The thing about family disasters is that you never have to wait long before the next one puts the previous one into perspective. ~Robert Brault

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

BELLA'S POV

The sound of high pitched squealing was the first thing that greeted me as I walked through the door.

"Bella," Alice shrieked, dancing towards me at vampire speed. I braced for impact as she swept me up into her arms, spinning me around until I felt like I was going to puke.

"My turn," Emmett bellowed, following behind Alice as I was passed from one to the other. That was it, I was sure I was going to hurl all over. My already nervous stomach rolled.

"Put her down, Emmett," Jasper's voice demanded.

"Sorry. I just missed you little sis," he quietly stated, setting me down on the ground. I stumbled, dizzily from way too much vampire spinning. Jasper was quick to right me just as a large dog came running right at me about to topple me over.

"Sit," Jasper commanded and the dog stopped dead in his tracks.

"Who's dog?" I managed to ask, thinking it was quite strange to see a dog in a house full of vampires. But I guess no stranger than a human in the same house.

"That is Major Whitlock. He is Jasper's dog, but he let him stay with me while he went and got you," Emmett informed me, clearly quite fond of the dog. I wasn't surprised. Emmett was always nothing but a little boy grown tall.

"You own a dog?" I asked of Jasper, surprised.

"No, it's just another stray that this family is so fond of finding on the side of the road," Rosalie announced joining the rest of us.

"Rose…" Emmett said earning him an icy glare.

"Nice to see you…that is, alive…" Rosalie announced in a way that only Rosalie could. She was as beautiful as ever and clearly as bitchy.

"That is enough," Carlisle scolded walking into the room.

My breath caught for a minute seeing him again. I couldn't help it. After all this time even though I knew he never aged seeing it first hand was disconcerting. To think that the man I had always seen as a father was physically the same age that I was now. It was quite the mind fuck and my mind did not need to be fucked with anymore than it already had been.

"Bella, dear, it is so wonderful to see you. Esme has just gone out to procure some necessities now that you are back with us. She will be home momentarily. She is so beside herself thinking about seeing you again that she had to do something to keep herself busy until you arrived."

"It is very nice of her to think of me, but I won't be staying that long to worry about it," I explained to Carlisle.

"I take it you have decided being human wasn't so bad after all," Rosalie blurted out.

"Rosalie that is quite enough. How about we all retire to the family room to wait for the rest of the family?"

"Where's Edward?" Jasper asked the question that I could not find my voice to ask.

"He went with Esme," Alice announced.

Carlisle walked into the other room. Alice followed, as well as Rosalie and Emmett though they sat on opposite sides of the room. Clearly there was something going on between them though I was not quite sure yet if it was the normal 'I can't stand you' fight they were always having to be quickly followed by loud make-up sex or if this was something bigger.

Jasper put his hand on my back to usher me into the room waking me from my thoughts. He followed me inside. Alice patted the seat next to her indicating that she wanted me to sit by her.

I slowly walked over and sat down. Jasper walked over and sat next to Rosalie. The dog walked in stopping to look from Emmett to Jasper as if he was torn. In the end he pranced over to Jasper sitting down at Jasper's feet.

"Bella, I wanted to convey my deepest sympathy to you over the loss of your father. He was a great, selfless man who loved you completely. We would have been there if we had known," Carlisle assured me.

All I could do was nod. There was no way that I could talk about my father.

"I'm sorry too Bella. Not just because of Charlie, but because of everything. I don't know if Jasper told you, but we are not together anymore. It was the right decision for both of us. It was also something that should have happened long before it did, but it is hard to let go. Anyways after we separated I met someone new and we have been together ever since. His name is Dante and he has a very special talent. He blocks our powers and he has been blocking mine ever since we have been together. So that is why I never saw what happened between you and Edward or anything else for that matter."

"It is alright," I told Alice. I didn't blame her or the rest of them. I really didn't. There was a part of me that was still hurt though and dealing with the realization that I hadn't been abandoned by them.

And even though I knew the truth I was still not ready to let them back in and I wasn't sure if I was going to. What was the point? It wasn't like we were going to be in each other's lives. This was just a one time closure trip. Once I had that with Edward, I was gone.

I wasn't sure where I was going or what I was going to do, but I knew for sure that here with the Cullen's was not where I belonged.

"Bella…"

I heard Esme's soft voice carry through the room as she rushed in taking me into a long sincere hug. I could feel her tearless sobs as she whispered over and over, 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I've missed you, I've missed my daughter.'

I wanted to comfort her and assure her that it was okay, but my sole focus was on the man that I had once called my husband, who was now standing in the doorway staring at me.

"Esme?" Carlisle softly spoke.

"Oh dear, look at me, falling apart for no good reason. It is just overwhelming me to have all my children together once again. I was so fearful that it was never going to happen again, but look, it has happened," Esme smiled taking my hand into hers.

"We are not all together," Alice interjected.

"Who are we missing? I mean even the fucking dog is here," Rosalie shot off.

"Rosalie," Carlisle scolded again.

"Dante is not here and he is part of the family."

"No he isn't. I mean we haven't even met this freak," Emmett told her, surprisingly.

"He is not a freak and he will be part of this family or I won't be," Alice bitterly announced her ultimatum to us, only to soften the next moment as her thoughts drifted. "We are getting married."

"Come again?" Emmett announced.

