All Things Twilight belong to the amazing Stephenie Meyer . . . but there are certain things . . . . MJP, mine all mine . . .

Emotional Wrecks and Friendly Tows

APOV

The atmosphere was so thick in the room; it could have been folded into neat little squares. The obvious tension between Jasper and I, then the surreptitious looks I kept shooting at Bella, made it all the more obvious to everyone else. There was a brief pause as the atmosphere shifted, but soon enough it was only Jasper and I frozen where we were standing.

Luckily, Bella had taken the beautiful baby boy from my arms because I was shaking almost uncontrollably. How could I have honestly thought I could do this without any repercussions? I could sense how tensely he was standing just inside the door. My stomach flipped as I felt his eyes on the back of my head.

The immediate pull to him was also there, eating me alive as it conflicted with everything that was going on. Damn body, damn heart, damn mind . . . what the hell was I thinking?

Rosalie's eyes were thankfully on the baby that Bella was handing her, but there was still that atmosphere, it bounced around the room. The discomfort on both Emmett and Bella's faces were obvious.

"Are you going to come say hi to your nephew or just stand at the door staring at my friend?" Rosalie asked with a smirk.

"Need a camera there Jazz?" Emmett chuckled breaking the heady atmosphere.

I heard Jasper's easy laugh as he moved his attention to his sister. I took a stuttered breath and watched him cross the room. His eyes didn't come anywhere near me . . . I was fucked. It was like my entire world came to a jolting halt and the actuality of the situation kicked my skinny ass into oblivion. I should have called him; I should have done something. I am such an idiot.

I was surprised at how quickly the hollow empty feeling filled me and I felt like a deer trapped in the headlights. My head thumped in perfect synchronization with my heart, as tears welled slowly, stinging my eyes and burning my throat. I looked to Bella hoping with everything I had that she would see the panic that was eating away at me. I needed out and I needed her to say something to get me out of here.

My legs felt weak, my head felt funky, and the sleeplessness made me feel dirty and gritty. I should have changed. Here I was in the cocktail dress I was kissing him in last night and I knew I must be a complete mess in comparison, and I knew he was coming; I should have done something. Full panic mode crawled under my skin, as I still stood frozen to the spot.

Someone fucking say something, my head screamed as my eyes darted around the small grouping. At least there was some luck, Emmett was preoccupied with his son and hadn't noticed me or the wild look I knew was in my eyes.

"We're gonna go grab some coffee," Bella asked rather than stated, but it didn't really matter, it got me the hell out of this tiny ass room that was suffocating me. Now I just had to remember how to move.

"Okay, we'll be here," Rosalie laughed; I could see Jasper's fingers stroking the tiny baby arm that had snuck out of the blanket. His gentle touch mesmerized me, but I kept willing myself towards the door. Desperate for the escape it would afford me.

Bella pulled it open and nodded at me and the rush of fresh air hit me quickly. I almost ran to the sanctuary that was the empty hall. I waited patiently as she followed me out, I needed a minute alone and I hoped she wouldn't be offended that I was about to make a quick exit to the bathroom so I could cry without an audience.

The sleep deprivation that was wrapped around me like a thick fog wasn't helping the situation at all. I knew I was blowing this completely out of proportion because my emotions were running rampant. It was over thirty something hours since I slept last. Maybe a splash of water and a deep breath would help. Was it possible to drown oneself in the sink?

"Ali?" Bella's voice pulled me away from my last ludicrous thought. "You okay?"

She was concerned, I could see that in way she was assessing me, almost as though she was waiting for me to break down and crumble to the ground in a large D&G heap. She wasn't that far off base, but I hoped after I gathered myself together a little, the outcome wouldn't be so desperate.

"I'll meet you in the waiting room Bells, I'm just going to get cleaned up a little. I'm fine I promise."

Bella smiled sympathetically, I could feel her eyes on me as I walked as quickly as I could down the hall to where I knew the bathrooms were located. Now was not the time for a confrontation, I couldn't think, I was tired and emotional, no good was going to come out of this. I was beginning to feel like a breakdown would be more likely at this juncture and that scared me. I was so invested in this, maybe too much . . . great, now I was second-guessing myself . . . idiot.

