Disclaimer – I own nothing related to Twilight, it all belongs to Stephenie Meyer. Which is fine, I'll just take the actor who plays Jasper. The places mentioned within this fanfiction are from my own imagination, and any similarity to any establishment is purely unintentional.

Once again, I am so sorry about the wait for this chapter. I'm still having some beta issues, but it's unfair to make you wait so long. So, here it is. Thank you for your patience and all your kind words, I truly appreciate it. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Jasper's POV

Her enthusiasm spurred on my own and we all but ran to the massive door that led to the course. We both laughed loudly as we stepped into the hallway. When we walked over the threshold, black lights came on overhead, and sudden images appeared on the wall, looking as though they'd been drawn on with highlighters – so bright and colorful.

"Oh my God," Bella choked out over her laughter. "Oh, Jazz, this is so weird!"

"Come on, giggles," I said, stifling my laughter, "let's get on with it. I'm awaiting that 'ass beating', as you so sweetly put it."

Bella bit her lip to keep from laughing, but she lost it when she looked at me again.

"What?" I asked, not able to silence my laughter anymore – her laugh was too contagious.

"Look… look at yourself," she said, tears streaming down her face.

I raised my eyebrow, but complied. "Holy shit," I said, turning my hand this way and that.

I was glowing. The black lights coated my skin, somehow causing it to shine just as brightly as the paintings on the walls, just not as colorful. My skin didn't sparkle, as it did in the sun; I looked like a white glow stick, and Bella thought that was hilarious. I quietly breathed a sigh of relief when I noticed that my scars, which would usually be visible to the human eye under a spotlight, were so bright that they just mixed in with the rest of my skin, making them undistinguishable to her.

I rolled my eyes at her when I realized she wasn't going to stop laughing any time soon. Instead of waiting for her to laugh herself to death, I walked behind her and grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the floor, holding her back against my side. Bella squealed and kicked her feet for a minute before breaking down into giggles again. I groaned when we made it to the end of the hall only to see that the course itself was lit by black lights.

I had to admit that it was a sight to behold, though. There were plants and trees and cardboard cutouts of all the characters throughout the massive course. Only when I started to really worry about Bella's breathing did I put her down. I grabbed my phone from my pocket and scrolled through my call list quickly before finding the number I was looking for.

"Not So Mini-Golfing, this is Janice speaking, how may I assist you?"

"Hello, Janice, this is Jasper," I said.

"Oh, Mr. Whitlock, are there any problems?" she asked sweetly.

I sighed. "Yes, my female cohort is terrified of black lights, is there any way to switch to the normal lights?"

"Of course, Mr. Whitlock," she said. "Some find the black lights quite frightening. Anyhow, yes, give me just a moment; I'll switch them over for you and your lady."

"Thank you," I said sincerely before ending the call.

I suddenly noticed that Bella wasn't laughing anymore. I looked at her and took a step backwards. She was glaring at me, her eyes narrowed and her hands on her hips, the enormous club and ball on the floor at her feet. Uh-oh.

"Terrified of the black lights?" she practically growled.

I shifted my eyes around, feeling bad. "What was I supposed to tell her? I couldn't tell her that I needed them switched over because you couldn't stop laughing at me because I glow in the black lights," I reasoned.

Bella pursed her lips, thinking this over. "You still could have come up with something less rude."

I dropped my club and ball before crossing my arms over my chest. "Want me to call her back?" I asked.

I did my best not to laugh as Bella tapped her foot impatiently. "No," she said.

I couldn't help it – I threw her a heavy wave of calm, and watched as her face and stance relaxed until she was practically drooling. So much for fighting fair.

"Now," I said, still sending her heavy waves of calm, "you are going to be angry when I let this up." She shook her head 'no', looking dazed. "However, I'm doing this for the sake of day, alright?"

"Mmmhmm," she said, looking pleasantly spaced out.

"I want this to be a good day," I said, almost pleadingly. "So, don't be mad at me. I'm sorry, really. It was the first thing that popped into my head, and I didn't really think about it."

The lights switched over, bright overhead lights illuminating the whole room and I lost my focus. It took Bella a minute to come back to her normal self, and I just stood there, nervously waiting. Her lips pursed again and she stared at me for a minute before sighing, looking defeated.

"Alright, Cowboy," she sighed, "I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to overreact."

"I forgive you," I said teasingly, ignoring the shiver than ran down my spine every time she called me 'Cowboy'. "Now, pick up your club, let's play!"

