Major Jasper Whitlock's POV

"Does it still hurt?" Isabella asked Garrett.

Garrett was still recovering and he was currently in my room with Isabella on the bed.

"Yes," Garrett answered. "Why does it still hurt?"

"It's a burn, Garrett," Isabella said. "When you're burned it goes right through all the layers of your skin and it burns deep. That's why Jasper put you in the bath. He needed to cool down your skin, he needed to cool down the burning otherwise it would continue to burn. Do you understand?"

"I think so. How do you know so much about it?"

"I love to cook," Isabella said, "but I'm accident prone and burns are a hazard of cooking. The sooner you get the burn under cold water the less damage you'll have. Jasper must have known this."

"I'm glad he did," Garrett said softly and I could feel his gratitude. "So you're accident prone? Why haven't we had the pleasure of seeing this side of you yet?"

"Because I'm being over careful," Isabella said. "I can only imagine what would happen if I sliced my finger open in a house of three vampires." Garrett's amusement rose and he began laughing hard. "What?" Isabella asked.

"You're worried about what would happen?" he asked.

"Well yeah, blood and vampires don't mix. Carlisle explained it all to me. Human blood is irresistible to you guys."

"Oh, man. You know I have nothing against Carlisle, he was my friend and I was sad to see him go, but he really did lead a different life to us. We were surrounded by blood for over a century, Bella, if you cut your finger in front of us we wouldn't even react because we're so used to it. The highlight of your experience would be Jasper stitching you up with his military precision skills. He is a good doctor, equal to Carlisle at least."

"I know I've seen him in action."

"Seen him in action, nice."

"Garrett," Isabella hissed. I could feel her embarrassment.

"What?" Garrett asked. "When are you going to see him in action if you know what I mean? Bow chicka wow wow."

"Garrett, do I need to open my mouth at all?" Isabella asked.

"Jasper's hot, we all know that. You've seen him shirtless just wait until you see him completely nake- Hey! Ow! …I am not the one who wants to have a pillow fight with you."

"Oh, that's right," Isabella said, "you just want to have one with Peter."

"Isabella," Garrett hissed. "Shut, your, mouth."

"Oh please, you're not really that stupid. He knows."

"How does he know?"

"He's an empath. He can feel your emotions."

"Oh, right, I guess. Doesn't change anything."

"I don't see why you just don't tell him. If you really think Peter is your mate then he will feel the same way."

"It's not that simple."

"God now you sound like Jasper. Life is as simple as you make it. Do you believe Peter is your mate?"

"With all my heart," Garrett admitted for the first time out loud and I could feel a part of him relax that never had before. It made me proud to see.

"Then what's stopping you?"

"Fear. I'm afraid he won't love me back."

"Sometimes you need to take the leap, Garrett, sure your parachute may fail, but what if it doesn't."

"My parachute?" Garrett asked and I could hear the fear in his voice. "My parachute?! Why do I have a parachute? Who forced me into the airplane and furthermore who pushed me out of it with a parachute? I didn't agree to this. I don't want to fly."

"Garrett, it was a metaphor. Calm the fuck down," Isabella said, but he didn't listen.

"Oh no, my parachute didn't open, I'm going to die."

"You're indestructible, the fall won't kill you."

"Why am I in an airplane? That much metal, all that weight, it can't fly through the air. It's insanity. …Bella, where are you going? Don't leave me alone. What if my parachute fails?"

"Then get Peter to help you out," Isabella said and that shut Garrett up.

Isabella came downstairs and came straight over to me.

"Is Garrett really still in pain or is he milking his injury?" she asked me exasperated.

"Both," I answered honestly. Garrett was still healing and therefore in some pain, but he loved having Nurse Bella, as he loved to call her, helping him out.

"I figured as much. Can I talk to you?"

"Of course."

"It's kind of heavy, do you mind if we sit down?"

"You can, I am fine standing."

"Jasper, please."

"Okay," I accepted. I walked over to the couch and sat down. Isabella sat down next to me. I could feel her nervousness, but also her certainty. She had surely decided something, but what was it?

"Jasper, I've been thinking and I want to be changed."

Okay, so I was not expecting that.

"Why?"

"Jasper."

"No, why now? I have felt your emotions on this before and you have not wanted it, you have not been ready. Why now? Do not just do it because of the Volturi and their stupid games."

"Garrett is injured, you don't need to be worrying about me as well. Alistair said that the Volturi still haven't discovered the deaths of Santiago and the others, so we have time. We need to do it now."