I pushed the door open and stepped into the cool sterile smelling room. I let my hands fall on the counter that held the sinks and I let my head fall to my chest in defeat. Great Plan, Alice, wait till he gets here and shock him, then run and cry because you're so tired you can't see straight.

I knew I needed to talk to him soon, but with the ball of emotions I was carrying around, I knew it wouldn't be productive or helpful in any way, shape or form. I would make myself look like an idiot, because the one thing I wanted to say to him, I couldn't.

I stamped my feet childishly as my fists tensed up again. Every part of me ached as I fought the urge to scream in frustration. It was so melodramatic it was almost funny. My jaw tensed and clenched as I tried to take deep breaths, letting my eyes focus on my reflection. I giggled once, but it turned into fits, which gave way to full hysterics. Then the tears came, I couldn't control myself.

I straightened out my arms and let my head focus on the tile of the floor as I dragged in as much oxygen as I could; I was being ridiculous. I had to push through the sleepiness and just do what I had to do. No more of this, 'I can't do it' bullshit.

I splashed some cool water on my face and laughed at my reflection. My cocktail dress from Friday night looked like paper that had been screwed up into a ball and straightened out again, my hair was now a disorganized field of unruly spikes, and my make - up . . . Cruella would have been proud, the panda circles were looking fabulous, maybe I could make a new fashion statement.

I fixed what I could with the tools I had and took a deep breath. My reflection seemed to taunt me as it stared back with amusement. Yes, I was that tired. Still, I knew I couldn't hide out in the bathroom forever; it was unsanitary for one, and immature for the next. With a deep breath . . . and a little more inner dialogue, I straightened out to my full height and picked up my clutch, I took one last look at myself before heading to the door.

I made my way back to the waiting room and fell into a seat opposite where Bella was asleep on Jacob, her head on his shoulder as his eyes drooped heavily. Jacob smiled and patted the seat next to him; I slid into the chair next to him and let my head rest on his arm.

"You okay?" Jacob whispered, Bella mumbled from his other arm and I smiled. Whispering was never Jacob's forte.

"Super tired," I admitted, patting the arm I was resting on.

"Mmm, Edward," Bella's sleep induced mumble made us both giggle silently.

"Where is everyone?"

"Claudia and Roger went home, and I think Charlie and Emmett went to get something to eat."

A large yawn escaped me and I covered my mouth as my whole body reacted to the movement. Exhausted was a luxury compared to what I was feeling at the moment.

Jacob chuckled, his whole body shook under my head, and I slapped him lightly on the shoulder. At this rate, he was going to wake up Bella. Every part of my body ached as I sat resting against Jacob's warm body; my eyelids grew heavier with every blink as I let my body relax.

My mind had shut down a while ago; so thinking hadn't even been an option, let alone obsessing about things that couldn't be helped, so I let my eyes rest. The darkness of sleep was like a warm blanket that pulled on my subconscious, I was still trying to fight it, even with my eyes closed.

I jumped as my body rebelled against my own mind, I was on the brink of falling asleep and I knew it, I had two choices, let myself fall or get up and move around. I groaned thinking about moving. There was a reason I wanted to stay awake and his face was painting a beautiful picture on the back of my eyelids.

I hoped he would come and talk to me instead of walking away. I yawned again and let my hand cover my mouth before letting it slide lazily into my lap. I had to stay awake; I opened my eyes and looked up at Jacob who was watching me curiously.

"Just go to sleep, Alice. You'll be fine; I'll wake you up if anything interesting happens."

"These chairs will kill my back, Jake." I sighed, sitting up and stretching my neck from side to side as my head spun a little. Well, if I had any question to whether I was still able to function after an all-nighter I had my answer, which was most definitely a no. "I am too old for this shit."

Jake barked out a laugh that jolted Bella out of her sleep, her eyes fluttered a little before focusing on me. "Hey, everything alright?" she mumbled her eyes sliding closed again.

"Yeah, just starting to hurt a little from lack of sleep."

"Mmm, me too," she mumbled, her body relaxing again.

As my blinks became heavy and more frequent, my body relaxed around me, once again betraying what my mind was telling it to do. Everything tingled as it willed my mind to give up. Finally, I relented and fell into the darkened abyss.

***

Jacob's warm hand rubbing up and down my arm pulled me out of the peaceful slumber that had pulled me down. I groaned quietly and found the will to move my body. I slapped at his hand.

