Disclaimer: SMeyer is probably off spending all of her money on something frivolous. Me? I'm sadly sitting at home, counting every last cent, hoping to someday be able to pay for my tuition. So, no, Twilight is most definitely not mine.

Chapter 21

Edward was content, particularly since Bella had dropped her charade of happiness. Sure, he wanted her to be happy, but he hated the fact that she thought she needed to act in front of him. He wanted her to be truly happy and to not be afraid to show her real self to him. He still did not quite know what had made her change her attitude, he had the feeling it had something to do with Jasper, but he had not asked about it; he figured it was personal.

At the same time as his relationship with Bella advanced, he saw Alice's relationship with Jasper bloom. He had been getting to know Jasper more and more as time went, and he rather enjoyed it. For instance, that very day all six of them had organized a trip out to the park, taking advantage of one of the rare sunny days of the fall. The girls were sitting on a blanket, chatting happily and enjoying the sun. The boys, who had been told by the girls were absolutely not allowed to participate in their conversation, were having one of their own. Edward took the time to tease Jasper.

So, you and my sister. Interesting.

Jasper blushed and Emmett looked between the two of them, confused. Jasper looked down at the floor before mumbling something to Emmett, which Edward assumed was simply relaying on his comment. He then signed back at the same time as he spoke out loud for Emmett's benefit.

Why is it interesting? We're friends. Big deal. What's with you and my sister?

It was Edward's turn to blush now, but he simply laughed it off.

Sorry, Rosalie is not my type, he joked back, and I'd hate to steal her away from Emmett. I can't think of anyone else who would stand him.

Emmett laughed as Jasper relayed the message, punching Edward's shoulder lightly, mockingly. Then, using one of the few words in ASL he had learned over the past few weeks of friendship with Edward, he replied:

Asshole.

Edward laughed loudly, calling the girls' attention to them. Bella looked at him and raised a questioning eyebrow mockingly, as if to ask 'having fun?' Edward shrugged, smiling. Bella shook her head at him and turned back to her conversation with the girls, a smile still on her face. When Edward turned back to Emmett and Jasper, he was met with two identically amused grins.

I think we all know Rosalie is not the sister to whom I was referring, Jasper stated. He turned serious. Edward, I love the fact that you're so close to Bella. I really appreciate how much time you devote to her and how much you care. But, as the older brother, I do have to warn you that if you hurt her I will hurt you right back. She is not like other girls, OK? You need to be careful.

This conversation must have been planned, because Emmett simply nodded along, as if he knew exactly what Jasper was saying. Although Edward understood where they were coming from, he felt as if they had ganged up on him. Furthermore, he felt as if Jasper were completely disregarding Bella herself in their statements. What claim did they have to care about how he felt about her? That was between himself and Bella, that was all. Jasper's words, showing his appreciation for how much he cared for Bella, made it seem as if what Edward did, he did for Jasper's sake, when that was far from the truth; Edward did what he did for Bella herself. If anybody but her had any opinions about the topic, they could keep them to themselves.

Beyond that basic argument, Edward was somewhat hurt in a deeper level. Jasper's claim that he should be careful because she was "not like other girls" was a familiar one, a bit too close to home. How many times had his family made excuses for him when introducing him to others based on the fact that he was "different"? It had only happened too much that people were over-sympathetic to him simply because he was Deaf, and he hated it. He felt as if Jasper were expecting the same thing off him; treat Bella differently, because she is not like you. Well, fuck it all, Edward would not treat her any differently than the amazing girl she was! He had been raised to treat girls respectfully, no matter what, and refused to make Bella feel ostracized for no reason. He was somewhat shocked Jasper would expect him to do so.

Jasper, I respect you as Bella's brotherly figure, but you are getting into somewhere you aren't wanted. Jasper's expression hardened, but Edward refused to let that hinder him and he continued on. If Bella asks you to talk to me, you may do so, but, until then, what happens between Bella and me is just that, between us. And, from what you have said, I'm pretty sure Bella does not know we're having this conversation, so I'd appreciate it if you would back off.

Jasper glared at Edward, mutely, refusing to even address him. Emmett looked from one to the other, somewhat confused, but his eyes hardening; he realized that whatever Edward had said had not fit in their little script, in which Edward would be intimidated and simply agree to be careful with Bella. The doubt in his eyes was clear; he wondered what Edward could have possibly said to anger Jasper so.

