearing her father talking.

"She's calling me dad Jasper!" Her father was saying. Bella smiled she was glad it made him happy. She had even begun to think of him as dad in her thoughts instead of Charlie.

"I told you she loves you Charlie. Why were you both so relieved to see me when I came in?" Jasper asked. Bella's smile left her face. Charlie actually thought she didn't love him?

"I'm not Renee. I can't think of what to say. I know she's hurting and I want to help her but I'm afraid whatever I say well make her feel worse. I'm afraid I'm not enough so I say nothing ensuring it." Charlie said in self-disgust.

Bella's jaw dropped at this. She never understood just how much her father and she were alike. Hadn't she been thinking the same things before Jasper came? She heard Jasper growl.

"I've told you time and time again that you are worth ten Renee's. You are loyal and love deeply, with all your heart. Bella is just like you and worth ten Edward's. It's about time you both realized that." Jasper told him and Bella knew he knew she was there.

Bella entered the room handing Jasper the towel and hoodie. He took it from her hands and walked off. She stared after him for a moment biting her lip. He was so different than the Cullens. He didn't seem to want to be in the limelight. They were bright and beautiful. Even quiet Esme outshined everyone around her. Jasper seemed to melt into the shadows.

Her father cleared his throat and Bella turned to him. "Bells do you want to maybe go to Port Angeles? We could get dinner and stop at the book store?"

Bella smiled at him, she knew he would rather sit in his chair watching whatever sport was in season. He was offering for her. "I had stuff out to make spaghetti tonight." She told him.

"Why don't you teach Charlie how to make spaghetti? It's about time he learned to make something other than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches." Jasper said coming into the room with a fresh hoodie on.

"Hey I like peanut butter and jelly." Charlie said defensively.

"I told Sam and Emily you were cooking next Friday. They are bringing Paul, Jared and Jacob." Jasper told him.

Charlie froze and his mood soured. "Does he think Jacob…" He trailed off at Jasper's nod.

"Shouldn't that have ended?" Charlie asked a frown firmly on his face.

Bella looked between the two not knowing what they were talking about but concerned. Jacob was a good friend of hers.

"What's going on? Is something wrong with Jacob?" Bella asked her voice tinged with fright.

Jasper and Charlie looked at each other, silently communicating.

"Bells you know about the Cullens and Jasper but there is more going on in Forks. Because of the Cullens some of the Quileute have begun to change. They have become shape shifters able to change into very large wolves. Sam Uley was the first. He met Jasper some time ago and they formed a friendship. Jasper is the only vampire that the tribe accepts. Jared and Paul began to change later. Sam told us that the danger of so many vampires being near is what caused the change after so many years of having no shifters. We had thought that with the Cullens leaving it would stop." Charlie said. Bella stared at him her eyes wide.

"Is he sure about Jacob?" Charlie asked Jasper.

"I checked him out after Sam told me his concern and I have to agree with him. It's better to tell him with me around to help calm him. I believe he had already begun to change before the Cullens left. Hopefully no more will change. Though Paul does seem to enjoy being a wolf." Jasper said with a slight chuckle.

Charlie grinned. "Have you been playing tag again?" He asked.

Jasper outright laughed. "It's good training for them and I'll admit it's fun as hell to fluster them. They get a little cocky when they first change."

Bella cleared her throat. It was odd seeing Charlie laugh and talk about such strange things, but it was kind of nice too. The atmosphere between the two friends was so relaxed she couldn't help but begin to relax herself.

"Ready for a cooking lesson, dad? I don't want you to embarrass yourself in front of Sam." Bella said with a grin.

"Well umm…Bells I was kind of hoping you might umm…cook for me?" Charlie looked at her hopefully while asking.

Bella laughed. "Puppy eyes will not work on me. Come on I'll have you an expert at this before Friday."

They walked silently into the kitchen and Bella began to pull out ingredients from the refrigerator. Silence descended on them but before Bella could feel uncomfortable Jasper sat down at the counter watching them.

"Are you just going to sit there and watch my humiliation?" Charlie said with a wry look.

"Yep!" Jasper replied laughing.

"Oh quit hamming it up." Bella said with a laugh as she handed him an onion and showed him how to peel it then dice it.

