All characters from the Twilight Saga belong to Stephenie Meyer.
I am only having a bit of fun and do not own or profit from any of
the characters/story.

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Delivered

Chapter 11

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Over the next couple of hours I kept running through the conversation I had with Carlisle. Bella was still sound asleep, but I was making sure to pay attention to her emotions in case she needed me.

What could this mean for Bella? Was it a coincidence or was there some deeper meaning that needed to be worked out? I didn't know, and it was driving me crazy.

Carlisle had gone on to tell me that Bella had been listed as missing from the time she ran away into the streets of Phoenix. Some of Charlie's close friends back in Forks had arranged for searches to be done throughout Arizona, but as we now know, they never found her.

I had to kick myself more than once for being happy they never found Bella. How fucking selfish can I be? I suppose our paths may have crossed even if she would have been found and taken back to Forks, but I can never be sure. However, because I can't change the past I can't stop myself from being thankful that Peter and Charlotte had found Bella and gave me the chance to find her 2 years later.

When I had gotten off the phone with Carlisle, I heard Peter and Charlotte returning from their extending hunting trip and headed downstairs to greet them. I immediately told them what Carlisle had discovered, and they were shocked at the thought that vampires may have been involved.

We discussed possible scenarios, deciding that for now we wouldn't share the information with Bella. As long as we knew she wasn't in danger, there wasn't a point in scaring her. However, if we ever found a definite answer one way or the other, I would tell her. I was determined not to keep secrets from Bella longer than I had to.

"What about her godmother, Jasper? Did Carlisle find any information on Debbie?"

"I am guessing he didn't know to look, and I forgot to mention it. I will be talking to him again in a few days and will see what information I can find."

That conversation didn't last much longer though, as I could see the mischievously sly grin that Peter was flashing me. Charlotte also looked rather pleased with herself.

"So our little Bella spilled on her past, did she?" Once again Peter had that smug look that always made me want to deck him. This time, Charlotte beat me to it and smacked the back of his head.

"God, Peter can you be any more insensitive? I know you are razzing Jasper and not playing down Bella's experience, but give it a rest." Her eyes that were narrowed at Peter softened as Charlotte turned to me.

"It really is amazing that she told you, Jasper. Like we mentioned, it took her almost a year to be that comfortable with us." The pleased look made its way back to Charlotte's face then. "Can I also assume, considering that you are covered in Bella's scent, that you two have gotten physically closer?"

I grinned at her, unable to hide my elation. However, this was the action that pulled the smug smile right off Peter's face. Good!

"Relax, Peter. I didn't take advantage of Bella, nor will I ever take advantage of her." Peter relaxed a little, but still looked wary of what I was going to tell them.

I hesitated, unsure of what their reaction would be when Charlotte sat down on the couch, patting the spot next to her.

"Sit with me?"

I complied; sitting next to her while Peter took the chair beside the couch, still glaring at me. I relaxed slightly when I realized that under all of Peter's fierce protectiveness, he was also feeling hope and acceptance. Charlotte was also feeling protective but was practically bursting with excited curiosity.

"Jasper, you know what my gift is, yes?" I nodded. Charlotte was able to see a variation of a person's aura.

"Well, there are only so many different colors that represent what auras look like to me, and I rarely come across anyone that has a unique color. Oh, it's true that there are unique variations for each person, but the underlying colors are limited to a select few. Understand?"

"I do Charlotte, but don't you see auras differently than how other people who have the gift to perceive them?"

"Exactly. The way I see an aura is more like it tells me a story; where someone has been, where their destiny may lie, what their heart feels. The effect and what I can see is different depending on the person and the situation. It's very hard to explain, but in a way I have gotten so used to it that I rarely notice any more. It is helpful in hunting though," she winked at me, "but let's not get into that right now." Charlotte smiled.

I realized that when she mentioned hunting the burn at the back of my throat flared up. I was getting thirsty and would need to hunt soon. I had become very accustomed to Bella's blood, but I didn't want to take a chance.

"Actually, I will give you an example, Jasper. I know that you are getting thirsty by looking at your eyes. But I can also see light brown being intermingled with your normal aura. While this color might tell a human who reads auras that you thirst for knowledge, the way my gift works is that it tells me you are thirsty and need to hunt." Charlotte paused, looking at me expectantly.

