Step FIVE: "Action is an act that one consciously wills and that may be characterized by physical or mental activity."

Song of the step: "All At Once" by: The Fray.

Song of the chapter: "Change (In The House of Flies)" by: Deftones. (For no reason other than I dig the song).

Quick note: Y'all say action, well, here we're gonna be making some progress. And now we're on to the fifth step, which coincidentally enough is "ACTION." So expect some stuff to be going on in the next few chapters, whether good stuff or bad is for me to know and you to find out. -chuckles-

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Chapter Fourteen: (Nearly) Everyone Gets Something They Want.

Okay...he steeled himself. I can do this. I've done this before, he reminded himself. It's not hard; maybe she'll even be okay with it...maybe. Just bite the bullet, call her up, and do it. It'll only take a few minutes, and then you can relax. And move on to bigger and better things.

He took a deep breath, exhaled, and picked up the phone. Next he dialed a few numbers, and held the cordless up to his ear, pacing back and forth as he waited for her to pick up. Jasper reflected that he just couldn't sit still when he was on the phone. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he just couldn't help but move a little, and this time, he full-out paced. Finally his waiting was rewarded by a greeting on the other end.

"Hello?" Rosalie said breathlessly.

"Hi, um, I uh...do ya have a moment?"

"Sure, what'd you need to talk to me about?" she inquired.

"I was thinking that maybe we should..." he began, but then Rosalie cut him off.

"Break up?" she suggested without skipping a beat.

"Something like that," Jasper agreed.

"Okay," she said cheerfully. "Friends then?"

"Yeah...wow, you really are okay with this, aren't you?" he added, sounding surprised.

"Yep. You wouldn't be angry if I said I kind of wanted to go around with someone else, would you?" she asked.

"Nah, I wouldn't. Who exactly?" Jasper inquired, though he was fairly sure he knew who her answer would indicate. After all, he had been trying to get them together for the last week or so anyhow. Maybe he'd done a better job of it than he'd previously thought....

"Emmett," Rosalie answered promptly.

"Oh good, I think you two will have a lot of fun. Just don't let him give you any crap about anything," he advised.

"Jasper, do I look like the kind of woman who would take crap from a man?"

"No."

"Exactly. See you at work!" she ended on a cheerful note before hanging up. Rosalie placed her phone on the bedside table, and then snuggled back under her comforter, not quite ready to tumble out of bed just yet. She felt fairly lighthearted now that everything was working out how she'd wanted.

"Please tell me you're not a morning person," he mumbled, one hand over his eyes to protect him from the light streaming in through her bedroom window. He sounded slightly aggravated, but she knew it was mostly an empty threat. She'd soon learned that while he liked to play a lot, he also very much valued his sleep. Almost like a child would.

"Not usually, dear, but today is an especially good morning," she reminded him. "So, how'd you sleep?" she asked as an afterthought.

"Fine," Emmett muttered. "But I could do with a little more. Want me to tire you out so we can both have a nap?" he asked suggestively, winking at her.

"Well, when you put it that way..." she said teasingly, leaning down to kiss him on the nose. He pouted, his lower lip jutting out. Rosalie laughed to see the face he made, since it didn't match the rest of him very well at all. However his personality was rather like a cuddly teddy bear, so maybe she'd let it slide this time.

"When I put it like that...what?"

"Then it's just so hard to resist," she replied, kissing him properly now. His arms wound around her middle, pulling her down on top of him. She smiled in spite of herself when she felt something very welcome.

"Not everything the morning brings is so bad, is it Emmett?" she joked after pulling away for a moment. He rolled his eyes and flipped them so that he rested on top of her.

"I really enjoyed what happened this weekend...and err yesterday too," he told her.

"So did I," she assured him. "And um, he doesn't mind, apparently. So we don't have to sneak around like we thought we would. Good news, huh?"

"Yep. He's my best friend, always has been, but I wouldn't have liked to hurt him. Though you know what Rosie? No offense but I don't think he ever really liked you, at least not in the way I like you," he said, caressing the side of her face with one hand, face screwed up in concentration as he tried to think how best to say this. Emmett liked to think himself fairly perceptive, and there'd been some things he'd noticed.

"He hardly even tried to know you as more than a friend. You know? And I really don't know why, but he just has seemed so distracted lately. Why do you think that is?" he inquired thoughtfully.

"I don't know, but he has seemed a little out of it. But he just keeps to himself...I hope he's not suicidal or anything," she murmured worriedly.

Emmett chuckled. "Him? Nah I doubt it. He knows that his momma would kill him if he ever even thought of something like that. Heck, I'd dig the bastard up, give him a good shake, and then put him back under again!"

"Emmett, sometimes that's not enough to deter someone who really is thinking about ending their life. I think you should talk to him," Rosalie said. "Please? Like you said, he's your best mate, and so just to ease my mind, will you?"

He sighed, "I suppose, but I promise you he isn't depressed or anything. I'm not sure what's bugging him, but it's probably just something small, like oh I don't know, maybe his kids are being little jerks or something. He lets things get to him way too easily. It's just how he is."

"Exactly. So maybe if you talk to him, he'll see just how trivial his problem---whatever it may be---really is!"

"Will do. Now, how about that nap?"

"Oh Isa-bellahhh!" Alice sang. "Time to talk!"

"Alice, it's early. I haven't had my coffee yet," Bella whined. "Why are you so perky already?"

"Tea!" she chimed in. "It's heavenly....now tell me what happened. I let you go home with Edward, but now it's been days, and you haven't called me or anything! What have you been up to lately?"

"Um, I was preoccupied. Anniversary weekend, remember?" Bella replied.

"Oh, so you were otherwise occupied, huh? How did Edward like your anniversary present?"

"Good in the end, but at first I think he thought my present might be in some verbal form, say a yes to his proposal?" Bella said while she spritzed some of the calla lilies with a waterbottle. Sofie was at the cashier's desk, doodling on a notepad, and Jemma was putting some of the new bulbs into plastic containers.

"What'd you say?" Alice asked excitedly.

"Nothing, yet. I'm still thinking it over," Bella told her. "And besides, I'm still officially 'mad' at him, remember? I'm thinking of giving it another month, then I'll let him off the hook. I just can't believe he wouldn't tell me. I've even told him several times in the past that he can tell me anything and I'll listen!" she said, spraying a fern rather forcefully while Alice followed her amongst the plants in the nursery.

"But anyway," she huffed. "I suppose you're very curious about what happened with Jasper."

"Yeah, just a little bit," Alice agreed. "All I know is that as soon as Dallas and I were done dancing, he was gone. So...what happened?"

"Well when Edward and I went back up to the table, he was still there, but not for long. He was watching you two, I think. Apparently he didn't like how you danced with Dallas, because he seemed pretty ticked. We may be very close to getting him to act," Bella told her. "And I think I know the perfect way to do it. Two words: Secret Santa. We'll draw the names at your house. Dallas can be a part of it too. I bet my life that Jasper won't like he's staying at your house."

"I think you're right," Alice said. "I think that might just do it."

"Well then, call everyone up. Let's do this!" Bella said enthusiastically. "After work, anyway," she trailed off lamely, setting down her waterbottle on the nearest table.

"Can do!"

Author's note: So...thoughts? Show me that reviewage lurvvve (30 peeps on alert, but only about a third of ya review. -looks sad-). Also, check out my new little ficlet, "Midnight." I'm almost done with Chapter Two on that; the pairings are both Bella x Edward and Alice x Jasper. I'd really love some reviews an' such on it. -winks-