The tense silence between the three was interrupted by Alice, who, having finished her talk with the girls, came by to see what they were up to. She leaned on Jasper's back, wrapping her arms around his neck to sign in front of him, where they could all see it.

Hey, what's up?

The boys all stared at each other for a few seconds before Emmett took it upon himself to break the awkward silence, prattling something to Alice, who soon found herself deeply involved in a conversation with him. She was not signing, and Jasper did not offer to, so Edward stood up and excused himself. He went off to sit by himself on a bench, but was soon joined by the very cause of his current troubles; Bella.

Are you OK? she asked, visibly concerned.

Edward shrugged, not really in the mood for small talk. Bella looked taken aback for a second before squaring her shoulders and straightening up, as if gathering her strength.

Edward, don't you act like that. We're friends. Close friends, if I may say so myself. If you don't feel like talking, tell me that, but don't brush me off. I thought we were above that.

Edward stared at her sudden display of strength in surprise. He turned serious and smiled sheepishly.

Sorry, he signed, my mind was elsewhere.

Where was it? Bella asked kindly. Maybe I can help? You looked all moody.

Edward hesitated; he could not tell her what he was really angry about, or she would get angry at Jasper and Emmett. He did not want to strain their relationship. He realized that they were just trying to look out for her, but the way they were doing it was all wrong and painted Bella as weak and in need of rescuing, which she was not. Without thinking, he said the first thing that came to his head.

Just school. I'm so glad it's the weekend already.

Bella nodded and smiled, although the smile was not a complete one.

What's wrong at school? Is it James?

It was then that Edward realized just what he had said and what it implied. He still had not gotten used to the fact that his teacher was Bella's father. He blushed and looked down at his lap, somewhat embarrassed by the fact that he had been about to complain to her about what an asshole her father was. Bella, noticing his internal conflict, leaned over and put her hand over his, to call his attention. When he looked up again, she smiled reassuringly at him.

Hey, don't worry. I really don't mind. I've told you before; the two of us don't really get along. And I am your friend before I am his daughter. And friends can complain to friends about school without worrying about it, right?

Edward nodded slowly, still feeling somewhat awkward about the situation. He carefully thought out his words now.

He's just…I don't know, it seems as if he doesn't expect me to succeed at anything, really. He gives me such easy work and lectures me about the simplest things. He does not challenge me at all and, when I have tried to bring up a more challenging topic, he has dismissed it completely. I feel as if I were unlearning things!

He stopped, feeling somewhat awkward. He was now afraid that, maybe, he had come out as pretentious, where he really just wanted to express his frustration at the seemingly non-existent standards to which Mr. Carper held him.

That kind of sucks. I'd suggest talking to the principal, but I'm afraid it wouldn't change much; there doesn't seem to be anyone else who would take his place and he is not at all likely to change his ways, not even if he gets talked to by the principal. She looked thoughtful. Edward thought it was cute how she seemed to care so much about his complaint. He also found the little crease between her eyebrows very cute, but he would never admit that that little crease was what had been taking up full pages of his art journal lately.

Maybe, Bella continued, you could talk to your dad? I mean, he's a pretty smart guy, I'm sure he could come up with some stuff for you to learn. And you're smart, too, so he wouldn't have to teach you actively, he could just give you readings and exercises. Would that make sense?

Edward's smile widened and he nodded. That idea had already occurred to him, of course, but the fact that Bella cared enough about his concerns to come up with it brightened his mood.

That's a great idea. Thank you.

Bella smiled and nodded. However, her smile did not last long.

Now, will you tell me what you were really thinking about? At his surprised look she rolled her eyes. I'm not stupid; you were perfectly content before, then you talked with Jasper and Emmett and something changed. I can feel the tension between you two so much it's almost smothering me. Really, what is it?

Edward bit his lip and fisted his hands. He debated in his mind whether he should tell her or not. He then decided to apply his own standard to himself.

It's just something between Jasper and me. I don't feel comfortable sharing; I don't want to influence anyone's opinion on either of us.

Bella cocked her head to the side and watched him pensively. Seeing no lie in his eyes, she nodded and smiled.

Well, then, let's leave the tension between the two of you, OK? The two of us can enjoy the sun and the park just as well without any of them.