"Damn, Charlotte, don't let Carlisle get a hold of you! He'd have a hay day exploring different theories on how that shit works." It really was fascinating but I was wondering where Charlotte was going with this.

Laughing lightly, Charlotte continued, "Your aura was always one of my favorites, Jasper. It really is beautiful." She paused and took my hand in hers. "Normally it's an aqua blue, a bit of dark blue, some red and there are silver strands wound throughout. However, there are other colors constantly weaving their way through depending on what is happening in your life at the time." She squeezed my hand before letting go again.

"You are very complex, Jasper, and very unique. I have never come across another individual that shares such a deep aura." Charlotte raised one eyebrow, looking thoughtful. "That is, I should say I never came across another individual that shares such a deep aura, until I met Bella. I recognized the similarities immediately and it only seemed to grow as she healed." I shot my head up to look at Charlotte.

"It's true, but that isn't what told me you were meant for each other." Where was she going with this? I was fascinated. "Jasper, that first night you arrived on our doorstep protecting Bella, my suspicion was confirmed as I looked at your auras so close together. Peter and I had a feeling you two would be close, but I never thought it would be like this."

"What are you saying, Charlotte?" Peter spoke up, as impatient as I was to know what Charlotte was trying to explain.

"Tonight Jasper, when you came down the stairs I could see it. It was obvious from the look on your face and by the way you have Bella's scent on you, but what you can't see or smell is something I never thought was possible."

"Charlotte!" I groaned, begging her to get on with it. "What? What is it that you see that is so damn fascinating?"

She took my hand again, and I noticed that she wasn't meeting my eyes. Charlotte was glancing behind me, appearing to stare at nothing while smiling softly. "Jasper, did you fall in love with Bella? Did you tell her that you love her?" Peter growled but Charlotte shot him a warning glare that quickly shut him up. His jaw, however, became tense.

"How can you know that Charlotte?" She looked at me, boring into my eyes as if forcing me to reply. "Yes! Alright? Yes, I fell in love with Bella. Yes I told her how I feel. What does that have to do with what you are trying to tell me? Spit it out, Charlotte!"

"The best way to explain it, is that you are connected, Jasper. Even now when Bella is asleep upstairs and you are sitting here being impatient with me, you are connected. Her aura is very literally flowing into yours, as yours is flowing into hers." I couldn't stop the gasp. My chest seemed to tighten, my eyes wide with shock.

Charlotte placed her hands on my shoulders, stopping me from jumping up from the couch. "What I am so amazed by, Jasper, what I have never seen before, is that you and Bella are truly Soul Mates. I believe that even if Peter and I hadn't brought her here, you and Bella would have met at some point. You truly belong together. It's almost as if there is a bridge connecting the two of you and neither one of you is complete without the other."

I was dazed and trying to comprehend what Charlotte was telling me. "What…What does this mean, Charlotte?"

"I really don't know what the extent of this very real power is, Jasper. It is all very new to me." Charlotte's eyes had trailed up once again, staring at an invisible point above my head and lingering now and then up the stairs. "I would say that you really don't need to worry about it right now. Continue getting closer to Bella, let the relationship progress in what ever way feels natural."

Charlotte stood up, pulling me with her. She wrapped her arms tightly around me. "I'm so glad it was you, Jasper. You need each other so desperately. You fulfill a role in each others lives that no one else in existence will ever be able to fill. Take care of her, love her." Charlotte leaned back, moving to grasp my shoulders and was holding me at arms length. "Never let her go, Jasper."

All I could do was shake my head and answer honestly, "I wasn't planning on letting her go, Charlotte. I'm just amazed to learn all of this, and a little overwhelmed. But really it doesn't change anything. I had already felt like Bella was the missing piece of my puzzle."

I pulled Charlotte into a hug of my own, "Thank you for telling me. Thank you for keeping Bella safe for me until I found my way to her."

"Ah hem…" I jumped as Peter cleared his throat behind me. I had completely forgotten he was in the room. "I hate to break this up, but do you mind letting go of my wife so we can talk for a minute?" There was a smile on Peter's face, and with the emotions he was feeling I knew he had calmed down, but I was still cautious.