She laughed and obliged my request, struggling to find a way to hold the club. I chuckled low enough for her not to hear, and I walked up behind her.

"Want some help?" I asked.

I saw her shiver slightly, but she answered me before I could ask her what was wrong. "Sure."

I grabbed her hips and turned her a little so her left side was facing the lane of green felt. "Okay," I said, putting my arms over hers, "right hand here, and left hand here." I put my hands on hers, directing her right one halfway down the club, her left a little higher. "Step back, just a little; line up the bottom of the club to the ball."

I stepped back with her, not letting an inch of air come between our bodies. I did my best to control my body's reaction to her, but it wasn't working very well. I was quite a bit taller than her, but somehow her very nice backside was pressed right against my crotch, and that was hard to ignore.

"How do I swing this?" she asked curiously, and I snapped out of it, refocusing.

I put my foot between hers and tapped the insides of her shoes with my boot. "Feet apart," I whispered, and she complied.

I barely contained the moan threatening to leave me when her bottom rubbed against me as she got situated. I shifted a little behind her, lining my body so it matched her stance. A small shudder ran down her spine and an odd emotion left her, but before I could really get a grip on it, it was gone. I thought it strange, so I sought out her emotions, ignoring the most present – excitement and concentration – and tried to find the minor ones, but I was shocked I couldn't. Why was she hiding her emotions from me?

"What next?" she asked, interrupting my thoughts.

I shook my head and decided to wait for awhile before asking her about her hiding her emotions; maybe I was just being paranoid.

"Turn the club, like so." I wedged the top of the foam club beneath her arm, letting it rest against both our sides. "Now, when you swing, make sure it's forward and the inside of the putter hits the ball, but don't bring it up like you see in real golf."

I guided her arms, the club slowly swinging to the left. "Oh," she said, "this is going to be almost impossible to get the ball to go anywhere."

I chuckled lightly. "It's all in the hips, Bella," I said. "Now, this is key, when you bring the club back, keep both your feet forward, okay?"

"Okay," she said, and I could tell she was concentrating hard.

"When you bring this back," I said, shaking her arms a little, indicating I was talking about the club, "put your weight on your right leg and lean into it. It helps sometimes if you point your left foot a little, but don't let your toes leave the ground. When you swing, redistribute your weight and swing your hips, just a little, when you bring the club to the ball. Now, remember, not a big swing… this is mini-golfing."

Bella giggled a little and wiggled her hips, and I had to suppress another moan.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Yup," she said, but she didn't sound so ready.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I'm not really coordinated," she admitted.

I chuckled. "I know that," I said, but instantly regretted it as I felt her stiffen. "It's not a bad thing, Bella. Here, I'll help you with this first one, alright?"

"Okay," she said quietly.

"Keep your arms loose but your hands where they are," I directed before putting my left hand on her hip. "Now, just follow me, okay?"

She nodded. I pushed on her hip and bent my right leg, causing her to do the same. I pulled on her arm, and she pulled the club backwards. I gripped her hip and shifted back to the left, pushing on her hand. She followed my silent instructions, and we watched in amazement as the club connected with the ball, sending it down the lane, weaving from side to side before falling into the giant hole by the tree some fifty feet away.

There was a beat of silence before Bella threw the club in the air and screamed, pulling away from me only long enough to turn around and throw her arms around my neck. I hugged her back, laughing and picking her up, swinging her around in a circle before setting her back down.

"That was awesome!" she gushed, pulling back to look at me, a hundred-watt smile appearing on her face.

"Hole-in-one," I said proudly. "You are on your way to kicking my ass, Isabella Swan."

She winked at me. "We have seventeen more holes to go, Cowboy," she pointed out and patted my cheek before I reluctantly let her go.

About three hours later, we finally made it to the last hole, Bella in the lead by three strokes. She thought I was cheating; I told her she was out of her mind. Truth be told, she was winning fair and square. I had thought about letting her win, but by her fifth hole-in-one, it was on. I managed to catch up, but not well enough. We laughed the entire time, over what I had no idea; perhaps it was just because we were the only two people in that ridiculously long, weird, creepy mini-golf course. Bella had been a little put-off when I told her I had rented the place for the day, but she didn't harp on about it, for which I was thankful.

"Want some help?" I heard her say from behind me, her tone joking.

I laughed and shook my head. "Sure," I said teasingly.

