A/N Thanks for all the reviews. And congratulation to all those of you who'd figured out what Charlotte's power is, before it will be officially revealed in this chapter. I'm so proud of you … ;-) And I am very glad that no one had thought our two lovebirds aren't moving too fast.

Now we are back to the second part of the sleepover … more mysteries to unravel.

Enjoy!!!

Chapter 11 I'm here for you

Charlotte POV

I honestly wasn't the least bit thrilled about taking this trip to Forks. But then again my aversion had more to do with the memories linked to this particular place, memories specifically connected with some of its former inhabitants than the town itself. Forks was actually a great place for a vampire to settle down for a while, considering the sun rarely made its appearance here, in particular if one wanted to walk around in daylight without drawing any (more) attention.

But despite my dislike of this place, I went anyway. Mostly because I dearly missed my mate, and my brother, of course, even though it only had been a couple of hours since their departure. Sure, I've expected both of my men to return within two days the most, but now it did seem there was something else that kept Jasper there instead of just grabbing his stuff and leave like planned. Peter's messages had been cryptic to say the least, but it was pretty obvious that this Bella chick was the reason for them to stay in this town longer than actually necessary. Knowing how Peter usually was around humans, this girl had to be something quite out of the ordinary to capture his interest. Or there was something else going on …

I drove the rental car down the overgrown path leading towards the Cullen house. I still couldn't believe that they had abandoned this place. I knew that both Esme and Carlisle had been very fond of this house and this town, which was why they used to return here after staying away for almost seventy years. So why did they leave now?

Something told me that they had also neglected to leave a note behind, telling Jasper where they'd gone at least. I tried my best to keep my cool, not wanting to make Jasper feel any worse than he probably already did. I yearned to see him smile again … a true smile of genuine happiness. He of all people deserved it most considering what he'd been through with Maria and what he had to endure ever since … in his desperate search for a better life. I highly doubted that Alice had ever realized how broken and vulnerable Jasper actually was. She had no idea who the real Jasper was … not the warrior but the amazing person underneath. The fact that she hadn't made any contact with him in the past five months, proved my point. She didn't care about him at all. He had been just a fling for her … someone strong to protect her, but nothing more.

But I truly believed that there was someone out there for Jasper, someone like Peter was for me … a true friend, a lover, a soul mate. Maybe he just had to wait a little while longer.

I parked the car behind what I assumed to be the human's vehicle. A rusty, old truck, how interesting. I grabbed the bag from the passenger seat and got out of the car. Even from this distance I could smell the fragrance of the human. It wasn't mouthwatering, but very sweet indeed … like some fruit I couldn't identify right away, probably because it had been too long since I'd had any human food. Whatever …

Anyhow, as 'ordered' I had made a stop on the way to grab a little snack, so I wasn't any kind of threat to her … for the moment at least. Like Peter I wasn't used to spend quality time with humans, so this would definitely be a new challenge for me, in more ways than one. But most of all, I was curious and quite excited to meet the girl responsible for this whole mess …

A familiar shiver ran through my entire body, awakening every nerve on its path. This sensation was getting stronger the closer I got to the house. It was the usual indicator of my mate's presence, always telling me when he was close by, thus providing me with comfort and peace. It was in fact a pleasurable feeling, something like a warm tingle, similar to the feeling of Peter's gentle caresses of my skin.

I stopped on the porch, deliberating if I should knock on the door or just go in. But then I heard Jasper's response to Peter's revelation that he'd invited me to come here. That sneaky husband of mine hasn't given our brother any warning. No wonder I could sense Jasper's anger even from this distance.

What are you up to, indeed … I mused, holding my position for the moment.

"Now, now, Major … no need to act all possessive … you know damn well that I'm a one-woman vampire." I could hear Peter say, trying to calm down Jasper. I knew that Peter has sensed me coming as well, long before I even made my way up the stairs, so the last part of his statement was for both our benefits.

This is my cue … I thought, finally entering the house.