The two of them continued talking for quite a while, oblivious to the other four members of their group. Alice and Rosalie watched them contently, exchanging knowing glances periodically, while the two boys glared at Edward; Jasper had shared what Edward had replied to their "suggestion" and Emmett was not particularly happy about it either. However, where Jasper took issue with being told to back off, Emmett's issue was more with his failure at assuring them that he would not, indeed, hurt Bella. He could see Edward's point and he felt somewhat guilty about it—he did not mean to go around Bella or make her seem weak, because he respected her greatly and though of her as one of the strongest people he knew—, but he wanted reassurance that Edward only had good intentions when it came to her.

The girls, either unaware of or deciding to ignore that new development in their group dynamics, decided that, since the sun was falling and the air was growing colder, they should go to the Cullens' house to keep hanging out, so that they did not have to split up just yet. Jasper immediately demanded to go with Bella, which meant he would be in Edward's car. Alice went with him, so that Rosalie and Emmett were left alone in Emmett's Jeep, following behind Edward's Volvo.

The drive to the Cullens' was not particularly long, but, at least in the Volvo, it was highly awkward. Jasper refused to even look at Edward and he was somewhat miffed at Bella for being in such friendly terms with him while he so obviously wasn't. Alice, however, chatted happily with Jasper and Bella, including Edward during the few Stop signs or lights they encountered. She was obviously aware of the situation—she always was, after all,—, but she refused to let it ruin their afternoon out. As she often did, she presented herself as ditzy and clueless simply to cool the atmosphere, taking note of all their dynamics for later reference.

Once at the Cullens', they decided to go to the basement and watch a movie. They all settled down, Jasper purposefully placing himself between Bella and Edward. Alice tried to help Edward and Bella out, pouting and asking Jasper if he would not sit with her, but he shrugged, still moody. Now upset at him, Alice went off to sit on Bella's other side, crossing her arms over her chest moodily. Bella, somewhat confused by Edward and Jasper's behavior—what were they so angry about that they were ignoring each other? And what did it have to do with her? Because it was obvious something was about her—, kept sending Edward questioning glances around Jasper. Edward simply shrugged, though, refusing to explain. Exasperated, Bella excused herself to help Esme in the kitchen.

After Bella's departure, the tension in the room increased. Alice was annoyed at Jasper for ignoring her, Jasper was angry at Edward, irritated with Emmet for not being as outraged, and infuriated with Bella for seemingly siding with Edward, and Edward was upset that Bella had felt the need to leave and that Jasper was so angry at him. Emmett and Rosalie, currently the calmest of the group, were lost in each other and the movie, exchanging sweet kisses and caresses and whispering in each other's ears jokes about the movie.

Upstairs, Bella was in the kitchen, with Esme who, realizing that Bella was in need of a distraction, had invited the whole group to dinner. They were now working with each other at ease, Esme chopping up some vegetables and Bella rolling some dough, with the intention of making some pizzas for the group. Esme believed that cooking was a deeply emotional activity, that there was something about the process of converting seemingly uninteresting items into an interesting meal for those one loved that brought on as much of a cathartic reaction as watching a romantic movie with a bowl of ice cream did. For this reason, she let Bella do as she wanted to, simply waiting for her to speak up on her own. Finally, she did.

"I just don't understand! What the hell is wrong with them? I mean, I understand that, sometimes, friends fight. But, really, this is ridiculous! Jasper's ignoring Edward, and Edward's acting so superior, and they won't tell me what the heck it is all about, but it is damn obvious that it is about me! They're just such…ugh, such boys!"

Esme listened quietly as Bella let out her anger, still chopping her vegetables. When Bella finished and returned to her silence, Esme spoke up.

"I know this does not seem like a good excuse, Bella, but they are teen boys. They will always get in fights over the silliest thing and will always feel entitled to it. And I have seen this particular one coming for a few weeks now. It may seem hard, but, if this is what I think it is, you should just let it be. It will resolve itself eventually and, if you get involved, it will only cause more trouble. Let them do their thing. When they start making decisions for you, though…that's when you should worry. If they start doing that, or ignoring you, or if it comes down to blows between the two of them…then you send them to be; I'll straighten them out. OK, honey?"

Bella nodded, biting her lip. She had never had somebody to talk to like this before. Sure, she had Rosalie, but there was only so much she could tell her; she always felt as if she couldn't tell her about her frustrations with Jasper since they were family. She didn't want Rosalie to have to choose between their friendship and their family. Esme, on the other hand…Esme listened and was reassuring, she did not seem to be jumping to conclusions or feeling the need to take sides. She made Bella feel comfortable.

"Good. Don't worry about them. They'll figure it out and be friends again in no time; it's probably just a matter of pride. Now," she said, changing her tone, "are you done with that dough?"

