A/N: Right on time :) I hope you like this one, it's sort of dramatic (maybe overly so:)

Chapter Twenty-One

Jasper POV

I waited at the treaty line, knowing that someone would come along eventually and tell Sam. I stood on the border and waited. I didn't have to wait long, it was only a few minutes later that a young wolf ambled by.

I could tell he was young because his paws were too big for his body. He had sand-colored fur and his eyes were shut as he followed a scent, is nose was wrinkled in disgust at the scent he was following.

"Looking for me?" I asked.

His eyes snapped open and then narrowed as he snarled.

"I'm on my side of the line," I said hastily. This one was obviously new to the wolf thing and I didn't want to be on the wrong side of a misunderstanding. Young wolves were volatile.

He watched me warily.

"I'm Jasper," I said. "I wanted to talk to Sam. It's regarding the newborn vampire he saw me with yesterday. It's nothing bad, I assure you."

The wolf nodded once then threw his head back an howled. Then he sat down and waited.

Two minutes later, I heard the sound of two wolves racing their way to us. They paused for a moment, about sixty yards away and phased in the cover of the trees. Then, Sam and Jacob came jogging up to meet me and the sand-colored wolf at the treaty line. Sam spoke first.

"Seth said you wanted to speak to me regarding the girl?"

I assumed Seth was the young wolf watching me intently.

"Yes, it's about the one who bit her," I started.

"Yes?" he said expectantly.

"We'll, I've been trying to figure out a way to approach this delicately, and I've come to realize there is no such way."

"Approach what?" Jacob said impatiently. "Get to the point."

"Can you promise to hear me out before acting on what I say next?"

Sam stared at me evenly. "You said this had something to do with the one who bit her. What about him?"

I hesitated. I was afraid they would tear me to pieces the moment I told them and then move on to the rest of my family, but something told me that Sam would listen.

"It was me," I closed my eyes and waited for their response.

There was silence for a moment and I chanced a look at the wolves. Jacob was shaking from head to toe and looked like the only reason he hadn't phased and ripped me in half already was because Sam hadn't ordered it. Seth was staring at me with wide, horrified eyes. Sam... I felt anger pouring off of him in tsunamis, but there was also confusion and curiosity mixed in.

Sam took a deep breath to calm himself and then stared at me with cold, calculating eyes. "Tell me everything," he said in a tone I didn't dare disobey.

So I began my story. "I had come to the school to pick Alice up for a date I had planned, but she, Bella, and Edward were running late because Bella's backpack had torn open. Dana was running late, too because she had been to see the nurse for an ice pack, because some other girl hit her with a volleyball. I was just standing there waiting for Alice, and barely paying attention to Dana at all, when the wind changed and brought her scent towards me..." I looked away in shame. "I couldn't help myself. I didn't mean to... I just couldn't control it... I never smelled anything like her before, and I just..." I shuddered at the events that came next.

"Edward and Alice pulled us apart and then Bella came around the corner. Edward told her to stay back. It was Bella's horrified look that snapped me out of it. When we got Dana back to the house and she started changing, I vowed I would look after her and spend the rest of eternity trying to make up for what I did to her. I would make sure she didn't make the same mistake I did. So that she wouldn't know the horror of taking someone from everything they know and tossing them into a life they never wanted to lead.

"I came to tell you when I realized it would get out eventually. I wanted you to know that it was my fault and not theirs, so if punishment is being dealt for this, let it be on me. The others have done nothing wrong."

I waited for Sam to order Jacob to tear me apart and burn the pieces, but he didn't. He stared at me for a moment, he seemed to be calculating his next move carefully. I always saw that same look on Carlisle's face when the two of us would play chess. The silence dragged on and I was becoming anxious, Jacob was becoming impatient, and Seth was becoming nervous. But Sam continued to plan his next move, until finally, he spoke.

"I have decided to include Dana in the treaty. You're sure she won't be hunting humans?"

Jacob just stared at Sam in shock. I have to admit, that was the last thing I expected to hear at the moment.

I nodded to Sam's question. "Alice said she won't have a problem with this lifestyle."

Sam nodded. "Good. We'll that takes care of that," he paused for a moment, still calculating. Jacob's impatience was growing to mountainous levels. "I had better not regret my decision," he said. "Come on, Jacob, Seth," and he turned around an started walking back to his side of the border.

Seth got up and trotted behind him, confused as hell but unwilling to disobey his pack leader. Jacob, however, spluttered in shock, only half turning to stare at Sam's retreating figure. "Sam?" he asked in a tone that said 'aren't we forgetting something?'

"Jacob," he said in a warning tone.

"But what about the bloodsucker? He broke the treaty!"

"You heard him, Jacob. He vowed to look after her and make sure she never harms a human."

Jacob just stared at him in shock.

"You're not going to kill me, then?" I asked to be sure.

Sam cracked a small smile. "Don't sound so disappointed," his face became more serious. "I'm not going to kill you because you made a promise to that girl and I've decided that, since she's never done a wrong deed in her whole existence, she's undeserving of our wrath. That, and I believe the shame in your eyes."

He turned an walked away with Seth at his heels.

Jacob stayed where he was. "Part of me didn't want to kill you," he said. "Not for any love of leeches, but for my love of Bella. There's no way she would forgive me if I killed one of you."

I nodded. "I'm not deserving of Sam's mercy."

"I know you're not, but he gave it to you anyway and I can't do anything without his order, but a part of me is relieved that he spared you, but that doesn't mean I'll hesitate if he tells me to take your head off, so don't give him a reason." He turned to leave but paused, turning back. "I borrowed this from Bella, make sure she gets it back."

He handed me what I recognized to be one of Dana's letters before loping away. One glance at Dana's first letter to Bella assured me that it was this that spawned Sam's mercy.

A/N: Well? What do you think? After you review, you should check out my other stories, show them some love, too :) R&R!