"I am so glad to hear that." I said, trying to sound a little angry, which I wasn't of course. I knew perfectly well, that Peter would never betray me. He was mine and I was his … for all eternity. There was no doubt in my mind about that. I flung myself straight into Peter's waiting, strong arms and kissed him with fervor. "I've missed you." Peter returned the kiss with the same enthusiasm, and I moaned into his mouth, already wanting more than just a kiss.

I could hear Jasper groan in annoyance, and I giggled like a human schoolgirl. "What's up with you, Jasper?" I asked innocently. Jasper's reaction wasn't unexpected. He was feeling uncomfortable as usual, whenever Peter and I got in the mood, so to speak. I sniggered.

"Ah, don't mind him, honey. He's just jealous because he isn't getting some." Peter smirked at Jasper, who was giving him the finger.

I snuggled into Peter's lap. "So, where's the human?" I asked, glancing around the room.

Right on cue the bathroom door opened and the human girl stepped out. She was clearly startled by my sudden presence, but not afraid. Bella was about my height, but with dark long hair, almost reaching down to her waist. She was really pretty for a human, a natural beauty, some might say. And I could already tell that she felt truly comfortable in the presence of our kind, despite the danger we presented. Her brown eyes were wide open, taking in everything around her, almost like she was testing the atmosphere that way. But I guessed she was just looking for reassurance from Jasper and Peter. No one said a word. Tension began build up.

Jasper moved to Bella's side, not for protection, but for comfort, and support. I noticed him grabbing her hand, their fingers entwining. It looked like an ordinary gesture, almost like it had been always that way between them. She didn't flinch or even pulled her hand away. Quite the contrary, both of them visibly relaxed, when their skin met. Did they realize this happening?

That was when I saw it.

What

The

Fuck!

I was openly gapping at both of them, simply couldn't believe what I saw. Their auras merged. It was hard to tell where one began and the other ended. I clearly remember the color of his aura when he'd been with Alice. A constant bright blue, while hers had shifted between green and yellow. I didn't have a science degree in analyzing auras, and I didn't need one, because from the first moment I'd met Alice, watching her around Jasper, I knew that they didn't belong together. They might have been close friends, maybe even lovers, but not soul-mates … nobody could foul me when it came to see that.

The thing was apart from my mate Peter no one knew about the full capacity of my gift. And why should I tell anyone about it? It wasn't really something useful … like Jasper's empathy or Edward's telepathy. Peter and I used to make our private jokes about it, picturing me working as a marriage counselor … Sorry guys, but this isn't going to work, because you are wrong for each other … you don't belong together …

Of course, Jasper knew that I could see auras, but he didn't know that my gift could identify soul mates, too. Both Peter and I had agreed that Jasper had to figure it out on his own, so I hadn't interfered in his relationship with Alice. Right now, I thought we might have made a huge mistake in keeping him in the dark about that. We could have saved him a lot of pain, if we would have just told him the truth …

What's done is done. No use to dwell on things you cannot change …

In fact, what I was witnessing right in front of me now, was some I haven't seen in a very long time … or ever. Peter's and my auras did the same merging thing, but the color was a steady red. Jasper's and Bella's auras did constantly change color. It almost looked like a rainbow. I didn't know the reason behind this behavior. Maybe it had something to do with Jasper's gift. But one thing was for sure, the strength of their bond already matched that of mine and Peter's.

Incredible … unbelievable … amazing …

I didn't quite notice that I was still staring at both of them, not until Peter gave me a slight nudge in the back. I finally snapped out of my reverie. I could see that Jasper was watching me very closely, probably testing my emotions, trying to decipher what my problem was. Even Bella couldn't take her eyes of me.

I shook my head, unnoticeable for the human's eyes, and finally stood up and slowly walked over to her and Jasper.

"Ah, where are my manners? I'm Charlotte. You must be Bella. It's nice to meet you." I said, giving her an apologetic smile. I held out a hand in greeting, which she took without hesitation. The warmth of her skin wasn't unpleasant, but still unnerving to same degree, because I wasn't quite used to it. Not like Jasper, apparently …

"It's nice to meet you, too. I am Bella." She replied very politely, but underneath I could sense that she was just as confused as I was. Unfortunately, the awkward silence was back.