"Isabella, whilst I admire your tactics, this is not a good enough reason to be changed."

"I can help. If I am changed then the Volturi will have no reason to attack."

"They will find another reason, Isabella."

"Please, Jasper, I want this. I know I didn't want it before, but talking with Garrett cemented things. I can tell just how much he cares for Peter, but he's afraid and because of this he has wasted so much time. I care for you and I don't want to waste time. I can tell that you still hold back because I am human. I don't blame you, it's just how you are. You can't fully commit to me because you see me as weak and your strength would never allow that in a mate, but feel my emotions. Know that I am now ready."

I gauged her emotions and she was correct. I no longer felt doubt and her fear had decreased.

"Isabella, not everyone makes it through the change, it is risky."

"What are the odds?"

"For me specifically I would say an 85 to 90 per cent success rate."

"So one out of ten humans don't make it? I can take those odds."

"But it's still a risk."

"Jasper, I cannot stay human forever, it's a risk we're going to have to make sometime and now is the perfect time to do this. If I don't make it then you hunt down the Volturi and the Cullen's and you make them pay before you join me. I'm strong, Jasper, and I want this. Please."

Isabella shut her mouth and I just looked at her. I could tell she wanted it and everything she said was valid and right on point. The risk was slim, but still there. If she died I wouldn't have her anymore, but I could tell that until she was changed I wouldn't mate with her fully. It just wasn't me. As she said, I couldn't be with someone I considered so weak, but would changing her make her strong? I had yet to see her strength. What if nothing changed and she was still weak? It didn't matter, deep down I knew that the only option was to change her because I couldn't stand to lose her.

"Okay," I said.

"Okay?" she asked, not believing me.

"Okay," I reaffirmed and her happiness overtook her and she launched herself into my arms.

"Oh, thank you, Jasper, this will work out you'll see."

"It will need to be done as soon as possible," I told her.

"I understand and I trust you," Isabella said as she displayed her neck to me.

"Not right this second. We need Peter back here for one thing."

"Will it be today?"

"Yes, before lunch."

"Oh."

"Is there anything else you need to do or to experience? There is no coming back from this, Isabella."

"I understand," she said confidently. "I've gone through this all in my head and I am prepared."

"Okay, I will call Peter back and we can begin."

Isabella's fear and nervousness spiked, but it was a healthy dose. I would be worried if she wasn't feeling those emotions right now.

I called Peter up with Isabella still on my lap and told him to get back to the house as soon as possible. After I hung up I held Isabella in my arms and committed everything to memory. The way she smelled, how soft and warm she felt, the sound of her heart beating and her lungs taking in air. Everything that made her human, even though I knew I wouldn't miss it. Vampires are meant to be with vampires not humans.

"What happened?" Peter asked as soon as he entered. "Is it Garrett?"

"No," I answered. "Isabella has decided to be changed."

"Wow, really? This is heavy, but I don't understand, will this make her my sister or my mom because I don't think I want her to be my mom?"

"Peter, she will be my mate and unless you see me as a father figure, and I hope that you don't, Isabella will not be your mother."

"Phew, that is a relief. So when are we doing this?"

"Now."

"Now? In my mind I always saw this as a down the track thing, way down the track," Peter said.

I ignored him and picked Isabella up, heading upstairs.

"We need to change her quickly so that we can train her before the Volturi attack again," I said out loud for all to hear.

This would be our biggest task as all newborns were different, but one thing was always the same, they were feral and savage without a care in the world. We would definitely have our hands full over the next week or two.

I placed Isabella on the bed next to Garrett and stood by the side.

"This is going to hurt, Isabella, but you must feel the pain in order to know exactly what you are putting another human being through if you decide to change someone later on. We have all felt the burning and there is no harm in screaming. It is a time we all like to forget. Your death will also be a painful one. I will have to drain most all of your blood before giving you my venom and it will be a slow process. You will feel your life slowly slipping away from you and you will want to fight, it is instinct. Is there anything you want to say or do before you are changed? Now is your last chance."

She was indecisive and she turned to Garrett.

"Bite my finger," she told him, "and break the skin."

Garrett looked to me and I nodded my consent. Garrett did as instructed and bit down on Isabella's finger hard. She felt the pain, but she didn't utter a word, that would soon change. I could smell the blood, we could all smell it, even Isabella who seemed to wrinkle up her nose at it.

"You were right," Isabella said.

"Of course I was," Garrett boasted.

Isabella was shocked. She was bleeding right in front of us, but none of us moved to attack her. We had seen too much blood in our days that it was all the same to us now.

