A/N: keeping this short, just want to say thanks to everyone who's reading/reviewing. Much appreciated. Enjoy the chapter! Happy reading.

Disclaimer: I own nothing Twilight.


Jasper's POV

I was still shell-shocked by the person standing in front of me. I'd never thought I would see her only miles away from where I was staying. Memories came flooding back from the beginning of my vampire life. Maria, newborn armies, fighting, the taste of human blood, and all the struggles I went through after Maria.

"Charlotte?" I finally said. "I can't believe it! What are you doing here?"

She smiled and giggled a little bit. "We just got back today. Since the last time you've seen us we bought a house about 10 miles away. We haven't been here in about 20 years or so now. We decided it was time to finally return to this area. I was scoping out some hunting grounds, see if they changed any."

"That would explain why I haven't run into your scent out here until now! I'm probably a few miles away from my own house. This is so crazy!" I replied.

"I know your log cabin is around here somewhere but I couldn't remember exactly where because there have been a couple geographical changes." She asked.

"Yeah it's still out here but I have built a bigger, more modern house on the property. It's about 4 or 5 miles southwest of here. The cabin is still on the property and that's where I keep most of my human memory keepsakes at." I told her.

"I see, it looks like we both have new houses."

"Yes and while we are kind of on the subject, where is Peter at? I would sure love to see him!"

"He's back at the house, he didn't want to go running with me tonight, like the lazy bum he has become." She laughed.

"Peter? Lazy? Never!" I added.

"Come on, I'm sure he will want to see you too!" She said.

"Lead the way!" I said as she took off. I followed after her.

I still couldn't believe that I ran into her in the woods. I was definitely glad I could see them on this trip. It had been too long since the last time we were together. I often kept phone contact with both of them, but they didn't get along with Alice, and naturally I picked Alice over them in most cases. They understood though, but when I could, I would come visit them on the east coast. It wasn't too long until we came upon a house. It was a bigger house like mine but not as many amenities. We walked in through the back door and we found Peter sitting on the couch.

"Hey darling, I'm back and look at who I found!" She said excitedly. Peter looked up from his newspaper and smiled.

"Jasper, you crazy kid, where did you come from?" He got up and gave me a quick hug.

"You do realize you bought a house only about 10 miles away from my old one right?" I said jokingly.

"Yes, that's right! You have the log cabin!"

"Yes sweetheart and he built a new house on the property!" Charlotte chirped in.

"A new one? We definitely need to go check out that fine establishment. I'm sure you have everything you need there right?" He said as we all sat down on the couch.

"Actually, I don't think that's a good idea right now." I said cautiously.

"What? Are you and that pixie fighting again? I told you that you could do better than her. She is not meant to be with you." He said.

"No, it's not that. Alice and I are over but there has been a lot that has changed since I last saw you, especially in the last year or so."

"Okay, so if she's not in the picture then why can't we come over?" Peter asked.

"Peter! He just said he and Alice were over. Have some sensitivity!" Charlotte scolded him. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine. She turned out to be a cheating whore who slept with Edward but I don't want to get into that part of the story. That is what led me to come out here to get away from things for a while."

"Wait, what about Bella? She and Edward called off the wedding, is that why?" Charlotte asked.

"Yeah, like I said I don't want to get into it, but Bella and I came out to escape from the drama. I also have a werewolf and his mate at my house, which is why I don't think it's a good idea for you two to come over." I replied.

"Wait, you have a werewolf, his mate, and a human at your house?" Peter asked. "How are you co-habitating with that thing in your house? He has to be stinking the place up!"

"He is, trust me, but we get along because he is one of Bella's friends. His mate is Bella's best friend, and on top of everything else, I put up with him because he blocks Alice from seeing what we are deciding and what we are doing."

"I see." He said.

"So I don't think Jacob would appreciate me bringing two vampires he doesn't know into the house especially with his mate there. You know how protective someone can be over their mate no matter what they are." I said looking over at Charlotte then back to Peter.

"Yes, I understand what you mean. I wouldn't want him over here." Peter said in agreement.

"How is Bella handling things?" Charlotte said.

"She's dealing, not well, but dealing. She is making decisions when she is emotional and not really thinking. It's a long story." I said.

"We have time sugar," Charlotte chimed in, "it's not like we are going to fall asleep on you." She winked.