"Cut it out, Jake."

"Alice."

My eyes flew open as the all too familiar voice filled my semi conscious mind. Familiar, but still new, his face flashed across my brain before my eyes could focus and I almost fell out of the chair. For the first time, I could feel how tense Jacob's arm was below my head and the guilt washed over me again, just as my eyes came into focus.

He wasn't smiling. My heart sank deep into the confines of my stomach as I blinked in the bright light of what I assumed was the morning sun. My head turned a little to look up at Jacob; he looked so torn.

"Jasper, have you met Jacob?" I asked timidly, I still couldn't find my strong voice. Jacob sighed next to me, I could hear the slight strain of his breath but I couldn't focus on that.

"Yeah, we've been sitting here for a while," Jasper said softly.

Oh Fuck! Please, please don't do this to me. My eyes moved over to Bella, she was awake but still cuddled into Jacob, and was now holding his hand squeezing it gently. That gave me the small piece of relief I was looking for, maybe I had been the only one to sleep through his entrance.

I still felt so completely confused, from lack of sleep, for what to say, for how to do this, and I knew I hadn't slept all that long. My head was starting to throb as my body protested the movement I was trying to encourage it to make.

"Have you met my best friend Bella?" I added; trying to force a smile.

"I kissed a girl?" Jasper said, eyebrows raised.

"That's me," Bella rolled her eyes and grinned at me once before motioning to Jasper by tilting her head. Jacob chuckled and nudged me gently with his arm. This wasn't awkward, my friend, with ex-benefits was making subtle hints too.

"I think we need to talk," Jasper said quietly.

My blood turned cold in my veins as I nodded. It was pathetic how afraid I was, but I refused to let it incapacitate me. I gave Bella a 'what the fuck do I do' look before sliding out of my chair to follow him. She widened her eyes and nodded at him, but smiled when he turned to look at them.

"If I don't see you before I leave, it was nice seeing you again, Bella, and it was nice meeting you Jacob."

Both of my friends smiled at me with encouragement, I could see that Jacob was trying to hide everything he wasn't saying, I just hoped he would be alright and get over it all, I also hoped Bella was right, and that he wasn't in love with me, just the idea of me.

I took a deep breath as I stepped out of my comfort zone and followed Jasper down the hall. He was looking through the small windows of the rooms as he passed by. I couldn't help like feeling as though I were a homeless puppy following him around as he moved agilely down the corridors. My heart was elated at his closeness, and crushed about what had to happen next. My mind blanked as I tried to think of what to say to him.

I was stuck and I knew it, I had to throw caution to the wind and let the chips fall where they might. It was my only option at this point. I was dragging my feet behind him; the lethargy was still weighing me down as we moved. How ever long I had been asleep just seemed to have made it worse.

"Jasper." My voice was still quiet and hesitant, but he spun quickly to look at me. I couldn't read his expression, but I knew I wanted to learn it. "Where are we going?"

"I think we need some privacy."

"Mmm," I hummed, and forced my feet to move again. Any longer, I would be crawling.

His eyebrow perked up a little, as he seemed to really look at me for the first time. "When was the last time you slept, Alice?"

"What day is it?"

Jasper shook his head before walking back towards me, his long toned legs carrying him quickly in my direction. He wrapped his warm arm around my waist and started forward again. I sighed, I couldn't help myself, I'm sure he thought it was my hesitance at walking, but it was his touch. It sparked something in me, making me a little more aware . . . of him at least.

I let Jasper guide me down the hall a little bit further, he finally stopped outside a door and checked the small white board hanging outside, and it was blank, so I imagined it was an empty room. My stomach turned uneasily, knowing that the talk was getting closer by the second. What the hell was I supposed to say to him?

Jasper pushed the door open and I heard it swing shut behind us, clicking closed as he guided me towards one of the beds. In one swift movement, he picked me up and sat me on it before stepping away and pacing a little.

I stayed silent, watching the movements of his body as he strolled from one end to the other. My heart was hammering against my ribs, echoing in my ears as the fear once again rushed through my body.

Jasper's body was creating a draft as he paced, I sat still and shivered, still just watching; waiting for something to happen. It took at least another five minutes for anything at all to happen. Finally, he stopped and spun so he was facing me.