"What is it, Peter?"

"I am really happy for you, Jasper, I am. This is all just crazy to me, but I always had a feeling you and Bella would get along well." Peter looked at me with his head tilted to one side, "I just didn't realize you'd get along quite this well." And although Peter was still feeling acceptance, he was also very determined.

"You know I'm not the type of guy to get all emotional, and I don't plan on starting now." I tried to hide a smile. I knew Peter was very emotional; he just hid it well from most.

"Cut the shit, Jasper!" I guess I wasn't hiding my smile all that well after all. "I'm being serious here, Brother."

"Of course, sorry Peter. Please, continue."

"Alright. Now, from seeing you and Bella together over the last few weeks I knew you were bonding. And now hearing from Charlotte that the two of you are getting closer physically while your auras are basically doing the nasty, I understand that you and Bella being together is inevitable."

My eyes darted to Charlotte who was hiding a smile of her own and then back to Peter. I have a feeling this is going to be a bit awkward.

"Look, Jasper I can see you care deeply for Bella but she is the closest thing I will ever have to a daughter. I want her to be happy and I will totally support your relationship." Peter looked at me with an evil smile. "But I swear to god that if you fuck her over, or hurt her in any way I will tear you apart, wait for you to fuse back together and then tear you apart again…slowly."

Peter had his arms folded in front of him, daring me to challenge him. I knew better. I wasn't afraid of Peter, but I knew what it took for him to say those things and I could feel how deeply his love for Bella ran.

"Peter, I understand. I would never do anything to hurt Bella. I feel how strongly you and Charlotte feel for her, and I completely respect that. I also want you to know, and I told Bella this, I would never expect her to cut you out of her life." I broke eye contact with Peter to look at Charlotte. "You are her family."

"Thank you, Jasper." Charlotte's eyes were bright.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, I felt Charlotte's emotions change. "Jasper, can I ask what your plans are as far as Bella is concerned?" I knew she wasn't really asking. Charlotte was demanding an answer nicely.

"Certainly. If it's okay with you two, I'd like to take Bella to meet my family. I was thinking I would ask her to make the trip with me a week or two after her birthday." I knew this wasn't what Charlotte meant by 'plans', but I tried anyway. I failed.

"Jasper, now you know that isn't what I meant. I want to know what your long term plans are so start talking" She sounded like she was scolding a 5 year old, but all the same I knew better than to deflect her real question a second time.

"Charlotte, please understand that I haven't even talked to Bella about this at length. Of course I want her with me for eternity. Of course I want her to be changed. Everything is very new and I don't want to make Bella feel pressured."

"You know, Bella wanted to be changed shortly after Peter and I brought her home with us." My eyes widened, surprised. "We told her she had to wait until she was at least 18 though. She was so young when we found her. And as you know Bella turns 18 the day after tomorrow." Charlotte paused, and I was trying not to get lost in my own thoughts when Peter spoke up.

"Keep in mind that we haven't talked about her being changed into a vampire for some time now. I suppose she may have changed her mind." I couldn't help the stab of anxiety I felt at Peter's words. Was it possible that Bella wouldn't want to be changed?

"There is plenty of time for that, Charlotte. I am sure everything will work out." And I knew that I was trying to convince myself of this as much as I was convincing Charlotte and Peter.

From the look in Peter's eye, I could tell that I wouldn't like where the next question was going.

"So, Jasper, if you aren't going to push for Bella to be changed right away, does that mean you're gonna keep it in your pants for now?" Peter was joking, but it was impossible to miss the hope in both his emotions and his eyes.

Charlotte reached over and smacked him on the back on the head again, "Ouch! What the hell, woman! I have every right to ask him that! This is our Bella we're talking about here!"

"It's none of your business, Peter! I trust Jasper to keep Bella safe, and it's up to the two of them to decide on what their physical relationship consists of."

I started walking out of the room while Charlotte was defending me. I appreciate her words, but this conversation is over.

"I'm going to hunt but I'll be back soon. I think this little chat has gone far enough for one night." I smiled at Charlotte, letting her know how much I really did appreciate everything she had said. "I won't be long, but if you hear Bella getting restless I have my cell phone."

And as I turned to walk out into the refreshing fall evening, I heard Peter getting in the last word.

