Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, or any characters associated with Twilight.

Reader Warning: While I will not be publishing any explicit sort of content, there may be some mention of physical/emotional abuse and, or sexual assault. I do not condone these behaviors, but due to the storyline, mentioning them will likely be necessary. I do realize that speaking/reading about these behaviors may be painful or triggering for some people. PLEASE, if this is you, just skip over this story, and I won't be offended in the least. I'd much rather it wasn't read than to have it cause anyone that sort of distress.

Authors Note: First of all I just want to thank you for reading this story. Some of you out there may recognize it, as I did have it published before. I am now in the process of re-doing it, because there were several things about the original that I did not end up liking. This version will be a bit different than the last, but not drastically so. I cannot promise regular updates. I tried that before, and it simply didn't work. As I republish, there may be frequent updates, and there may even be several chapters done in a day. This will likely be a rarity, though, and updates may take anywhere from several weeks to several months.

Reviews:

countryheart: They will definitely be getting closer soon, and everything will slowly be explained :)

USNeshama: I always appreciate your reviews; thanks for keeping up with the story!

Purple Majestic: That is an interesting idea, and who knows? Maybe it will happen at some point :)

xxxbulletxxx: Aw, that's so great to hear!

Kammi: You're so sweet! Your review brightened my day. Thank you!

Guest (Nativemoon): Thank you :)

Ann Glasgow: I appreciate that!

Bella shivered as Jasper walked inside the cabin, letting in a cold blast of air as the door swung shut behind him. He shook his head, flinging droplets of water onto the floor. "It's still storming pretty good out there." As if to confirm his statement, a flash of lightning illuminated the small house, quickly followed by a loud crack of thunder that rattled the windows. Bella wrapped her arms around herself, looking out at the barnyard. She had never been very fond of thunderstorms, and had always hid under the covers of her bed, singing to herself quietly until they passed, or she fell asleep.

She jumped as something touched her shoulder, then relaxed slightly when she realized that it was Jasper. He gave her a small, sympathetic smile, "Want some coffee?" "No, thanks," Bella shook her head at the offer, "You go ahead, though." She felt a little too jumpy for coffee, and instead finished putting away the dishes from supper. When the last plate was stacked on the shelf, she turned to look at Jasper, sitting and staring into the fireplace. The firelight gave his skin a warm glow, and she couldn't help but feel drawn towards him. He looked lost in thought, and was humming slightly, a small, lazy smile on his face. She didn't realize just how close she had drifted until he spoke, "Did you need something?" "What?," Bella looked down at him, then shook her head quickly, "Oh...oh, no, just...I'm going to bed. Goodnight." He chuckled lightly as she walked away, "Goodnight."

Later that night, Jasper lay on his pallet in the main room, listening to the rain pelting against the cabin. He was glad for it, because the land had been needing a good watering, but at the same time, it had prevented him and Bella from getting to town and talking to the Cullens about finding the baby. He sighed in frustration. It had been just over a week since he had mentioned adopting Bella's baby, and although she hadn't brought up the subject since that day, he knew that it was often on her mind. He had been watching her, when she didn't know that he was looking. Sometimes when she was cleaning, she would stop at his cradle that he had moved from the bedroom, and get a faraway look on her face. He knew that she was thinking about Grace, or Edward, and for a reason he couldn't explain, his stomach would clench, and he'd have to look away to keep tears from springing to his eyes. That in itself was strange, because he had never been one that was big on showing his emotions.

Suddenly Jasper sat up. He thought he heard a strange sound over the thunder and rain, like a kitten mewing, or someone crying. He pushed himself to his feet and listened intently. Bella. Jasper walked over to her doorway quietly. The door was creaked open slightly, and he could see the bed from where he stood. A strip of moonlight fell over the corner of the room, and he could see Bella turning in her sleep. She was whimpering, and from where Jasper stood, it looked like tears were streaking her cheeks. He stepped into the room, then hesitated. If she suddenly woke up and saw him standing there, he knew that she would be scared, and rightly so. On the other hand, it hurt him to see her like this, and he wasn't sure what to do. At that moment, her whimpers grew louder, and she actually let out a sob, "No, no, please-" Her sentence was cut off by another sob, and Jasper made up his mind.

"Bella," he whispered, gently shaking her shoulder, "Bella." The whimpering stopped briefly, but started up again just as soon. "Bella," he said louder, shaking her arm again. This time her eyes flew open, then widened when she saw Jasper standing over the bed. He jumped back as she flew into a sitting position, and pressed her back against the wall. "Hey," he held up his hands, "It's alright." Bella quickly wiped the tears from her face, "What are you doing in here?" "I heard you crying." She nodded, "Oh." "Bad dream?" "Um...yes. The storm was bothering me, I think." He saw her flinch as another crack of thunder rang out. "I'm fine," she said, trying to give him a convincing smile, but it didn't work.

He shook his head, sighing, as he walked around to the end of the bed, "Scoot over." She looked at him curiously, but did as he asked. "Jasper, what are you doing?" she asked as he crawled onto the bed. He moved forward until he was sitting between her and the wall, "Keeping you company." She hesitated, "I don't think you should." "Why not?" She looked at her lap as a list of reasons ran through her head. Honestly, she didn't mind the company. She was used to having Alice in her bed at night, and the last few months had been strange without the little girl beside her. She felt like she shouldn't be comfortable having Jasper this close, but she had been growing more used to his presence, and oddly enough, wasn't uncomfortable in the least...

"It isn't proper," Bella said, finally throwing out a feeble excuse as the answer to his question. She cringed inwardly, knowing it sounded ridiculous, even as she said it. Jasper surprised her by laughing out loud, "In case you forgot," he reached over, holding up her left-hand with the thin gold band on it, "We're married, darlin'. " Bella felt herself blushing, and was glad that the moonlight wasn't bright enough to show it. She shrugged, laughing a little. "And", Jasper continued, "You were crying, I want to help, and it's freezing in there on the floor. Won't you at least share the quilts for the night?" "Alright," Bella said softly, her voice shaking. She was suddenly nervous about Jasper staying in the same bed, and he heard the quiver in her voice.

"Hey", Jasper reached over, brushing a strand of hair back from her face, "It'll be alright." Bella nodded slightly, "I know." "We're just sleeping. We'll just be two friends sharing a quilt on a cold night, okay?" "Okay," she whispered. "I promise," Jasper winked, "Gentleman's honor." Bella had to smile at the look on his face, "I believe you." "Good," he laughed, stretching out on his back, "Now get some sleep."