A/N: Hey ya'll. Sorry this is a day late…I'm officially on day #30 of the monthly goblin and I'm ready to lock myself in a room somewhere and REFUSE to move.

Thanks to my beautiful beta, Dil9 for making my words all pretty and stuff…and loving Japer's accent. (He loves you too beautiful girl.) ; )

Thank you to all of you who have read, reviewed, favorited…you all make my life happier.

Please leave me a review…let me know what you think.

EPOV

I sat in the living room with my new family.

I found that I was taking to this life with more ease than what was expected of me. Better than any of my family thought possible. Frankly, I think it pissed a few of them off.

Jasper was like a caged lion at times – pacing the floor, glaring at me…radiating irritation. His convoluted thoughts muddled my mind; IMPOSSIBLE! He should be havin' serious control issues right now! I remember my first year and there wasn't a single human that walked by that I didn't have the irresistible urge to kill…I killed more in my first year than I did all the rest of the time I was with Maria! He should be tryin' to slaughter every town within sniffin' distance, not sittin' here all comfy like he's been immortal for decades. He most definitely shouldn't be able to go on solitary hunts. What's his deal? Is there something I'm missin'? Are the "newborn blues" just mind over matter? Is there a certain strength I'm missin'? If he can do it – why couldn't I? Is he a better man than me…a stronger man? I'm the goddamned God of War for fucks sakes!

These thoughts continued for days on end before I pulled him to the side one afternoon. The irritation level in the house was at a boiling point – Bella and I had never been closer to snapping at each other than we were that day. I was trying to get a quickie on and she damned near bit my head off.

I knew at that moment that I needed to do something to avoid my relationship with Bella coming to an abrupt and messy end.

"Jasper, brother," I said as cordially as I could…with the continuing irritation rolling from him in waves, "I would like to talk to you outside please. Come hunt with me."

He cut his narrowed eyes to mine before hissing, "I really don't feel the need to feed right now but thank you for your generous offer."

I grabbed his arm roughly, forcing him to look me in the eye fully, "You may not feel the need but everyone in the house is feeling all the negative vibes coming from you. Haven't you noticed how even Carlisle and Esme have been bickering the past couple of days? This shit's gotta give man. I have heard your thoughts God of War. I know what causes your irritation and I'd like to diffuse this situation before it can poison you."

His eyes narrowed further before he flipped our stance and had me instantly against the wall by my throat, "You don't know a damned thing about me, Swan. Don't get it twisted, thinkin' that you do. I know that everyone's on edge because of me but sadly I don't think there's a damned thing I can do about it aside from leavin' the family for awhile. I don't see how talkin' to your infantile ass is gonna help me with my inner demons. I suggest you leave this alone – brother," he sneered in my face.

"Jasper, give it a fucking break. I only want to try to help you because you're my brother and by fuck, you're making my family all freaked out. My woman is constantly PMS'ing…yelling at me for shit I haven't even done yet! Emmett is all grumpy – he won't play anything with anyone. He hasn't cracked a single joke in forty-eight hours. Rosalie still hates me – no surprise there. Alice hasn't even had a single energetic or annoying thing to do. She's your mate, asshole. You should be noticing your wife's irritation level! And god dammit, Jasper, I just want my brother back! We've never been all too close but I would like a relationship with you based on mutual trust, respect and later on, love. I know that my first year so far is depressing you, man. You don't need to doubt yourself. You're an amazing immortal and a damned good guy! You've said so yourself at the very beginning – we all have our gifts, our cake walks, our hardships. Maybe your first year was difficult to prepare you for the hellacious time you had with Maria? I don't know. Maybe mine has been super easy so that I can save my energy for something bigger brewing on the horizon. I don't know that either. All I really know is that you're getting all bent out of shape over something that none of us can control. This shit has got to stop. Come. Let's get dinner to go."

He growled at me for long moments before taking a long unneeded breath, "I understand where you're comin' from, Edward. I do. What you have to understand is that my life was anything but easy until I met Alice. It was literally the seventh circle of hell. I thought for the longest time that I had actually died and went to hell…and that Maria was Satan…there to torture me for any wrong doin' I'd done while I was human. That first year I agonized over every time I lied to my mama. Every single time I stayed out past curfew. Every time I played hookie from school…didn't go to church. I tore myself up. I just really don't understand why the fuck my life has been like eatin' broken glass while yours has been like a daydream. I don't fuckin' get it. I don't have any aversion to you as a brother…as a person. I'm seriously doubtin' myself. It's really nothin' to do with you other than your infallible control. I'm sure that as I get to know you more and more as a person I'll be easier around you…you have one of the best emotional atmospheres I've ever experienced. Let's go get some take-out."

I laughed lightly as the positive emotional atmosphere that suddenly overwhelmed the house.

We walked out of the door and ran at full speed toward the woods, chuckling and playfully shoving each other.

I leaned toward him conspiratorially, "If it makes you feel any better, Jas, I can go take out a couple of villages for you."

He leaned his head back and laughed long and hard, "Let me get back to you on that, okay?"

I felt lighter than I had in what seemed like years and knew that this was going to be the turning point in my relationship with Jasper.

I was ready for the brothers I never had.