"That was really awkward, Alice." He stopped again, almost as though he was thinking about the words before saying them. "You know my situation with Maria . . ."

"Jasper," My voice rang out with strength I wasn't I aware I possessed in this moment. He looked at me, waiting for me to speak. His blue eyes tore into me with such an intensity I knew I had to fix this. Still, I wasn't willing to be compared with that harlot though.

The heavy silence between us hung like a curtain in the room. It was uncomfortable and seemed to make my heart pound even harder.

"It wasn't something intentional, it just never came up." That's it? That was my best defense? Fatigue really didn't help me with the whole thinking thing.

"Never came up?" Jasper's voice was finally showing a hint of anger in it. I took a deep breath, my shoulders lifted with the intake of breath before falling with the exhale.

He started pacing again, this time his heels pounded into the ground with every step; he was walking out his anger. Selfishly, I stored that away in my mind for future reference. I didn't really want to learn that about him this early on, but somehow, I was glad I would know beforehand.

I let him work out his temper a little. I still had no idea what to say to him, and I didn't know if he was going say anything. The tension was tangible; I pulled my legs under me and watched him move back and forth. Then he stopped, but he never looked at me.

"I want you to answer one question, and I need you to answer it with something other than it never came up." His voice was heavy and rough. He had my full attention and he knew it so his voice was level and quiet.

"Okay," I whispered, trying to fight the ridiculous trembling of my bottom lip. Now was not the time for the emotional downpour that I had been battling all day.

"Why didn't you tell me you knew my sister? I mean, you're one of her best friends, I would have thought that would have been one of the first things you told me. Yet you never said a word, why?"

I looked down at my hands, they were wringing in my lap, My eyes stung with the tears that threatened to spill over, I didn't want him to see that and pity me. I was stronger than that, but he'd caught me in a vulnerable moment. I was tired and overly emotional. That hardly ever happened to me. Only he had that effect on me.

"The truth?" I asked, because I had the truth, I just wasn't sure he wanted to hear it.

"Yes, that's all I want." I could hear the hardened edge of his voice and it almost broke me. I bit back the sob that threatened to make an appearance. Stupid emotions, this would be so much easier if I was working with a full nights sleep.

"Do you remember what you told me the second night we talked on the phone, the night you arrived in New York?"

I saw his feet turn, which meant he was facing me. I would have looked up at him, but my stupid eyes were full of unshed tears; the water was pooled on my bottom lid trembling and threatening to spill over.

"We talked about a lot of things, Alice." His voice was softer now.

"You said that it was easier to talk to someone outside of the situation, that you felt as though you could talk to me because I wasn't involved in all of this mess."

I heard him sigh; it was exasperated.

"Alice, you've known my sister for how long?"

"Almost seven years, but I found out you were her brother the day of the baby shower. You see I met your mom, she was a Whitlock, and so I asked."

"What about the final day of the shoot?"

Fuck! I really didn't want to tell him this, it was still such a private memory for me, it was the day I had known I had fallen in love with him, the day I told Jacob I couldn't be with him. I couldn't say that, but I did have a version of the truth, I could extract part of the feelings that day and tell him.

"Alice," His voice was softer still and he took a step forward, I still couldn't look at him. The tears were still pooling heavily in my eyes. It was only a matter of time before they spilled over. I twisted my hands again, but that had been a mistake, the movement dislodged the big fat balls of salty water from my eyes, and they fell onto my lap, darkening the fabric of my dress.

Jasper took another step forward, his hand lifted and his long soft fingers cradled my chin, lifting my face up so he could see my eyes. I fell into the pools of his eyes, falling even more in love with him. It was so effortless to love him.

"Are you crying?"

I sniffled and trying to drag my eyes from his so I could look down in my lap, I was mortified and embarrassed. I hated feeling like this. I couldn't even explain it myself without saying too much.

Jasper crouched in front of me so he could hold my gaze. He looked so confused. I sniffled quietly and tried to wipe my eyes, but his thumbs beat me to it, their gentle strokes swept away the wetness with a tenderness I hadn't expected.

"Alice, talk to me, I never intended to make you cry."

"I'm over tired and completely emotional, I'm sorry," I sobbed, dragging in deep breaths.

Way to impress a guy Alice, just blubber all over him. I felt pathetic, truly, but there was still a level of comfort with him I had never experienced before.