I told them about everything that happened starting with Edward leaving Bella last fall. I told them about how she went to Italy and faced the Volturi. I told them about how I found out about Edward and Alice and the craziness that led us to take a trip out here to get away from things. Throughout the story I heard a series of low growls and gasps. They even reiterated what they told me when I first met Alice and when I was preparing to leave with her. They said she probably saw the whole thing with her visions but really didn't care what happened to me. That hurt a little but Alice's character was no longer my concern. They still couldn't understand why I would team up with a werewolf either. They were, however, excited to hear about Bella.

"I think I royally messed things up with Bella though." I said towards the end of their ranting about Alice.

"How so sugar?" Charlotte said.

"It happened earlier tonight. I was so stupid!" I said chastising myself.

"Jazz, you could never be stupid, just blind." She said trying to cheer me up.

"Well, I went out on a light hunting trip earlier tonight and had to go get a new phone. Everyone was sleeping in the house so I thought it would be a good time. Nobody would be up. When I got back, I heard one heartbeat that was faster than the others and it was coming from my recording studio on the second floor." I paused for a moment. I was about to bear my soul to two vampires about my human love interest.

"Wait, you have a recording studio?" Peter said. "Awesome. We are totally going to record music, werewolf or not." He added. I gave him a stern look. I did not need anymore problems right now.

"Anyways," I said sourly. "When I got up to the second floor, I heard Bella singing. I walked in and saw her facing the wall, just singing her heart out. She wasn't horrible either. I could sit and watch her for days doing that. Her mood was so light and she was having so much fun. She didn't know I snuck in though. When she finished, I told her how amazing she was over the mic, which startled her. She didn't believe me and we got into the tiniest of arguments, but it was enough to where I blurted out my feeling for her, which is complicated enough because we really didn't have much of a relationship when she was with Edward. I kept my distance because of the whole paper cut fiasco. You should have felt the shock that filled the room when she heard how I felt though. She didn't want to hear it and she walked off, I ran after her and told her we needed to talk but she wanted to be alone. I also have to talk to her about changing which I guess needs to happen sooner and not later. So with everything floating around in my head, I was just getting frustrated because she's not ready to hear anything yet. So I left the house and went to clear my head. That's when I ran into this beauty here." I said looking at Charlotte.

"So Carlisle isn't helping you out at all, he's just making matters worse?" Peter asked.

"Carlisle is a whole different story, which I do not want to get into right now. He's made things a little more difficult and of course Bella is rebelling against what he says about changing. She is dead-set against it, excuse the pun." I said.

"I don't think you messed it up with her, maybe you just forced her to deal with things she may not be ready to face. Does she even return the feelings?" Charlotte asked. She was always a sucker for romance.

"Here's the kicker, I have been feeling her fighting her own feelings around me. I had her listen to me recording a couple songs and at the end I felt this overwhelming sensation of love come from her. She was staring right at me. I mean the emotion was so powerful it could have knocked me over. So I know she loves me but I don't know why she is fighting against it so hard. I mean I understand she just got out of a relationship with my brother, but it's making her miserable. At least I know the feeling is mutual. It just frustrates me that she isn't allowing herself to be happy."

"Well, we will be here if you need help. You are always welcome to come visit us, you know that right?" Charlotte said.

"You two are amazing. I should probably be getting back though. The others may be waking up soon." I said getting up. They got up as well and we said our goodbyes.

Running home, I felt a lot better. I forgot how nice it was to have someone to talk to that is not actually involved with things. Peter and Char have always been there for me when I need them. I will definitely have to stop by and see them.

The house was quiet when I entered it. All the heartbeats I heard suggested they were still sleeping. I decided to head to my room. I needed sometime to myself and I had a couple of songs I wanted to work on. I went to the recording studio and grabbed a few pieces of music, Anabelle, my acoustic and headed back to my room. I opened the door and had a little surprise lying on my bed.

I put my stuff down quietly. I didn't want to disturb Bella. For whatever reason she came to my room sometime after I left. She must have been waiting for me but fell asleep in the process. Next to her was an old photo album from my earlier years. She had her hand on a picture of Charlotte and me. I wonder why she stopped here on this page. The picture on the other side was of Peter and I, we were standing in front of Liberty Bell. Her hand however was covering Charlotte. I didn't know what to think of it.