"Just remember, Jasper…tearing…small pieces…slowly." I let Peter enjoy his good intentioned ribbing and continued on my way. As much as I knew I would never hurt Bella, I knew Peter would never be far away making sure I didn't.

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I was having a hard time getting into my hunt. I was thirsty and needed to find something, but everything I had learned tonight was refusing to leave my head even for a moment.

I wanted to talk to Carlisle more about any danger he thought Bella might be in, though this was mainly just for my own peace of mind. It had been more than 2 years since the deaths of her family and surely if someone had been after her, they would have succeeded long ago. I shuddered at that thought, pushing it into the back of my mind for now.

I was beginning to go through my talk with Charlotte and about the connection between me and Bella when I finally caught the scent of dinner. There were a few moose close by, but there was also a bear not much further away that sounded, and smelled much more appetizing. I forced myself to give into the hunt, knowing that the longer I took quenching my thirst, the longer I would be away from Bella.

It didn't take long for me to catch up with my prey, a large Brown bear that had been lazing around at the mouth of a cave. I drank quickly, getting my fill and disposed of the carcass.

As I made my way back to the house, already feeling the full effect of the restlessness that occurs when I'm away from Bella, I allowed myself to think about the connection Charlotte was able to see.

It really was astounding to think that Bella was my true soul mate. Considering how I fell in love with her so quickly I suppose it shouldn't surprise me, but I was still wrestling with absorbing all the details.

Thinking about the connection with Bella, I began to long for her. The bond Charlotte had explained seemed extremely intimate and I was instantly reminded of how long it had been since I had touched Bella.

I missed her warmth.

I missed her heartbeat.

I missed her deep, penetrating eyes.

I wanted to touch her. No, I needed to touch her.

I wanted to kiss her, and not just the sweet kisses we had shared up to this point. I wanted to truly taste her, to know what her warm tongue would feel like on mine. I knew I would have to be careful, but being careful with Bella had become almost second nature. It was as if my body instinctively knew to be gentle with her.

I noticed that with each new realization I had begun to move faster and faster back to the house. My legs couldn't move quickly enough to get me to My Bella. My Darlin'. I knew Bella would be asleep, but I didn't care. I needed to feel her. I would never take advantage of her while she was unconscious, but I could at least be close to her and hope that she would wake up.

I realized with that thought how selfish I was being and that I should let Bella sleep, but I couldn't find it in myself to stick with that conviction as I ran even faster.

The closer I got to the house, the less anxious I was feeling and when I finally crossed the threshold I was relieved to find that Peter and Charlotte had retired for the night. I love those two, but I couldn't take anymore tonight.

I dashed up the stairs and literally had to drag myself into the shower. I had thought for a moment I should just skip it, but it was a necessary step after a hunt…especially after that bear.

I washed quickly, dried off and threw on a pair of lounge pants. I didn't bother with a shirt. The new confidence I had with allowing my upper body to be seen was quickly overshadowed with the thought of having my skin next to Bella.

With that thought I made my way across the hall and carefully opened the door to Bella's room. I was settling into the bed beside Bella in less than the blink of an eye. Now that I was beside her, and could feel her warmth, I forced myself to calm down. The sudden need to be near her had created a frenzy in my nerves. I took a few deep, very necessary breaths and let each one out slowly, and although I felt myself relaxing I still felt a deep need to touch Bella.

I had removed Bella's jacket when I laid her in the bed earlier, but she was still wearing a long sleeved shirt from today. She was lying on her side, facing away from me, her arm bent at the elbow with her hand resting under her cheek.

I couldn't wait any longer. Whether Bella was asleep or not, I had to be closer to her.

I rolled onto my side and inched in closer until I was in what would be considering a spooning position, except that I wasn't quite touching her. I finally, tentatively brought my hand up to rest on Bella's elbow, and the moment I made that simple contact I felt a tingling sensation flow from the top of my head down to my toes. What should have been enough to placate me only left me with a desire for more.

I slowly, gently ran the tips of my fingers up the length of Bella's arm to her shoulder. This was a path I had followed many times during previous nights with her, but tonight it felt like something more. Although it still wasn't enough.

