Chapter Eleven

A/N I don't own it just putting my own little spin on things. Thanks to Idealskeptic for betaing and being my cheerleader when I have doubts also thanks to you for reading and adding EOF to favorites.

BPOV

And the Oscar for best dramatic actress goes to Isabella Swan, I murmured to myself as I stopped and tooka bow to an imaginary applauding crowd once I was absolutely certain no one had followed me. Men, no matter the age or species were nothing but lost little boys when faced with a female's anger. A soft snicker escaped my lips as I recalled the expressions on both of their faces as I'd taken off. Now they had something else to focus on other than killing each other.

Besides, I'd needed a little space of my own after being subjected to all that testosterone. For some strange reason seeing Jasper all riled up had gotten me a little riled up in other ways. It's not like I'd never seen him angry before but there had been something different this time, something primal that had struck an answering chord in my lady parts. Something I really didn't want to examine too closely. I loved James, there was no doubt in my mind but I missed "companionship". I hadn't felt another man's touch since the night of Victoria's attack; it was hard not to miss it when you were the only single female in the house. Edward and Rose were constantly going at it like bunnies, even Alice and Carlisle were a lusty couple. I knew if it was hard for me it had to be brutal for Jasper, we never talked about it but I knew it was one of the reasons we still spent so much time together even after my newborn stage had passed. Now I couldn't help but wonder why Jasper hadn't found a pretty little vampire to occupy his time and I couldn't help wondering why the thought of his lips on said pretty little vampires lips made me downright homicidal. I bite my lip recalling those few minutes I'd been pressed up against him, when the hell had he gotten so do me hot?

My phone rang, cutting into my thoughts and I rolled my eyes knowing who it was by the ring tone.

"Do you even know the meaning of honeymoon," I asked, pushing all thoughts Jasper and his sudden hotness to the back of my mind.

"You are going to give me grey hair," Emmett said by way of greeting.

"What did I do now?" I asked, hopping up into a tree and making myself comfortable on a thick tree branch.

"Consorting with wolves," he said with a sigh. "Do you know how dangerous that can be?"

"It's only dangerous if you don't have connections. Damn, word sure gets around fast!"

"Jasper called to chew me out about threatening you, once he was done ranting he mentioned he'd gotten into it with your wolf buddy and you'd run off again. Bella, you can't just run off every time things don't go your way!"

"I didn't run off," I corrected, "I merely extracted myself from an argumentative situation, those two block heads wouldn't stop trying to attack each other. Short of taking out knee caps I didn't know what else to do!"

"Well now you have him worried you're going to high tail it out of Forks like you did in Idaho."

"I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, I like it here. You have no idea how great it's been being home, seeing and touching things I remember my Dad touching…"

"Being closer to where you think James it," he finished in a quiet tone.

"That's not true," I protested.

"Are you really going to try and bullshit a bullshitter?"

I sighed pressing a hand to my forehead "Emmett, you don't understand…"

"I understand that you are setting yourself up for a possible heart break, that you…"

"Well what would you have me do, just leave him with that sadistic bitch? I can't and won't do that to him, if the roles were reversed he would do the same for me."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Of course I am sure," I scoffed. "You don't know James like I do."

"Did," he corrected. "You don't know him anymore Bella, based on all I have heard the James you once knew and loved no longer exists."

"He didn't ask for this life," I growled, punching the branch I was sitting on with so much force it nearly splintered.

"Neither did you but you haven't turned into this heartless killing machine, you made a decision the day you opened your eyes and although you nearly slipped once you've worked damn hard not to do it again. What are you going to do when you finally see him again, Bella, what are you going to do when you realize maybe he doesn't want to be saved?"

"You don't know that, Emmett…"

"You're right, I don't know," he admitted "But I've been around a hell of a lot longer than you and I know that most vampires can't even conceive the thought of not drinking human blood. It is all he knows Bella, it's all he craves. Can you bring yourself to love a red eyed vampire, can you honestly say you wouldn't care if he didn't embrace our diet?"

How dare he, his own wife had been a human blood drinker. I'd heard the stories of how they would lure humans into the castle and kill them. Yet she'd changed and embraced our diet for him, why was it so hard to believe that James wouldn't?

"That's a bridge I will cross when I get there," I sniped, hating him in those moments for making me face the things I'd been avoiding. I pressed my hand to my stomach, recalling that newspaper article with the slaughtered family, recalling the ages of those children brutally killed. God, I wished I could just throw up.

"That bridge is coming up sooner than you think, you need to prepare yourself for the possibility things won't go the way you plan. You need to face the fact that you will have to let him go and move on."