I just couldn't believe she was here in my room, in my bed. I don't know how many times I wished this moment would happen. I had always envisioned how she would look sleeping in my bed. I shook my head a bit. I definitely shouldn't let my mind wander too far with that thought, but I wanted to wrap my arms around her and just hold her. I didn't know what the purpose of her visit was but I didn't want to disturb her. She needed a good night's sleep. I took the photo album and placed it on the nightstand beside the bed. I pulled up a chair beside the bed and quietly plucked away at my acoustic. I pulled a song that I could only imagine singing to Bella. It was a slower song but very powerful. It really showed how I felt about her. One day I would sing this to her, or at least that's what I hoped for. I would be a friend to her if that's all she wanted. I would not push her but I decided that the talk of her changing had to happen either later today or tomorrow. I couldn't put it off much longer because it may be harder for her to accept the longer she thinks she doesn't have to change.

Bella's POV

I woke up to soft music. I looked up from where my head was and saw Jasper sitting there on the bed next to me with sheet music surrounding him. He was working on a song quietly. I shut my eyes, I wasn't ready to wake up or talk to him like I planned on, which is why I came into his room. I saw his note saying he would be back shortly so I just laid on his bed waiting. Soon after I got bored and snooped a little in his room. I remember finding his photo album. There was a picture of him with another female vampire I didn't recognize. They were both dressed up as if they were attending some sort of formal event. I couldn't fight the feelings towards Jasper any longer. It was tiring and frustrating. I also found myself a little jealous of the woman in the picture. I didn't know what their relationship was but they looked friendly enough. I tried to stay awake so I could talk to him, but I ended up falling asleep at some point.

"Good morning." He said softly. "I know you're awake, your heart is beating a little faster." He smiled. I opened one eye and looked at him. Half of my face was buried in his pillow.

"Morning." I said.

"Bella-"

"Wait, I need to tell you how sorry I am for the way I acted last night." I interrupted. I sat up and leaned back against the headboard.

"I need to apologize as well but first we need to talk about a few things." He said sternly.

"About what?" I asked. I didn't like the sound of this.

"You." He said. I didn't know what to make of this.

"Jasper…"

"No, listen, just listen." He said softly but firmly. It was like he wanted to tell me something and had to get it out before he lost his nerve.

"I'm hungry." I blurted out. I wasn't sure what he was going to say but I knew he wouldn't let me starve. I didn't want to hear what he had to say right now. I wanted to enjoy my time out here. I would stall any way I could.

"Alright, go down and get you something to eat." He said sighing. He seemed to be a little reluctant and may have seen through my smokescreen.

I quickly got up before he could change his mind. I was out the door and heading down to the kitchen. I knew coming back to his room was a mistake. I didn't need to face my ever-challenging life while on this trip.

I grabbed a bowl of cereal but realized I couldn't drag it on forever, although I would try. I took each bite carefully. I couldn't imagine what he wanted to talk about. I don't think I overstepped by sleeping in his bed, maybe it was about the recording thing last night. I just hoped it wasn't over what he said to me last night. I did not need complicated right now. I looked down and realized I finished eating. I decided to wash my dishes.

I didn't want to see Jasper quite yet, so I decided to avoid him and go back to my room. I needed to think and get my head straight before I get back up there. If this had anything to do with him telling me he loves me, it was going to be a tough conversation. This trip has brought out more feelings that I needed to deal with. I opened the door to my room and was surprised to see Jasper sitting there.

"I felt your anxiousness and thought you would avoid me."

"Jasp-"

"It's okay Bella, really. I know you are dealing with a lot of things and I didn't help by admitting my feelings to you last night. So I want to make it up to you by taking you somewhere. So meet me out front ready to go in twenty minutes." He said as he got up. He left before I could respond.

I got ready in the short time frame he gave me, although I was cutting it close to the twenty minute mark. When I got to the front door I opened it to see him in one of his cars.

"Hop in Bella." He called out. I went and climbed in the car. I still had no idea what he was planning.

"Okay…where are we going?"

"Well, I thought you would like to get out of the house. I thought you might enjoy this next activity but it will take up most of our day before we meet up with the other two for dinner." He said.

"So what are we doing?"

"I thought you might like to see the Philadelphia Zoo. It's amazing. It's the nation's oldest zoo that was chartered in 1859, but the impending Civil War delayed its opening until 1874. It's also known for its historic architecture within it. No other zoo is as beautiful or interesting as this one." He said

"We should definitely check it out then. I didn't even know they had zoos back then!" I laughed slightly. I wondered what kind of animals they had back then. I felt like a little kid again. I was excited and carefree.

We made small talk until we reached to zoo. I couldn't believe how excited I had gotten over going to the zoo but he was right. As we were walking through the zoo, I couldn't help but notice the architecture. It was amazing. The animals were amazing too. I couldn't remember the last time I was at a zoo.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Jasper asked as I was peering into the area the antelope was grazing in.