"Just about," Bella answered, having finished pouring her frustration out and feeling much better already. She would do as Esme suggested; just give them time. If they remained in such unfriendly terms for long, however, she would have to have a serious talk with them!

"OK. Just you wait; this pizza is going to be the best you've ever had. Carlisle's family is Italian, in case you didn't know, and this particular pizza recipe has been passing down the family line for generations. One of his brothers, Marcus, is a chef in New York, and this recipe won him his Michelin star."

Bella's eyes widened. Cooking was something she loved to do; she loved to feel as if she was helping others, and cooking certainly allowed her to care for those she loved. It relaxed her. The fact that Esme was sharing a family recipe with her made her feel included. Furthermore, she loved to learn more about Edward and his family; she was growing remarkably close to all of them with each passing day and she had trouble remembering her life without them now.

Bella listened and watched avidly as Esme explained to her the recipe and put it all together. When the pizza was finally in the oven, the two of them sat down in the living room, each with a mug of tea, and simply relaxed for a while.

"Bella?" Esme asked.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to have Thanksgiving dinner with us?"

Bella sat up suddenly, her eyes opening wide. She turned to look at Esme, who looked somewhat vulnerable, as if she were afraid of Bella's answer. She quickly began to amend her statement.

"Well, Alice told me that you don't really get along with your father. And, well, he called that one time when you and the Hales were over for dinner, and what he told Carlisle was not very…pleasant. I just thought that, maybe, you'd like to spend that time with us. It's fine if you don't want to."

Bella was touched. She smiled widely at Esme, her whole face brightening up. Just for that moment, she did not mind that Esme knew about her father, or that James had told Carlisle the truth so long ago without her knowing. She didn't even care that he had been rude enough to be, as Esme put it, "unpleasant." All that she cared about was that Esme wanted her to participate in their family celebration.

"I'd love to," she answered, for, as much as Jasper she was part of the Hale family, they always went down South to their family ranch for the holidays, be it Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter, for a family reunion, and Bella did not fit in there at all. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, dear," Esme answered, patting her hand comfortingly, "we all wanted you here. I must admit, I'd already discussed it with Carlisle before Edward approached me about it."

All the frustration Bella had been feeling towards Edward dissipated with that one statement. He had thought of her and how she would be alone for Thanksgiving…and he had asked his parents to invite her. He wanted her with him on Thanksgiving, to celebrate with his family. And, Bella thought, maybe, just maybe, he wanted to have more time with her one-on-one, without school or Jasper. Whatever his reasoning was, however, Bella appreciated it.

"Is there anything I can help with? Would you like me to help with the cooking?" she asked eagerly, much to Esme's amusement.

"Bella, it's still early September. We have time to organize it all, honey. I just wanted to ask, in case you were going to make other plans."

Bella shook her head vigorously, causing Esme to laugh.

"Good, good. Now, I'm pretty sure the rest of the kids are missing you downstairs. The pizza is going to be in the oven for a bit, yet. I'll call you guys up when it's done. And don't let those silly boys get to you, alright?"

Bella smiled and nodded before heading down the stairs. The movie was still going, but she completely ignored it as she walked past Jasper, stopped in front of Edward, and kissed him on the cheek before sitting next to him. Edward brought a hand up to the cheek she had just kissed, a goofy yet confused smile on his face. Jasper glared at her while Alice and Rosalie beamed. Finally, Edward gathered his wits once more.

What was that for? Not that I don't appreciate it, mind you.

Bella smiled, leaning her head on his shoulder and signing in front of them.

For being so sweet and thinking of me. Thank you.

Edward was still not quite sure just what had brought on her realization, but he did not complain. He wrapped his right arm around her shoulders, holding her closer, and rested his own head on hers, as they continued watching the movie peacefully.

Author's Note: As promised, a new chapter! And I'm working on another, if I'm lucky I'll have that out tonight and I'll kill my guilt. With this chapter I'm trying a new thing, which is having both "points of view" within a single chapter, instead of splitting them up. Was it effective? Did you like it? If it works well, it will save a lot of repetition in future chapters and will allow for more comprehensive chapters; instead of having to wait for the next chapter to come out to understand the situation entirely, you get it all at once. Give me some feedback on it, please, so I can figure out how that works, OK? Thanks!