"It is something that we have wanted to do for awhile now, but I couldn't do it before I told all of you about him and you had a chance to meet him. You're going to love him, I just know it. Then once everyone gets to know each other I am planning the wedding of the century. I'm designing not only my dress, but custom wedding clothes for everyone. Rose and Bella will be my bride maid and matron of honor and Emmett and Edward with stand up for Dante since he has no family of his own," Alice explained to us all though I was barely listening at all. I was too busy trying not to look at Edward.

"I was hoping that maybe Jasper could marry us."

"What?" I said thinking that I must have heard her wrong. She couldn't possibly be asking the man she left to marry her to another. I glanced over at Jasper to gauge his reaction, but he showed no sign of distress though I knew that it could not be easy for him, no matter if he had truly moved on or not.

"You really are a cold, heartless bitch," Rosalie sputtered at her.

"You have already been my maid of honor Rose so it is only fair that Bella gets to this time."

"Seriously? If you think that I would ever be a part of the travesty you call a wedding then you are fuck crazier than we all thought. Maybe the best place for you is to be locked up in the crazy house."

"Rosalie Hale that is more then enough. I want you to apologize to Alice right this minute," Esme demanded running her hand over Alice's back trying to soothe her. Alice was rocking back and forth slowly, her eyes closed as if she was trying to calm herself.

"Why is it that I am always the bad guy? I am just the only one with the balls to speak what all of you are thinking."

"Apologize…" Carlisle stated firmly.

"Sorry," she muttered so low I almost didn't catch it.

"If that is what will make you happy then I would be more then honored to reside over the ceremony when the time is upon us," Jasper spoke clear and soft.

"Thank you," Alice told him with a small half smile leaning against Esme, relaxing.

"I assure you Alice that as long as Dante is following our lifestyle that he will be welcome wholeheartedly into our family. We all just want you to be happy. Once we have dealt with matters that involve the family as it is now we are all looking forward to meeting your mate," Carlisle promised her.

"This family really should have higher standards when it comes to admitting people in. Lately it seems just about anyone is considered family," Rosalie shot off before both Carlisle and Esme glared at her stopping her from continuing.

I knew that she was not just taking about Dante anymore. That last comment was directed solely at me, assuring that I knew that I was no more welcomed today as I had been the first time I met her. The only difference today was that I agreed with her. I didn't belong here and as soon as I got the chance to talk to Edward I was out of here.

"Alright," Carlisle spoke rising from his chair to pace around the room. "First I want to express my gratitude to all of you for taking the time to come home at my and your mother's request. This family meeting started as simply a matter Esme and I needed to talk to you all about and well now after learning some of the details of all your lives it seems there is so much more going on that needs to be worked through. Where to begin is the question?"

"Why don't we start with asking Jasper how the trip from picking Bella up was?" Edward finally spoke his voice hard and strained.

Fuck, shit, fuck!

"Ask away…I have nothing to hide," Jasper smugly responded.

"Jasper…" I said thinking that he might not, but that I sure as hell did not want to spill my dirty laundry out in the middle of the living room.

"Yes, darlin'?"

"Darlin'?" Rose repeated with the lift of her perfectly arched brow.

"You're calling her darlin'?" Alice questioned. "I'm the only one you ever called that and you haven't called me that in decades."

"That is because he hasn't been fucking you in decades either," Rosalie barked.

"There is no need to use such filthy language," Esme said.

"Her language is nothing compared to the filthy thoughts going through Jasper's mind right now," Edward ground out. I couldn't look at him. I couldn't look at any of them. I don't think I had ever been more embarrassed in my life. I could feel the heat overtaking my body.

"Would someone like to tell me what is going on?" Emmett demanded. All I could say was please no don't.

"You couldn't…" Alice spoke.

"You wouldn't…" Esme whispered.

"You didn't…" Carlisle demanded.

"He could, he would, and he did," Edward hissed.

"Come on someone please tell me what the hell is going on," Emmett whined.

"Jasper fucked the human," Rose filled him in on the secret.

I felt like I was having an out of body experience. I knew I was there, I knew what was happening, but it was as if I had separated from myself, watching as they all yelled and growled, hurling words of insult and promises of pain. All of it directed at Jasper.

I looked over at him to see that he was just sitting there quietly as if he was in his own bubble, unable to feel the outburst of emotions or hear the tirade. He seemed to sense me looking at him as he turned his face towards me. A half smile played on his face.

"Sorry," I whispered to him knowing that he could hear me.

"Don't tell him you are sorry. None of this was your fault. He used you, he took advantage of you. He is a monster. He is a true predator playing on the weak," Edward spat. I turned towards him looking at the man that I had loved beyond words. His eyes were black, hollow, twisted into a snarl. I knew he was pissed, even hurt, but he was more in control than he seemed. It just went to confirm all the things that I already was too aware of, I really didn't matter that much to Edward.

This as it seemed was the rest of our relationship was all some grand act, a game to him. He was just doing and saying all the things he thought he should. He was putting on a show for all of them.

I thought he was tired of being part of it.

"You shut your mouth. You read someone's thoughts and you think that you know everything, but you don't have a clue. You want to make Jasper the bad guy just to take focus off of the real monster, you. Well if you want to blame someone, blame me. I wanted Jasper; I wanted to have sex with him. And let me tell you Edward, I am so glad that you couldn't do it because it left me to be fucked for the first time by a real man."