I reached her shoulder, and followed the same path back to where her elbow was bent and lingered there, enjoying the warmth that radiated through her shirt. I began drawing small circles through the fabric, following Bella's arm towards her wrist. I leaned forward in an attempt to touch more of Bella's arm without waking her, but in the back of my head I knew I desperately wanted her to open her eyes.

From leaning forward to reach more of her, my chest was now pressed against Bella's back and I had to fight to keep my composure from the feeling this contact was creating. I took another deep breath and stretched out two of my fingers to gingerly run them along the length of her jaw.

Bella sighed and as I started to draw back for fear of waking her or startling her, I felt Bella's hand close around mine. Bella's heartbeat sped up as she brought my hand to her mouth and touched each of my fingers with her lips as her hand ran down my arm, leaving a trail of fire.

I had been touched by women before, but even just the simple touch of Bella's lips on my fingers and her hand on my arm left me begging for more. My eyes rolled back in my head from the warmth of her touch, pleading with her in my head not to stop. I felt myself almost involuntarily press against her more firmly. Please don't stop.

"Bella…" I said her name as a prayer, the sound of it rolling over my lips and reverberating in my heart.

"Bellllllaaaa…"

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BPOV

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I thought I had been dreaming a most wonderful dream; Cold hands running up and down my body, firm chest pressed into my back. I continued to enjoy the sensations being caused, but when I felt Jasper's hand on my face I knew I wasn't asleep.

Suddenly all the exhaustion I had felt from basically baring my soul was just a distant memory. I tried to lie still, only concentrating on the feel of Jasper's hands, but as his fingers ran down my jaw I couldn't stop the contented sigh.

I wanted to feel his skin against my lips and I brought his hand to my mouth, allowing my lips to caress each of his long, pale fingers. Doing this only made me crave more of him. I ran my hand down his hard arm and felt Jasper press more firmly against me from behind. As he whispered my name, it sounded as if he were begging and it was almost my undoing.

Other than on the dock, I had never been with a man like this. I had been afraid that I would be nervous, but every touch felt so natural. It was almost as if my body knew this man and he was finally home.

Jasper's hand traced down my arm, his cool breath flowing over my neck. I shivered from the pleasure of it when his hand cautiously touched my side and then with more confidence fanned out over my covered abdomen.

"Bella," he breathed, inches away from my ear. "Bella, you are so warm, so soft. So beautiful." His fingers were drawing circles on my stomach with a firm pressure that made my toes stretch and then curl. My body reacted to his touch automatically, and I knew I had to look at him. I had to be able to see him.

I rolled onto my other side so that I was facing Jasper, and I noticed his skin had a very faint pink tint from hunting. As I settled in next to him, Jasper took my hands and placed them on either side of his face. He placed his hands in the same position on my face, and brought himself closer to me until our noses were less than an inch apart. My heart was thundering in my chest and all I could think was that I wanted Jasper closer than he already was.

I gazed into his eyes as he looked back into mine. Each cold breath Jasper exhaled, I inhaled. Every overheated breath that left my lips was in turn welcomed in by Jasper. We stayed in this position for an immeasurable amount of time, exchanging breaths and lost in each others eyes. It was amazingly personal and intense.

Slowly Jasper started to move his hand, using his fingers to trace every part of my face as if committing it to memory. Our eyes were still locked; we were still taking in the breath of the other, as Jasper's hand made its way down my neck around to the front of my throat and then over my collarbone. He slowed as he reached my heart, feeling the blood pump through my chest with his hand resting between my breasts.

"I love you, Bella. You are everything to me. Your heart beats for both of us now."

Jasper's hand moved to my waist at the same time I watched him close the distance between us. I ran my tongue over my bottom lip just as his mouth crashed onto mine, his cold hard lips moving perfecting with my soft warm mouth. My hand went to the base of Jasper's neck, clutching a handful of his wavy hair using the leverage to bring myself closer.

I moaned into Jasper's mouth as I felt his hand smooth down over my hip, his fingers clinging to me. His hand made its way back up towards my waist, this time moving under my shirt. As his hand made contact with my hot skin the room was filled with the sounds of both of us taking in a sharp breath of air and our kiss was broken temporarily.