"Thank you for telling me what I need to do." Sarcasm dripped from my voice.

Emmett sighed at my tone. "Listen, Bella, I didn't call to fight with you, I didn't call to make you angry. Hell, I don't even call to talk about James. It's just I worry about you, kid," he said in a gentle voice.

"I know you do," I responded in a dead tone. "But I need to go now."

"Bella…"

"Tell Chelsea I said hello and I hope you can enjoy the rest of your honeymoon."

"Bella," he said once more but I simply hung up. I was tired of talking.

JPOV

"You're not supposed to be here," Bella informed me without looking up from the sand castle she was building. A slight smile formed on my lips as I watched her hands move, she looked absolutely adorable.

"Jacob pulled some strings so that I…"

"Oh so you two kissed and made up," she asked, turning slightly so I could see her face.

"You could say that," I said before pointing to the spot next to her. "May I?"

She sighed sitting back on her heels to look up at me. "Would you listen if I told you no?"

"Come on, Izzy, don't be like that," I crooned, deliberately using my special nickname for her.

Golden eyes narrowed telling me she knew exactly what I was trying to do but she shrugged and made the go ahead gesture.

"I'm sorry," I said after a few moments of watching the wave's crash against the shore. "I didn't mean to let things get out hand with Jacob. All I could think was I needed to protect you," I laughed a little. "Guess old habits die hard, protecting you has been my job since the day you came to us."

She leaned over, palming my cheek gently with one hand. "Jasper, I know."

My hand came up to cover hers. "Do you really," I asked and she nodded with a slight smile on her face "So you aren't mad anymore?"

"You know I can never stay mad at you for long." Her hand dropped away and I immediately missed it. "Although I must confess I was never really that mad to begin with," I snorted in disbelief and she continued on. "Seriously I just put on that act so you two lug heads would chill out."

"Well, it certainly worked, I never knew you were that great of an actress!"

"Drama club for three years in high school," she said with a shrug.

"I never knew about that."

"I'd forgotten myself until I came across my yearbook a few days ago," she admitted, pausing to study her progress before scoping up more sand and continuing her work.

We sat in silence for a few moments before I gestured towards the castle. "Would you like some help?" I asked. Although she was halfway done there was nothing more that I wanted to do then finish this castle with her.

She shrugged, still looking down. It wasn't exactly the response I'd been looking for and I decided maybe it was time to go. I was halfway to my feet when her hand suddenly grabbed mine and pulled me back down.

"Please don't go," she pleaded, it was then I noticed the glimmer in her eyes. If I didn't know any better I would think she was crying but then I knew tears were physically impossible.

"Bella, what's wrong?" I whispered, reaching out to her.

"Nothing," she whispered bowing her head and going back to working on the castle. "I'm just really glad you're here," she mumbled.

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, if this was glad I'd hate to see not glad. She'd just said she wasn't mad at me and the dog so there had to be something else she wasn't telling me.

I put one hand on top of hers stilling the motions and used the other to tilt her face in my direction. "Talk to me, Izzy?"

"It's nothing," she insisted.

I gave her a yeah right look and arched an eyebrow "I'm waiting."

And just like that the flood gates opened she told me about the murdered family, what her and Jake were doing in the woods, and finally the conversation she'd had with Emmett. "I know he meant well," she finished. "But I just can't bear the thought of half the things he said being true. The James I knew, the James I loved he has to still be in there right?" she asked eyes wide with despair. "I mean you changed, Chelsea changed why can't he?"

"Easy, darling," I soothed, pulling her into my lap. "There is a possibility James can change," I said choosing my next words carefully. "But Emmett is right," She tried pulling away but I tightened my grip "You've always been a little stubborn when it comes to James, there is nothing wrong with having hope but you do need to think about the alternatives."

She opened her mouth to speak but I shushed her with one finger across her lips. "I think with the love of someone like you, it could and would inspire anyone to become a better man or vampire in this case. You could very well be his salvation," I murmured even as pain ripped through my chest. "In fact I know you will be his salvation."

"Oh, Jasper," she sighed, her eyes locked on mine. "You have no idea," the rest of what she was going to say ended in a shriek when I jumped to my feet and raced towards the ocean with her in my arms. The beach was empty, the moon was full, and I was damn tired of comforting her over another man.

"Jasper, wait," she warned struggling in my grip "Don't you…"

"Dare," I finished tossing her head first into the rolling waves. Her body hit the water with a loud splash "You should know by now I always dare!"

"You are so going to pay for this," she warned, coming up sputtering and laughing.

Yeah, I thought toeing off my boots and diving in after her I probably would.