"Yes, this was a good idea." I said. I looked at his eyes and noticed they had darkened a tad bit. "We can go if you would like." I offered.

"Why, are you ready to leave?" He said. We had only been here for a little over an hour and a half.

"No, it's just that…" I looked down and the ground and kicked at the pavement.

"What? What's bothering you?" he said.

"It's just that your eyes are darker than they were earlier, and I know your diet." I said looking around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "I figured this was like waving nice juicy steak in front of a starving person." I finally spit out.

"I'm fine." He said laughing. "It is tempting but I fed not too long ago."

"Are you sure?" I said unwilling to believe him.

"Yes, I am sure Bella."

I smiled and went back to gazing at the antelope. I was surprised to find myself thinking which animal I would have liked if I became a vampire. I shrugged the thought away and went to the next exhibit. It wasn't too long before I had seen the rest of the zoo and we left.

"So what's next?" I said as we climbed into the car.

"Actually I was thinking of letting you pick. Is there anything you want to do?" he asked.

"Um, I think I would enjoy seeing the town. Anything you remember from when you lived here would be fun to see." I said. I really didn't know what to do here.

"I could do that." He said as he grabbed his phone out of his pocket. I stared out the window so I wouldn't eavesdrop. He answered the phone which was all that I heard. I heard him shut his phone and then he turned the car around. He had a stern look on his face and gripped the wheel so tightly I thought it might shatter in his hands.

"Jasper what's wrong?" I was worried. He didn't respond.

"Jasper?" I said a little more frantically. He still didn't respond to me. I sat there freaking out in my seat. It looked like we were heading back to the house. He pulled his phone out and dialed someone. This time I decided to listen to him and try to figure out what the 180 was about.

"Jacob plans changed. We are having the talk when we get back, on our way now." He said. A few seconds later he shut the phone again.

"What's going on? What talk are you talking about?" I was still trying to figure out what was going on. He glanced over at me and his expression was confusing. I wasn't sure what was going on but I noticed that Jasper was definitely pushing the cars limits.

"Jasper, please don't get pulled over and for the record, I am officially freaked." I said. I didn't expect a reply this time. I stared out the window watching everything blur past us. Soon I felt us starting to slow down. Before I knew it we were back at the house. He got out of the car so quick he startled me when he opened my door. He grabbed me and carried me into the house.

"What's going on Jasper? Why do I feel like something big just happened?" He set me down when we got upstairs to his room. Jacob was already there.

"Hey." He said quietly. He looked at Jasper. It was like they had some form of silent communication.

"Bells, you need to sit down." Jake said. I did and stared at them.

"We will be right back, excuse us." Jasper said. He walked out of his room and Jacob was not far behind him. They were gone for long but I heard a slight growl come from the other side of the door.

They came back in the room and both sat down.

"Bella, we need to talk to you about something serious." Jasper said.

"So talk then, what is all this about?" I said. I was getting angry because nobody was saying anything to clue me in.

"You need to change Bells." Jacob blurted out. "You need to become a damn bloodsucker and soon."

I couldn't believe I just heard Jake say that.

"Yes, and it's imperative that you do." Jasper added. I looked at them both. Anger was slowly boiling as I realized they were both going to railroad me.

"I am not changing. I have said it before and I haven't changed my mind." I said crossing my arms across my chest.

"I don't care what you want Bella, you have to change." Jake said.

"What he means," Jasper said cutting Jake a look, "is that you really need to change and think about others you might be endangering."

"No, I will not change. I can't believe you are actually siding with him Jacob. It's funny because I remember when you would do anything to stop me." I raised my voice. I was becoming very defensive.

"Bella, it's not about you. It's about what is best for everyone." Jasper said.

"How about what's best for me? I don't want to be a vampire because that would mean I would become like Edward. I would become the one thing I hate right now." I snapped.

"You don't hate us Bella, you are just angry and can't see through it." Jasper said.

"I am not becoming one. I refuse. They can kill Edward all they want and I would be willing to sacrifice my life to live it the way I want to."

"Do you realize how selfish you are being right now?" Jake said. "Think about your friends and family."

"I am! I would rather stay in their lives than leave them."

"No you are not." Jake said. He was starting to shake.

"Bella you have to change. You don't have a choice." Jasper growled. I couldn't believe these two teamed up against me.

"And who are you to tell me what to do? I told you and Carlisle that I wasn't going to change. I don't want that life anymore. I want to be me. There is nothing you could do to change my mind." I said standing up. Jasper quickly grabbed my arm. It was like déjà-vu all over again.