"Okay … I think it's time for Char and me to get some fresh air." Peter announced, deliberately taking my hand and pulling me along with him. I didn't argue, not knowing how to explain my weird behavior to Jasper or Bella. "See you guys in the morning. Sleep tight, little lady." He said, winking at Bella.

Jasper POV

I silently watched Peter dragging his mate along with him out of the house, and then they both vanished quickly into the night. Oddly, I hadn't noticed before that it was already dark outside, since my vision worked just the same in the dark as it did during the daytime.

Time really does fly when you're having fun …

Knowing that Peter and Charlotte weren't going to return to the house until the next morning, I assumed that they would probably spend the night in the little cottage, hidden deep in the woods, far from any humans. I didn't know in what condition Emmett and Rose had left it, after spending one of their nights there the last time, but since neither Peter nor Charlotte really required a bed … at least not for sleeping … I knew that they would be okay out there.

"Well, that was awkward. I wonder what that was all about." Bella mused loudly but more talking to herself than to me.

"Beats me." I mumbled under my breath, gazing into the empty space, still lost in my own thoughts. Charlotte's weird behavior had made me very uncomfortable, for sure. But most of all I was still confused as hell about the emotions I'd been receiving from her. First there was shock, then recognition, quickly followed by relief and happiness. I still wasn't able to make head or tails, wondering just as Bella, what Charlotte had seen when she'd scrutinized both of us so thoroughly. And their sudden departure did make the situation even worse.

When Bella abruptly let go of my hand, I woke up out of my trance. I looked at her, feeling a little uncertain, but still mostly confused. She stood with her arms crossed next to me, just watching me for a second, like she was reading my face or my feelings. I didn't really care, because I was once again trapped in the depth of her brown eyes, her mere presence. Suddenly I was really glad that my friends had left us alone …

"Really? You want me to believe that you don't have any idea why she'd stared at me … at us like that?" Bella asked incredulously. I was actually a little surprised that she'd even heard my answer in the first place.

But seeing her like that just made me smile. Once again, she'd been able to take me by surprise. I was clearly underestimating her in general, but especially her ability to see more than I thought she could. "Not exactly."

"Explain!" She demanded, firmly but still politely.

I took her hand again, guiding her towards the couch again. She didn't mind the physical contact, or my way of acting, just being her usual patient self. I loved that about her. I knew that she was curious, longing for answers, but she was never nosy. And it wasn't like I didn't want to answer all her questions, but I honestly didn't know what to tell her, because I wasn't quite sure about the reason behind Charlotte's earlier behavior.

I took in an unnecessary breath, before I began to speak. "Bella, the only thing I know for sure is that Charlotte doesn't mean you any harm …"

"I know that." She interrupted me, for once sounding impatient. I smirked at her stubbornness.

"Good. But let me finish, please." I said, locking my gaze with hers. She nodded in answer. "As you know Peter and Charlotte and I, we all know each other for quite some time. Well, over a hundred years to be exact. The way we were turned … becoming vampires … wasn't the same way as Edward, Alice, Esme, Rosalie or Emmett were changed.

"We weren't saved from a human death; neither was our transformation an accident like Carlisle's. We all had been chosen for a complete different reason." I could sense Bella's anxiety rise. "Breathe, Bella. I am not going to tell you everything about our … my history tonight. I think we both have been through enough as it is for one day, wouldn't you agree? I just want you to understand."

"It's okay. I understand. And just for the record, whenever you are ready to talk about it, I will just listen and not judge. I promise." Bella emphasized, leaving no doubt.

"I might hold you to that." I playfully threatened. But in reality, I was scared as hell to tell her anything about my time with Maria, afraid that she might freak out and finally see the monster I truly was. I was afraid to lose her. But for now I pushed those thoughts aside, because I just wanted to explain as best as I could, why Charlotte had acted like a fool before.

So I continued. "By now, the fact that some vampires possess extra abilities other than inhuman strength and speed shouldn't be a surprise to you …"

"Are you trying to tell me that Peter as well as Charlotte … that they both have special gifts, too?" Bella interrupted me again. She was more intrigued than surprised. Her eyes sparkled.