"Well," Bella said, "you're stance is almost perfect, actually."

I purposefully messed up my stance. "I can't figure out how to hold to club," I said in a whiny voice, stomping my foot and letting the club hang limply at my side.

Bella swatted me in the arm, and I didn't realize she was that close. Before I could say anything else, I felt her arms come around me from behind, trying to form to the length of my arms – it didn't work very well. I contained my chuckle, wanting to play her little game, whatever it may be. I think it would have been called 'Let's see how far I can push Jasper before he breaks'. She had been, as far as I'm aware, unintentionally taunting me the whole time. Her hips swayed more then what was needed and she was constantly raking her hands through her hair, supposedly trying to keep it out of her face.

"Alright, Jazzy, it's all in the hips," she said, her front molding against my back.

I bit my lip as her breasts and stomach formed against my back. "Is it really?" I asked, my voice calm, but my body was screaming in reaction to her.

She swayed her hips in exaggerated movements, her elbows pressing harder against me so I would follow her motion. "Good job!" she squealed theatrically, and I rolled my eyes.

I let her guide my movements… not that I had much of a choice. I was putty in her hands with her standing against me, but she didn't need to know that. We both laughed when the ball bounced down the lane, knocking into both the Mad Hatter and three different trees before ricocheting off a pink and purple mushroom, and finally right down into the "Rabbit Hole of Time".

"No way," Bella said from behind me, still having not let me go yet.

A sign I hadn't noticed before started to flash and a catchy little jingle started to play. "Looks like we've won a free game," I said, laughing.

I felt her body shaking with quiet laughter. "Are we playing again?"

I hated that she sounded hopeful, because I had other things planned. "Will you take a rain check?" I asked, hoping she wouldn't be disappointed.

"Promise we'll come back?" she asked.

"Promise."

Bella squeezed me quickly before letting me go, and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding in. We made our way to the exit in good – no, great – spirits, swinging our clubs back and forth, and occasionally we 'accidently' hit each other.

"Another round?" Janice asked as we approached the desk.

"Is there any way we can reschedule the free game?" I asked, throwing her a wide smile.

"Of course, Mr. Whitlock," she said, smiling. "Do you have a day picked out yet?"

I looked at Bella, and she shrugged. "Not really," I said. "Could I possibly call a week or so in advance and set it up?"

"That wouldn't be a problem at all."

Bella and I put our clubs up on the table, and I gave Janice a questioning look.

"I didn't even put the tapes in today, so don't you worry about anything," she said.

I smiled and nodded before grabbing Bella's hand and practically dragging her outside.

"She's the owner," I explained as we got into the car. "She's friends with my friends Peter and Charlotte; they helped me set this up."

"Is she..."

"No," I said, already knowing her question. "No, she was actually rescued by Charlotte when she was six years old, and Peter and Charlotte kind of kept an eye on her for the past thirty years, so she was more than willing to help a friend of theirs. She doesn't know I'm a vampire, though."

"She called you Mr. Whitlock," Bella pointed out.

I chuckled as I turned onto the main highway. "Peter knew me during my Whitlock days and that's his name for me. He very rarely calls me Jasper, actually."

We chatted while I drove to our next destination, but mostly I just told her silly stories about Peter and Charlotte – nothing really important, just a bit of fluff. I heard her gasp quietly beside me when I pulled into a ranch, and I looked at her, glad to see her eyes wide and a smile on her face.

"What are we doing here?" she asked, leaning forward in her seat and looking around at what she could see of the hundred acre land.

"Ever been on a horse, darlin'?" I asked.

Bella blanched, her smile disappearing. "No," she said, looking terrified.

Shit. "What's wrong?" I asked, trying not to react badly to her change of expression.

"Uh, well, I'm a little… a little scared of them," she admitted, her hands folding together in her lap, and I could tell she was trying to control her emotions again.

I parked the car in front of the massive red barn, shutting off the engine and turning as much as possible to look at her. "Why?"

"Why?" she asked, her voice breaking slightly. "Well, they're huge animals, to start. Not to mention the fact that I'm horribly uncoordinated."

I pretended to consider that, for her sake. Of course I had thought about that, I wasn't an idiot. "You can ride with me."

"What?" she asked, finally meeting my eyes.

"You don't have to ride alone," I explained. "You can ride in the same saddle as me. I'll control the horse, and you know I'll keep you safe. I won't let you get hurt, Isabella."