Thanks To:

Hollywood Girl

Ceara1888

Quickreader93

Sweetiedolphin

Xxxdivinecomedyxxx

MiloKit—have fun re-reading! I'm glad you like it!

Tie Up The Pretty Bow—well, thank you so much for reading my story, liking it, and taking the time to review it! I hope it keeps living up to your standards and that you keep reading. And I suggest you research the Deaf Community; it is a fascinating topic. Maybe you could find out about the UK Deaf Community and tell me about it? I've only researched the American one.

FirstLaugh-LastTears—well, I'm flattered! And I'm really glad you like my story. I don't know if you've caught up yet, but, even if you haven't, here's my greeting to you…you'll find it eventually, I'm sure. Until then, happy reading!

Mkitkat

Incredibelle

Meester

Bemyescape32

FRK921

Questions/Comments:

Kyrandiana—ok, clarification…Renée is Bella's mother. James is not her biological father, but everybody thinks he is. The only people who know he isn't are him, Bella, and Victoria (James' mother). We don't know who the man in the photograph with Renée was, but he is Bella's father. Take a guess as to whom it is.

Mrs. Dom Masbolle—Bella's mom (Renée) did, in fact, get pregnant by somebody else while she was with James. Nobody knew, and her story and reasons have not been revealed yet. This means that, in the eyes of the people of Forks, James is Bella's biological father. Only James, Victoria (his mother), and Bella know the truth.

Reborn-fire-bird—I don't know if it was too harsh, but I think Bella definitely needed a good talking-to. I'm afraid a simple "don't act like that, please" wouldn't have been very effective. Furthermore, Jasper was really worried about her; so much so, that he felt the need to do the cursing and the grabbing to help her.

Special Thanks To:

Cheesepuff311—I'm glad you liked it and that you are honest enough to point out my mistakes instead of telling me not to worry about it; it shows that you care enough about the story to want it to improve, and it makes me happy. I also loved that you commented on my signing and want to help me improve that, too. Thanks so much!!

PrettiaLydia—I did the happy façade thing, too. Still do it sometimes. And I have the feeling many more people do it than we ever notice. And it makes me smile that, like you said, I'm not the only one. And that you feel like you can connect with Bella. Furthermore, I'm glad that you no longer find yourself in that position. Personally, I have learned to look at the happy parts of life and always look for a silver lining, but to also express when something upsets me or I am simply not in a good mood. Being yourself is much easier than being whom you think you should be. =]

TeamASHLAN—I love your reviews…so much. So, first off, school is pretty great, not too tough. I'm dealing easily enough. And the play was great. Right now I'm actually involved in another; I'm the Chief of Props for our production of The Crucible. It's great fun! Anyway, moving on to the story…First off, James' reaction. He did not have a vindictive reaction for the mere reason that he enjoyed destroying Bella's façade. He knows how much it means to Bella to be included with the Hales and he was happy when it came apart. As for the chapter-changing and the POVs…is this chapter better? I'd been fiddling with the idea of bringing the two together, but hadn't really done much with it until now. Was it OK? And, as for Alice….well, I hope this chapter kind of covered that. On to your next review…

Bella was meant to be all emotional in that chapter, although, as you say, I think I over-did it a bit. I hope this Bella made up for it, a bit? The end is mushy, but at least she shows some backbone. I'm glad you liked the flashback, though. I did feel, like you said, that Bella reacted in an older way than she seems she should have, but I think that, having grown up with a father who is cold towards you and no mother, you grow to be more resilient to things such as that than if you had been coddled. On to Alice…you're right. I feel like that scene is pretty much necessary now, and I feel bad for not having seen it before. Ugh. OK, next chapter, we're having a little heart-to-heart between Alice and Edward.

As for Jasper…has your opinion of him changed, based on this chapter? I must admit, he seems a bit OOC, even to me, but I feel like he feels entitled to the anger, because has been there for Bella all along and suddenly she doesn't seem to need him as much. I'm going to work on that a bit, figure out how I can show it. Any ideas? I feel like a talk between him and Bella about this wouldn't be very realistic, but maybe between him and Rosalie? This needs some thought. And, finally, back to James. I do see him as definitely taking advantage of the situation, but not quite yet. Again, he enjoyed revealing Bella's secret, but he is James and he is going to squeeze the situation for all it's got. Not quite yet, though. That is yet to come. And, with that, I think I've covered everything. Did I miss anything? Anyway, I look forward to your review for this chapter; I think it's pretty different from previous ones. We'll see, right? Until then, take care!