"Yes." I verified, not the least bit angry with her for interrupting me. "Although, they will both probably deny having a gift. They don't talk about it much. As far as I know Peter's gift is similar to what Alice can do. But please don't tell him, that I said that. He gets a little mad whenever I compare him to her. I think he doesn't have premonitions like her, but something alike. At least that would explain his knowledge of things before they even happen. Like I said, he doesn't talk about it often, and I respect his privacy."

"And Charlotte?" Bella pressed.

I laughed at her impatience. "Yes Charlotte. Well … her gift is something else entirely, nothing I've encountered before or even after I'd met her. She can see auras."

Bella gasped audibly, unable to respond in any way. She was obviously trying to make some sense of what I've told just her and what had happened earlier.

"Bella?"

"What does that mean?" She wanted to know, sounding lost.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I am not sure. She is like Peter in that department. We've never talked about her ability in detail. To be honest, I've never seen her acting this way before … not even when she'd met Alice for the first time. But whatever she had seen in you … in us … she seemed to be happy." I stated. Secretly, I hoped that Charlotte had seen something about me belonging to Bella, and vice versa. But I knew that was just wishful thinking. How could I deserve such an angel like Bella?

"Happy?" Bella repeated, timidly, blushing ever so slightly, which was making me even more curious to know what she was thinking. But I didn't ask, because I could sense her nervousness.

"Yes. I don't know what to make of it myself. But we can ask her tomorrow … although I'm not sure she will give us an answer." I said.

I picked up my guitar again and played more songs for my girl. She settled deeper into the couch, laying her head on my shoulder. I loved to see her being so comfortable in my presence. But after half an hour later I could sense that Bella was tired. She'd tried to stifle a yawn more than once already, but she couldn't fool me.

"Tired?" I asked, but actually just stating the obvious.

"Yes." She admitted reluctantly.

"Come on, Darlin'. Let's find you a place to crash for the night." I proposed. Even though I hadn't had time before to check the other rooms, I was pretty sure that my study was still fully furnished. There would be a couch in there, big enough for her to sleep on.

"Where are you taking me?" She asked, a little nervous all of the sudden.

"To my room, if you don't mind." I answered.

"Your room? As in yours and …"

I didn't let her finish. "No, my room. Is that okay?"

"Yes." She sighed in relief, causing me to grin in victory.

We went in silence up the stairs. I knew that she'd been in this house quite frequently in the past, but I doubted that she'd seen every room. Sure, she had been in Edward's room, and Alice's. And she was pretty familiar with Carlisle's office too. But remembering that she hadn't been close to Rose I knew that she hadn't had a reason to go into that room any more than she would have had to go into my study. Come to think of it, apart from Rose none of the other Cullens had been in my room often either. It has been my sanctuary.

I stopped at the far end of the hall, opening the door. And just as I'd thought the room looked just the same as I'd left it, apart from the accumulated dust.

"This is it." I announced, motioning for her to go in first. She obliged, taking a curious look around. When her glance fell on the couch, she smiled.

"I guess it's not as comfortable as your bed … I can always take you home." I offered, courteously.

"No, it's fine." She placated me quickly. "I like it. Wow, you have a lot of books."

I laughed. "Maybe we should have gotten you a gift certificate for a bookstore instead of the car stereo for your birthday." I said.

"No … I've liked your gift." Bella replied, quickly but not very convincingly.

"You are such a bad liar." I laughed.

"I know. It's because I hate lying." She replied, laughing as well.

"Yeah, me too."

Bella walked over to the bookshelves, studying the titles. "Do you have a favorite book?"

"Of course, I do." I said, joining her. I moved quickly but didn't startle her. I pulled the book in question from its usual place on the shelf, and handed it to Bella. She traced the binding almost with reference, carefully opening it. Two folded pieces of paper fell out of the book, but thanks to my vampire I was able to catch them midair. I was just as surprised as Bella, maybe even more so, because knew I hadn't left them in there.

"What is it?" Bella asked, worry and curiosity layering her voice.

"A letter ..." I mumbled, incoherently.

"A letter? From who? Alice?" Bella sounded a little hopeful.

"No ..." I shook my head. "It's from Rose."