They laughed and talked throughout the whole process. She learned more about the shifters and while she was worried for Jacob she felt better being informed. She also learned more about her father. She was surprised at some of the stories Jasper told. She had never realized how caring her father was. He helped out many in the community, people she didn't even know but Charlie cared about. It became clear through the night that Charlie really felt pride over his town and worked hard to help and keep safe the people who lived here.

Bella smiled later that night as she lay in bed, thinking over the whole night. She had fun, she wasn't on the outside looking in she had laughed and talked with Jasper and her father. For a while tonight she had felt bright and fun. It was a nice feeling.

She looked over at her dresser and saw the fern still sitting there. Tomorrow she would go see Jasper and finally give it to him. It was more than an apology now it was a thank you, though it would never be enough for getting her father back. She fell asleep with a small smile on her face.

Jasper stood in the corner of his porch looking into the forest. Bella was coming, for some reason he could sense her emotions at a greater distance than anyone else's. She was nervous and excited. He couldn't even begin to imagine what her purpose was for coming to see him.

She finally came into his view holding a small fern in front of her. She wore a nervous smile and Jasper shoved his hands into his pockets as her nerves seemed to infect him.

"I umm…I came to give you this." Bella said setting the fern on one of the rails not covered with a flower planter.

"Umm…Thank you?" Jasper said unsure what this was about.

"At first I wanted to apologize for hitting you." She said her eyes down and guilt rising in her. "Then everything happened and well I wanted to thank you for kicking me in the butt and opening my eyes. You gave me back my father. A fern doesn't quite cover it but…Thank you." Bella said.

Jasper just stared at her. He really didn't know what to say, the last two times they had talked they had fought. He hadn't liked her and she hadn't seemed to like him.

Bella cleared her throat nervously and started to walk backwards away from the porch. "Well I guess I should get back." She said a little dejectedly.

Jasper watched her for a minute as she turned and began to walk away. For some odd reason he didn't want her to go. He held out his hand and called her name. She turned around and looked at him a little surprised.

"Do you want to take a walk? I could tell you more about your father." Jasper said hoping she would decline. What the hell was he doing? He didn't like her and even if he did he had enough friends he didn't need more. If he became friends with her eventually she would see his face and he didn't know if he could take it if she looked at him in horror.

"Umm…okay but I would rather talk about you." Bella said.

Jasper walked down the stairs and started to walk toward the woods. He had a trail made that he liked to walk and it was the easiest one to take her on. She followed him. Her nerves began to ease and by consequence his did too. He felt her curiosity but she didn't say anything as they walked. Usually Jasper would be looking into the woods and enjoying the beauty but now he was distracted. He led her to a fallen log and motioned for her to sit down. She did and patted the log next to her, indicating he should sit too. Jasper shook his head and sat across from her, deep enough in the shadows that she wouldn't see his face but close enough to make comfortable conversation.

"So what was life like in Arizona?" Jasper finally asked. Bella looked a little surprised at his question but smiled all the same.

"Warm. I loved the heat, not everyone does but I did." She said.

"Did you have a lot of friends that you had to leave behind?" He asked wondering if that was the reason for her melancholy when she first arrived.

"No I was kind of a freak. My mom was my best friend." Bella said with a slight frown. Jasper cocked his head to the side and began to ask her more questions about her relationship with her mother. Bella answered willingly, telling him of her mother's many different endeavors and her childlike behavior. Though Bella obviously loved her mother Jasper began to get a picture of what her life had been like. Bella had been the adult. She had taken care of Renee and in consequence hadn't been allowed to have a life of her own. She should have had friends her own age but her mother had taken up her time with her own pursuits and needs. Jasper began to growl startling Bella who had been talking about a sky diving class Renee had got them both into.

"It's not right you know." Jasper growled.

"What do you mean?" Bella asked feeling insecure.

Jasper fought down his anger. "She stole your life. She forced you to be her companion keeping you away from people your own age. She shoved you into the shadows to feed her own ego and in turn destroyed yours."

Bella stood up her own anger rising. "Your wrong she opened me up to so many things, gave me new experiences and helped me grow into a responsible person." Bella defended her mother.

"In all those activities she had you join was there one of them that interested you? Ballet? Sky diving? Pottery? Long distance running? Bella I barely know you and I know you aren't athletic how could your mom not know? How come she didn't have you two join a book club?" Jasper asked.