"Get your hands off of me." I said through my teeth.

"Bella-"

"I said get your fucking hands off of me!" I screamed. He let my arm go and I headed for the door.

"They are coming." Jasper said. I froze in my steps.

"What?" I said turning my head.

"They are coming." Jasper said exasperated.

"Then let them kill me." I said. Jasper moved so quickly I couldn't process it until after I was thrown on the bed.

"They won't just stop with you and Edward." Jasper said. "They would wipe any trace of you from the planet, including people you know."

"I won't let that happen either." Jake said. "Angela will not be taken away from me and I will protect her even if it cost me my life."

"I am not afraid of them and besides we don't know if they are coming." I said.

"Alice had a vision. She doesn't know exactly when but she saw it. She told Carlisle."

"I'm sure it's just a ploy."

"No, Alice wouldn't lie about something this big. She wouldn't." Jasper said.

"Right, like she wouldn't lie or cheat. She slept with your brother and now is looking for a way back into the family. She couldn't see my future because of Jake here." I said. I was so tired of having this conversation.

"Are you willing to risk Charlie's life on that? Or Renee's? Your friends?" Jasper said. I could hear the anger and the hurt in his voice.

I couldn't respond to that. I looked away. I felt the tears pooling up in my eyes. What if it was true? I couldn't let anything happen to my parents.

"Bella, I am the last person who would want another bloodsucker in the area, but it needs to happen. You don't know how much I have done to ensure the treaty wouldn't be affected by your transformation." Jake said.

"What do you mean?" I said.

"I am the pack leader now. Sam couldn't see how dangerous it would be if you didn't turn. I fought him and won. I granted the exception to the treaty."

"Well, Chief, I understand your concerns but I am still not changing. Alice's vision could be wrong." I said sourly.

"Bells, please listen to us. We love you." Jake pleaded.

"Don't." I said. I don't know why 'don't' came out but that's all I could say.

"We will leave you alone to think some." Jasper said. They both left the room. I laid on the bed and curled up.

I knew I would have to change. I knew I couldn't risk anyone's lives. I was still so angry at the whole situation. This wouldn't even have been a concern if Edward knew how to keep it in his pants. The whole time he said he wanted to leave one rule unbroken and he ended up completely obliterating it. I was over Edward I really was, but the betrayal still ran deep in me. Any normal person would understand that.

I heard a soft knock on the door.

"Bells?" Angela said softly. I sat up on the bed. I wiped the tears that fell.

"Hey." I said. I'm glad I had Angela to talk to now. She sat on the bed and was very quiet. She held a stern look on her face.

"I figured you would need someone to talk to. The boys gave me a shortened version of what happened." She said. I looked over at a clock and realized I had been in here by myself for about 15 minutes.

"Yeah, it was kind of brutal what they had to say." It might have been a little strong choice of words but that's how it felt to me.

"Yeah, I suppose." She said.

"Did Jasper or Jake say what exactly was going on?" I asked.

"I know about the Volturi and the decision you have to make."

"They are unbelievable. I can't believe they are trying to change me." I said. She didn't say anything. She wasn't even looking at me.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"It's just that…well, I think they are right." She said.

"What?" I was in utter shock.

"From what they said, you refusing to change would mean a whole bunch of disappearances and/or deaths in the Forks area. Do you know how much grief that would cause?"

"It's not like they are coming right this second, Ang. How do we know what Alice is saying is true?" I snapped at her. I didn't mean too but it just came out.

"I don't know but what if she is telling the truth?" She said looking into my eyes for the first time.

"It's not. It's probably just a ploy to get back in the graces of Carlisle. Besides how could she see my future with Jake around? He blocks her vision!"

"It was while you were away from Jake apparently. Would you really be so selfish and risk my life on the off chance that she is wrong?" She stared straight at me waiting for an answer. I felt a slight wave of shame when she put it that way. I looked away from her.

"I never thought you would be so selfish." She said getting up. "If you would face reality, you would realize your actions affect everyone and not just you." She said shutting the door behind her.

I couldn't believe the turn of events. I paced around the room. I went into Jasper's closet and saw a flask. Funny a vampire would have one of these, I thought to myself. I opened it up and was surprised that it was filled. I took a whiff of it and it was definitely some whiskey. I took a big swig of it and brought it back to the bed with me. I plopped down. I couldn't believe I was doing this. I never understood underage drinking but in this moment I wanted to feel numb. I didn't want to think about anything. For the first time in a long time, I wanted to go back to the numbness I felt when Edward left me last fall.