I walked over to the couch and sat down. I immediately began to read, barely noticing when Bella joined me, patiently waiting for me to finish reading the letter my sister had left behind, wisely hidden in a place I would be able to find it for sure ... and fast.

My dearest brother … or shall I say pity excuse for a former vampire warlord,

If you are reading this, I was able to bypass your lovely wife's gift ... which would be a first. But to be honest it wouldn't surprise me very much if I'd actually succeeded this time, considering what went down here in the last couple of days ... with your sudden departure and everything. I don't need to be an empath like you or a mind reader like Eddie to be able to decipher what everybody is thinking or feeling around here. All of them are pretty much angry with the situation or with you, but no one dares to speak about it out loud. And I think nobody is paying me much attention ... so I suspect this will actually work.

Just so you know I don't blame you for anything ... not even the disappearing act you'd pulled, but I was hoping you would be back by now ... but as it turns out, you are not. I guess you just need more time to come to terms with what had happened...

Long thing short ... we are leaving Forks tonight. Edward is going to break up with Bella tomorrow, and then he will join us in Denali. I don't know how long we are going to stay or where we go from there but just in case you'll make it back here someday, I'd put a cell with a prepaid card into your desk, programmed with my cell number ... please call me, if only to let me know that you are okay.

I am really worried about you and it seems like that at the moment I am the only one who feels that way. Emmett will come around of that I'm sure. He is mostly just mad for leaving Bella behind especially without the possibility to say a proper goodbye. Well, you know how he feels about her, being the big brother for once and all that. I can't say that I'm happy for leaving either ... but it was a family vote ... so I caved ... as always.

Wanna make a guess who'd initiated this particular family decision in the first place? No prizes for guessing! Edward and Alice, for some weird reason. Aside from the explanation they gave us ... "Bella will always be in danger considering that she doesn't belong in our world" (Like you and I haven't tried to tell everybody exactly that once upon the time) ... they'd neglected to go into further details about the reasoning behind their unexpected decision. As you can imagine, Carlisle and Esme are both very sad, but agreed with their favourite kids without any questions.

The others may have failed to notice it, but I got the distinct impression that there was more to this than both of them had led on ... At the time I was too surprised to ask any more questions, because I'd never anticipated THEM to make that kind of decision, and to be honest I am not as sure anymore that this choice is for the best. You know, I don't like Bella very much, but no one deserves to go through what she will be facing when Edward breaks up with her ...but for her sake I hope that she will not suffer to long. None of us deserve her tears of mourning ... least of all her so-called boyfriend and her so-called best friend. God, I hate them right now …

Enough about that. I don't want to alert Edward to what I'm doing, although since yesterday he's doing his best to stay out of my head. I guess he really doesn't want to know what I'm thinking about all this …

One last thing, of course I'd tried to get some information about your whereabouts from Alice but all she could tell me that she'd seen you with Peter and Charlotte. She said that she didn't know where they live these days … or maybe she didn't want to tell me ... who knows. I didn't dare ask for Edward's help …as you can imagine you are his least favourite person right now ... or ever. At this point I can only hope you'll find my letter and we will see each other soon.

Please remember I'll always love you, no matter what. I beseech you to contact me, as soon as you are able.

Your (twin) sister

Rose

I read the letter three times. I hadn't noticed anything happening around me, while I was trying to comprehend and digest Rose's words.

"Jasper," Bella called my name softly. I snapped my head up. I hadn't realized before that Bella had closed the distance between us in the meantime, being too absorbed.

"Are you okay?" She asked, probably concerned about the content of the letter and its effect on me. I couldn't speak, yet.

Bella placed both of her tiny hands on my face, thus forcing me to look into her eyes. "Whatever it is ... just know that I am here for you." She said, full conviction and love.

With her being that close, her warm hands on either side of my face, her brown eyes full of love ... my brain just shut down, and my desire and instinct took over. I gently but determinedly copied her posture, placing my hands on her cheeks, slowly closing the distance between our lips ...

To be continued ...

A/N Sorry, I took so long ... again ... but work has been crazy these past weeks. I hope, you've enjoyed this chapter, though.

Let me know what you think. And as always I am still open to suggestions where this story should go ...