"May I have a taste?" Peter asked and Isabella was feeling disgust. "It's just that Garrett got to."

Isabella looked over at Garrett and he had a blissed out look on his face and you could clearly tell he had tasted her blood.

"One lick," Isabella said as she reached out towards Peter.

"But it's no fun if you don't bite, Garrett got to bite." Isabella started pulling her hand away. "Okay, one lick," Peter said. He grabbed Isabella's finger and wrapped his lips around it, sucking at the blood before pulling it out of his mouth. "Thank you, Bella."

"You're an asshole," Isabella said. "Lick does not mean suck."

"But they do go hand in hand," Garrett said.

I kept my mouth shut. Now was always the hardest time and I didn't want to upset Isabella before her change in case she brought those feeling across with her.

"Clear the room," I told my boys and they let out a groan. They said their well wishes to Isabella before leaving us alone.

I sat down on the bed and picked up Isabella's hand in my own.

"I am sorry that it is going to hurt, but I cannot help you."

"I understand."

"But I will not leave you. All the time through your burning just think of me, I will be right here and I will be feeling it right alongside you."

"Jasper, I can't allow-"

"Shush, I have felt the pain of the change over a thousand times before, I am used to it, but I will admit knowing that it is my mate hurting will make it harder, but I am strong and I can handle it. Where do you want me to bite you? The mark will be there forever."

Isabella thought hard about it before answering.

"Right here," she said as she pulled her shirt down and pointed to a spot on her left breast, right over the heart. It was a good choice.

"It is going to hurt," I said again.

"I am not afraid." And she wasn't, not anymore.

"I will see you when you wake up. …I love you more than anyone."

"I know. I love you too, Jasper. Please, if I die, give them hell."

"It will be the last thing I do before joining you," I promised her.

We sat in silence until she calmed down and I could feel that she was ready. I looked at her and projected all my love towards her so that she could feel it and a lone tear fell down her cheek. I wanted her to know, and to remember, that I loved her and that all this necessary pain was because of that, my love, our love. I wanted her to wake up and not despise me like countless others have before.

I bent down and sunk my teeth into the spot she indicated. I started out slowly drinking her blood and sped up when she got used to the foreign sensation. I pulled faster and faster. When I was getting close she started thrashing and I had to hold her down. This was natural, her body and mind weren't giving up without a fight. It didn't matter that she wanted this, her body saw death on the horizon and it was doing everything it could to prevent that.

Once her blood had thinned out I began pushing in my venom, allowing what blood was left and her still beating heart to carry it around her body. Once the venom hit her heart she stopped fighting and just accepted her death. It was always the hardest moment for me. My victims went from feeling everything and fighting so hard to only feeling acceptance. They had given up.

I pumped in as much venom as I had and sat back. Isabella's eyes were closed and she had begun feeling the burning. It wouldn't be long until the venom reached every part of her and she began the change. I wasn't looking forward to that moment because that was when the screaming started. The minutes ticked by and Isabella's pain increased. I could tell she was fighting the urge, but she never uttered a word. Her strength shone through, a strength I had never seen from her before, a strength she had previously kept hidden. I was feeling a lot of new emotions from her now that she was solely focusing on the pain and keeping silent rather than on her shield.

As I took stock of all her hidden emotions I started to realize something, she was a warrior just like me. She was strong and she was resilient, but I could also feel the good in her. I knew that she would make a good vampire and a good mate. I just prayed that we didn't lose her in the transition, but it had happened before. Some newborns come out crazy and they never do get back their mind, hopefully Isabella wasn't like them. I was confident that her strength would keep her afloat, but these things were never certain.

The days passed and I never left her side. As it got nearer to the end Peter and Garrett left, they knew that it was tough waking up and we didn't want to overwhelm her. I would be dealing with her until it was safe for her to be around my boys again. How long that would take would all depend on her state of mind. I could feel her heart speed up and I began feeling nervous. I wanted her to be fine so badly, but I had seen what the change could do to you and everyone I had changed had lost something, whether it be good or bad it didn't matter, no one was exactly the same when they woke up.

Isabella's heart beat its last beat and I took a step back. We were here, the moment of truth. I was scared. I would never admit it out loud, but I was terrified. What had she lost? Please don't let it be her mind or her love for me. Her eyes shot open and I stood stock still. I wanted to be anywhere but here. I didn't want to know. I wanted her to still be human. Why hadn't I denied her? Why had I been so selfish?