She chewed on her lip for a minute before nodding her head slowly. "You'll ride with me?" she asked, double-checking.

"I will ride with you," I confirmed. "And, if after awhile you feel comfortable enough, we can try and see how you'd do riding alone."

She shook her head quickly, her eyes widening in fright. "I doubt that," she said, her breathing heavy.

I sighed, feeling horrible. "Alright, let's not do this," I said. "I don't want to make you feel like this, Bella."

"No!" she said quickly. "No, I want to do this with you. This is what you wanted to do, and I want to experience this with you. I'm sorry; I promise to try and not freak out."

I smiled warmly at her. "If you start to feel uncomfortable," I said sternly, "you tell me immediately, and we'll leave. It won't bother me one way or the other. I just want you to have fun."

She smiled as best she could. "Let's go then," she said, prying her fingers apart.

When we met at the hood of the car, I put my arm around her shoulders, projecting the smallest amount of calm to her. She smiled up at me gratefully just as Marsha walked out to greet us. She had aged well since the last time I had seen her, which had been nearly twenty years ago, when she was forty.

"Jasper!" she said in that ever-motherly tone.

"Mrs. Sampson," I replied. "Bella, this is Marsha Sampson, the owner of the ranch; Marsha, this is Bella Swan."

"It's very nice to meet you, Bella. It's not often I see Jasper, and never with such a pretty young lady such as yourself." They shook hands and Marsha winked at me as Bella blushed profusely.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Sampson," Bella said quietly, and I noticed that she pressed closer against me.

"Oh, call me Marsha," she said with a small laugh. Marsha looked at me and smiled widely. "Well, you know where everything is, kid, so go on; I'll be in the barn if you need anything. We got a couple of cows about to give birth, so I can't wander off too far."

"Thanks," I said, leaning down and placing a kiss on her cheek.

"How do you know her?" Bella asked as I led her toward the stables a few hundred feet away.

"About forty years ago, we were living not too far from here, and I decided to wander a little bit and ended up in the area. Her father owned the ranch then. I tried to eat one of the deer they owned," I said, laughing at the memory.

"Oh, no, what happened?" she asked, much more relaxed.

"Well, she had a gun trained on me just after I hopped her fence, and I was mad that I hadn't seen her," I recounted, shaking my head and chuckling. "For some reason, I've never been able to smell her, to sense her presence. Carlisle thought it was because she worked so closely with the animals everyday that all I could smell was the animal. Anyway, when she asked me what I was doing, I told her I was lost, had been for days."

"She didn't buy it," Bella guessed.

"Obviously not," I laughed. "She told me that if I worked in the stables for a month, she wouldn't say anything to anyone, and I agreed."

"You could have silenced her in other ways," Bella said, but then cringed when she realized what she had suggested.

"Exactly," I said, commenting on her reaction, not her words. "Emmett thought it was absolutely hysterical, but the rest of the family just told me they'd see me in a month. So, after working here, we stayed in contact, and I would come down and help out if she needed anything. Most of the time, she'd be so busy, what with her husband dying ten years ago, that when I would come down, I didn't even see her."

"You like her," Bella said. It wasn't a question, just an observation.

I nodded, but didn't say anything, because we had made it to the stables. I had to put a little pressure on her shoulders to keep her moving, but when we finally made it in, I saw her eyes light up as she took in the twenty or so horses that were there. I, however, only had eyes for one of them.

"Twinkletoes," I said quietly, smiling as my horse's head made an appearance from the seventh stall down, looking up the aisle as if he had recognized my voice.

"What?" Bella asked.

I led her over to the stall. "This is my horse, Twinkletoes. He used to be so unsteady on his feet he'd prance along as though he were walking on a cloud, hence the name. He's ten years old."

"He's beautiful," she whispered.

She was right, the horse was gorgeous. He was the biggest of the horses in the stable; Twinkletoes' nose could easily rest on my head. He was cream colored with huge brown patches on his body, my personal favorite being the one on his stomach that I swear was shaped like Texas.

"It's an Appaloosa/Clydesdale mix," I explained.

Bella shrugged. "Is that good?"'

I laughed. "I suppose so."

She assured me that she'd be fine alone for a few minutes, so I ran off to grab all the necessary things. When I came back, Twinkletoes was nuzzling Bella's neck, who was just standing there, awkwardly patting my horse on the head.

A/N – Thank you for reading! Please take just a moment out to review! I really love to hear your thoughts about everything! Thank you again!