"Alice, listen to me," Jasper climbed up on the bed beside me, I still had my legs folded under me, so he twisted my body around to face him. He had one foot on the floor and the other one folded up in front of him. "I like you . . . that sounds wrong somehow, but I hope you know what I mean . . . I'm just trying to understand here."

I sighed again and really tried to get a grip this time, I had never been this emotional in my life . . . well, at least not in front of anyone other than Bella. I was in unchartered waters and I didn't know what to do.

"The last day of the shoot was the day I realized that . . . that I wanted to be more than friends, that I wanted you, but I swallowed my pride and decided that if you were only in my life as a friend; then I could accept that. I just wanted you in my life. You have to understand; I thought you were in love with Maria. Telling you I knew your sister was the last thing on my mind at the time."

That was perhaps a little too much honesty. I slammed my eyes shut and kept them closed, waiting for him to leave, to tell me how stupid I was, or to shout about how I had ruined his relationship.

None of it happened. He sat patiently waiting for me to continue, a small curious smile on his lips, the perfect edges of his mouth were curled upward, hardly enough to notice; but I did. I decided to continue.

"Then that first night on the phone, when I was in the bath . . ."

Jasper smiled his perfect smile distracting me completely. I found myself welling up again as his smile turned into a laugh, this time my bottom lip freely trembled. His smile faltered as soon as he saw my expression. His hands cupped my cheeks and he brought his face down to my level.

"Why are you crying, sweetheart?"

"I," I drug in a breath and tried again, "Idon'tknow," it came out as one word as I bawled them. Jasper pulled me forward until I was on my knees. My head was buried in the crook of his neck. I was so confused, but the warmth and comfort of his arms wrapping tightly around me made me feel calmer somehow.

Shit, I was a mess.

When I finally caught my breath and got my emotions under control, I rolled back until I was leaning on my feet. My hands were on his shoulders as I searched his eyes for answers to the hundreds of question I wanted to ask him.

"Why were you laughing?" I was still sniffling a little, but a bit more under control of my emotions.

His warm smile came back again, making my heart flutter wildly in my chest. Had I been worried about nothing? I mean sure he'd been pissed, and I hated to think my crying had been what had softened his resolve, but still, that hug was like home. My breathing evened out as I watched him collect his thoughts. He was even better looking this close up in the daylight.

"That first night on the phone sealed the deal for me," he said quietly, quickly drawing me out of my minds idle speculation. "I knew I couldn't stay with Maria, I just had to find a way to get out. I knew the last day of the shoot that I liked you more than I should. Maria saw it too and tried to be more like the person I had fallen in love with, but we both knew she was too late, we just couldn't admit it."

His intense blue eyes were alight and there was no way in hell I could ever doubt the sincerity of his words. It was almost too good to be true, and for a fleeting second I considered the fact that perhaps I was hallucinating. I squeezed my eyes closed and opened them again quickly, still there.

"Why didn't you tell me when you found out Rosalie was in labor?"

Now it was my turn to laugh, I reached out and brushed a strand of hair from his face, before settling back onto my feet again.

"You do realize how distracted I was by you and that kiss, don't you?" I asked, feeling almost idiotic for saying it aloud.

Jasper smirked and raised one eyebrow, the leg that was tucked up in front of him straightened out on top of the bed and he shifted himself forward until I was kneeling between his thighs. His finger brushed lightly along my collarbone as his eyes held me captivated. I shivered a little at his touch; he still gave me those tingles.

"I distracted you?" he asked, his eyes now taking on a playful glint.

"You have no idea," I sighed breathlessly, wanting more than anything to lean in and kiss him. There were still things to be said though.

"Just promise that's the only thing I will ever have to find out without you telling me," He groaned, licking his bottom lip and staring at my neck with hungry eyes.

Fucking great. May as well get everything out on the open then, I really didn't want the thing with Jacob to pop up out of the blue one day and ruin all of this, and as electric as his touch was, I knew I had to get this out of the way. If it disturbed him, maybe it was better to lose him now rather than later.

"Then I should probably get everything out in the open now," I sighed, annoyed with myself.

Jasper smiled, "Hit me with it."

"Jacob, the guy you met in the waiting room. He's been one of my best friends almost as long as Rosalie has, we . . . well, we were both lonely for a long time, and we . . . well…."