"How do you know I like books?" Bella whispered in surprise.

"Well aside from the fact that I have seen your well worn books, your father told me. He often asked me my opinion on good books to buy you." Jasper said.

Bella sat down thinking over what he said. "She didn't mean anything. She loves me and I love her." Bella said looking to the side and not facing him.

"I know that Bella. I'm an empath remember?" He said pointing to his head. "She hurt you though." He held up his hands. "Without meaning to." He added.

"You are a wonderful person. When I was watching you I saw you with Edward in the meadow. You were so beautiful it almost made me hurt to look at you, sitting there with the sun shining in your hair and the wild flowers around you. I felt your love for Edward and I was jealous that you loved him so much. I wished someone could love me like that. You love so deeply…" Jasper said trailing off as he noticed her blush.

Bella cleared her throat. "Umm…we were supposed to talk about you." She declared sitting back down on the log.

Jasper chuckled. "What do you want to know?" He asked.

"What was your life like as a human? When were you turned? What was life like for you as a vampire before you came here? What made you decide to come to Forks?" Bella asked in a rush.

"I was a normal boy living in Houston, Texas. I was cocky. My looks and my charm go me anything I wanted. I think I may have had a touch of my gift even then without knowing it. I didn't take advantage of it though. I felt too much compassion for others to take advantage. I joined the confederate army before I was seventeen. I wanted to protect my home and family. I was young and brash and confident in my abilities. I was the youngest major in the confederate army." He said with pride.

" I met Maria and her sisters after evacuating people from Galveston. She changed me to help her regain territories she had lost." Jasper paused as he remembered the pain of the change, the confusion when he woke up so hungry…

"My gift doesn't work well with my hunger so I shut it off. I ignored it and became a monster." Jasper clenched his fist and dropped his head in shame. Bella said nothing and he felt no fear or judgment from her. She was a lot like her father.

"Maria was my lover and I thought I had her wrapped around my finger." He felt a burst of jealousy from Bella and it shocked him for a moment. He shook it off deciding that he had misjudged the emotion, it had to be disgust. "She had begun to take another newborn as a lover. She did that from time to time but this time she was ignoring me and I didn't like it. I thought I would make her jealous." Jasper gave a self-depreciating laugh.

"I'm not sure if it made her jealous or just plain mad. She tortured me, scarred me then ignored me. I left the southern armies and wandered a bit until I met a female vampire in a little diner. Her reaction to my scars…" Jasper trailed off the pain still fresh.

"I came here to avoid people. My gift resurfaced and I found it impossible to hunt humans. I began to only drink from animals and vowed never to hurt another thinking being. I met Charlie when he was responding to a call. He saved me from the loneliness. I owe him so much." Jasper said. He was surprised when he felt Bella's small, warm hand tentatively lay on his. He jerked his hand away.

"I'm sorry." Bella said embarrassed. He hadn't even noticed that she had gotten off the log and come to him.

"It's okay I'm just not used to being touched. When I became a vampire I was only touched in battle or while having sex. Never for caring, compassion or love. Charlie has patted my back and hugged me once or twice in friendship, but neither of us are touchy feely." Jasper told her.

Bella cleared her throat, her embarrassment fading. "I meant to show compassion."

"I don't deserve it. I'm a monster. The scars just show what is on the inside." Jasper said putting his head down. He felt her hand on his back and felt her rest a cheek on his shoulder.

"You're not a monster." She told him softly.

Jasper let her hold him for a bit, reveling in the warm feeling she gave him.

"It's getting dark, I should get you home." He said quietly. He didn't want to break the spell but he knew Charlie would worry.

She stood up and held out her hand. He looked at it for a moment before reaching out and putting one of his scarred hands into her perfect hand. He stood up and looked down at her hoping it was too dark for her to see his face, hoping she wouldn't jerk away from the feel of his scarred hand.

"I'd like us to be friends." Bella said.

He really shouldn't, his circle of friends kept growing even though he tried to stop it. First just Charlie, then Sam and Emily. Paul and Jared had joined the group and now Bella was asking him… He looked down at their entwined hands.

"I'd like that." He told her truthfully.

They walked together back to his home, neither letting go.