"Jasper," his name came out in a hiss of air. "God I love you. Jasper, I need you closer. Please. "

This time it was Jasper that moaned as he rolled on top of me, pressing me into the mattress. He kept most of his weight off of me, but I loved that I could feel him above me. Our bodies were pressed together and I could feel the low vibrations of a purr starting from deep within Jasper's chest. He slammed his mouth back to mine, drowning me in passion. I felt his hand come up between our bodies and his thumb tugged down gently on my chin. I knew what he was asking and I didn't hesitate to open my mouth to him.

Jasper's tongue darted out to meet mine, moving in complete harmony with each other. The taste of his mouth tightened the ever growing coil in my stomach as we explored this new part of each other for the first time.

After some time the kiss started to change and Jasper claimed my mouth more fiercely, showing a dominance over me that I was gladly yielding. He had my shirt bunched up in his hand, and we were both breathing heavily.

I wanted to feel him. I took both of my hands and ran my nails from the small of Jasper's back, up around the tops of his shoulders to his chest. I didn't register the scars anymore. They were just apart of who my man was.

I flattened my hands onto his chest, bringing my arms around in order to continue my descent to his stomach. I felt his muscles tighten under my fingers, and Jasper moved his face to rest in my neck, pressing into the below beneath me and taking deep shuddering breaths.

My hands were inbetween our bodies and I turned them over so the back of my hands were against Jasper's lower stomach. I moved them slowly from one side of his hard abdomen to the other, going a little lower with each pass. I held my breath as my fingertips made contact with the top of Jasper's pants, slipping them just under the waistband.

Jasper moaned into my hair, his face pressing almost painfully into my neck. As I slowly moved my fingers across his skin, he moaned again, lower this time. I gasped as Jasper's lower body suddenly ground into mine, pushing my palm against my own heated center. At this his low moan quickly turned into a deep growl and I froze.

It was in that next second that he flipped us over and I found myself lying on Jasper's chest, my hands back on his shoulders. I looked up to find that Jasper's eyes were closed, his jaw was clenched and he was breathing deeply through his nose.

"Jasper?" I barely whispered. "Baby, are you okay? Did I do something wrong?" I was feeling a little self-conscious at his abrupt change in mood.

"You did everything right." He chuckled quietly, moving me on his chest, "just give me a minute, Darlin'."

I stayed on his chest, laying totally still and trying to regulate my breathing and heart rate. I was disappointed that we hadn't gone further, but I was also relieved. I wasn't ready for 'that' step yet, and I wasn't sure if I could've stopped the way Jasper did.

Jasper finally opened his eyes and looked down at me; they were very dark but kind, loving. "I am so sorry, Darlin'. Can you please forgive me?" He was gently moving the hair off my forehead as he spoke.

"Shush. There's nothing to forgive, Jasper. That was amazing, but I wasn't quite ready to go…to go further." I blushed a deep crimson and hid my face in Jasper's chest.

"Please don't be embarrassed, Bella. This is new for both of us, right?" I nodded into his chest, Jasper's hand softly running up and down my spine. "Well, then we just have to take one day at a time. There's no rush, Sweetheart."

I blushed a deeper color knowing what I was about to ask him. "Jasper, I am happy we didn't go further tonight, but…we can go further eventually, can't we?" I didn't know what I would do if he said no.

Jasper pulled me up further on his body. He brought his hand behind my head and pulled me to his lips. We shared a long, meaningful kiss with so much emotion behind it my body felt weak.

"Definitely!" Jasper answered finally, and I sighed in relief. He laughed again, rolling onto his side and bringing me with him. "But Darlin', I think we need to work up to it. Take one step at a time." He paused, kissing my forehead. "It's like they say, Practice makes perfect!"

We both laughed at Jasper's words, enjoying being in each others arms and completely lost in our own little world. I eventually cuddled into him feeling like I needed a few more hours of sleep but certainly looking forward to the next time we were able to practice.

Before I completely lost consciousness, I felt Jasper's lips on my ear. "Sweet dreams, Bella. I love you, Darlin'."

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Wow! 5000+ hits, 100+ reviews, lots and lots of alerts! Thank you all so much!!

I know that some were probably hoping for more physically between Bella and Jasper, and although I want that as well I thought it was best to work into it. ;-)

Thanks again for all your loyalty and support with this story!

-Jules