Jasper nodded his head with a slight wince. "No need to go any further, I get where you're going with this. As long as there's nothing between the two of you now, or in the future if this works out, it doesn't matter."

"There isn't, he wants me to be happy and we came to a mutual agreement that friendship was better than what we were doing. I should also tell you that you and Bella are the only ones who know," I sighed. "Of course, you know about the douche bag ex that comes into town occasionally, but I am more likely to kick him in the nuts than have a conversation with him."

Jasper laughed genuinely, his eyes sparkling. "I think that I might enjoy getting to know you better Alice."

I grinned, "Anything you'd like to get off your chest?"

"My ex was a whore and a bitch, she was manipulative in every way possible, but she's in the past and that's where I'd like to leave her."

I smiled stupidly again; my emotions were still all over the place, peaking and dipping, driving me insane and making his lips look so delectable. Then the yawn of yawns decided to make an appearance.

"You look worse for wear, are you sure you've only been up for twenty something hours?"

I didn't sleep all that well during the week, but I wasn't going to explain why to him. That would just be weird. My eyes drooped a little as I looked at him again. Stupid fatigue.

"I'm fine," I sighed, smiling lazily at him.

Jasper pulled me into his arms in one fluid motion and fell back onto the bed. The metal from all of the gadgets groaned as his back hit the thin mattress. He sorted himself out quickly before tucking me under his arms and holding me to him.

"What are we doing?"

"You are getting some sleep. I slept on the plane, so I will keep an eye out for someone coming in here."

I freed one of my hands slowly, the anticipation bubbling inside of me as I took the initiative. I cupped his face lightly with my hand and tipped his face until he was looking at me again. His eyes, were crystal clear, the blue was hypnotizing. I pushed forward and let my lips press against his slowly.

He hummed gently under his breath as I pressed a little harder. He rolled onto his side, cradling me in his arms as his tongue brushed against my lips. I opened my mouth to allow him access as my head spun quickly.

The magnetism, the magic, all of it came flooding back from the kiss at the bar. He pressed into me; his hands cupped my neck holding me to him as his tongue danced with mine.

Happily being trapped under his body, my hands wrapped around the only thing I could grab. His shirt stretched as I tugged on it gently, pulling him closer to me. I couldn't get enough of him. His silk lips, his light touches. It was as if I had always needed him. I felt whole, complete, and pathetically content all in the same moment.

One of his hands moved down over my shoulder, his fingers trailed in a burning line as they followed his soft palm. He continued over my shoulder and down my arm, his fingers exploring the skin as they moved.

Every part of my body was aware of him in that moment, my mind, even as tired as it was, could only follow what he was doing and where he was touching me. Every small connection our bodies made seemed to amplify the sensuality of the moment.

We were both fully dressed; barely touching one another, yet it was one of the single most erotic moments of my life. My stomach exploded into a flurry of anticipation as his hand finally reached my own, I had no idea what he was doing or where he was going, I just knew I wanted to find out.

His fingers traced intricate patterns on my palm as his hungry lips worked with mine; creating the most significant connection I had ever shared with anyone. Even in sex, I had never had a connection like this before.

As I moaned gently into his mouth, Jasper's lips curved into a satisfied smile. It seemed he had noticed the thing between us was still there just as much as I had. He pulled away slowly, I hated losing his lips against mine, and I already missed the electrical buzz I felt from each connection I had with him.

"That's all you're getting until you sleep," he grinned playfully. He traced a path from my eyes, down the ridge of my nose to my lips. "I don't think I can handle any more tears from you today."

"Yeah, sorry about that," I yawned, cuddling into his chest, letting my head rest on the strong arm that was laying under my head.

"You're tired, I pushed, it's excusable," he chuckled again.

I smiled and just looked at him, my eyes washing over his facial features drinking them in as though it were a vital life source. My blinks got heavier and heavier, but I always opened them again, greeted by the luminous blue of his. He watched me falling into the heavy blanket of sleep with a small warm smile on his lips.

If I'd of had the energy, I would have kissed him again, but every inch of my body felt as though it weighed more than it possibly could. I again cursed this sleep deprivation and the inconvenience of it all. It was the last piece of persuasion I needed to finally let go and let the heavy weight of the darkness close over me. I fell easily, knowing that when I woke up, he would be there.

***

I woke up stiff and achy, knowing instantly that the bed below me wasn't my own. Then I felt the movement beside me and it all came flooding back, my head was finally cleared and I couldn't stop the smile breaking over my lips, even before I had opened my eyes.

His fingers traced light patterns down the side of my face sending shivers down my spine as I sucked in shaky breaths. I was trembling, but it was the excitement of what had transpired before I had fallen asleep. I was terribly emotional but in that state I had been able to say what I never would have if I had been lucid.

He knew how I felt about him, and I knew that, somehow, he seemed to feel the same thing, that was all I needed.

My eyes fluttered open; they were met once again, by the blue of his. Was it selfish to want to always wake up like this? If it was, then label me selfish, because it's what I wanted.

"Welcome back," He grinned, leaning forward to kiss the tip of my nose. "How did you sleep?"

"The bed wasn't great, but the company was," I smiled, I liked this new honesty thing we had going. It gave me a sense of freedom.

He chuckled lightly, tightening his arms around me and pulling me into his chest again. The light in the room was considerably brighter than it had been before I had fallen asleep and I wondered how long I had been out.

"What time is it?" I asked, pointing my toes and stretching out my calf muscles.

He shifted a little, obviously looking behind him to read the clock that sat on the wall by the door. "Three fifteen."

"Holy crap, Bella." I had left her alone in the waiting room with Jacob and I had never intended to be gone for so long. The guilt tinged at the edges as I looked over at Jasper. There was an amused smile on his lips.

"What?" I whispered, feeling suddenly self-conscious.

"Well, if I didn't know Bella was happily married, coupled along with the ring tone, I might be a little worried," he laughed.

I rolled my eyes playfully before touching my lips to his adam's apple that bobbed as he swallowed. "Edward's working and I left her alone all this time, I feel bad."

Jasper rolled and stretched, his long legs sliding of the bed as he rose to his full height. I immediately felt the loss of his body heat and presence, but I appreciated his gesture. He stretched, his arms reaching high above him. As they came back down, he held out his hand to me.

"Come on then, I'll walk you to the waiting room, I think I owe Rose an explanation anyway."

I nodded and placed my hand in his, immediately feeling the content that accompanied his touch. He pulled me off the bed and into his chest; his arms wrapped around my waist and held me tightly. I let my head rest on his chest as my hands came to rest on his back, my fingers fanning out, feeling as much of him as I possibly could.

He pulled back and took my hand in his, intertwining our fingers before heading for the door. He pulled it open and stepped out into the hall. A nurse walked by, a little surprised by our appearance from the room. Her eyes flickered to the board and back to us before she tutted and walked away with a quickened pace.

Jasper and I laughed as we made our way down the hall back towards the waiting room. He stopped just outside, embracing me again and gently brushing his lips against mine again.

"I'll come and find you later, maybe we can have dinner tonight?"

"I'd like that." The thought of a regular date with him made my stomach flip with excitement. A date, something normal rather than the irregularity that had been our interactions up until now.

"Good." He kissed me once more before stalking off in the direction of Rosalie's room. My heart was a pounding mess in my chest and I was literally giddy. I couldn't wait to tell Bella how things had worked out.

I took a deep breath and breezed through the waiting room door, only to be struck by an incapacitating fear. Bella, white as a sheet, eyes wide with terror looked up at me, just before her broken voice reached me. What the hell was going on?

A/N: Alice was a little sleep deprived, hence the all over the place emotions :) . . . Up next, Miss goldentemptress and her chapter, my lips are sealed :) . . . and Next week our guest author, Miztrezboo, and her amazing chapter . . .

So much secrecy, lol . . .

If you haven't heard . . . Goldentemptress, miztrezboo, bemylullaby, Kyla713 and Myself, are holding the Forbidden Love Affair contest on goldentemptress' profile. The rules are posted on each of the hosts profiles, so feel free to submit . . . goldentemptress has already posted her piece and it's AMAZING, Room 2226, seriously, I implore you to read . . .don't forget to subscribe to the C2 for the contest so you can get updates when new one-shots are added......link on our profiles......

Thank you for the alerts and faves, and thank you to the amazing reviewers who always stun us with their encouraging words. You guys are truly awesome and YOU ROCK!

Till Monday - Much love, big hugz - L-