A/N: I'm at Disneyland! I'm going to beg Mina to post for me. (Like she ever needs to beg —Mina)

It was an interesting game.

Tactician that he was, Jasper needed facts. The boy could read minds, but surely that gift wasn't limitless. His own gift had many limitations. He had better, though not perfect, control when he he could see his subject. He could feel emotions at a much greater distance but that did little good when he couldn't pin down where they were coming from. He needed to figure out just how far the boy's mind-reading capabilities extended.

Now was the time for reconnaissance. He tested the lines almost every day. He caught the boy's scent fainter than the others at night. He'd guessed he would spend most of his time close to her. But they couldn't be together constantly. The boy did have to feed, lest he give in to the temptation his very human love presented.

So it was the other four that patrolled at night. They were vigilant. Them and the foul-smelling creatures near the coast. Jasper had noticed that their territories didn't overlap. Not friends then, but not outright enemies either.

All very interesting.

"They can't hope to play this game forever," Jasper mused aloud to his latest friend—a Mexican lad he'd imported from Arizona. "Oh, like me, they have infinite time and patience, certainly. The variable is always your kind." He patted the boy's cheek gently.

"Get the fuck away from me," he hissed.

Jasper chuckled and continued to think out loud. It was unnerving the young man, and that, after all, was the point. "Your kind aren't as steady as mine." He drew his fingertip down the man's jaw, darting his other hand out to catch the back of his head so he couldn't draw away. He ignored the tiny whimpers and mewls the man made as he spoke. "It's not just Bella, either. They live among your kind. Work with them. They work." He laughed. The idea was so quaint. As though they needed the money. "The maker even cuts people open. A conflict of interest, that. I've wondered if it gives him a perverse kind of pleasure. Sadomasochism for our kind? After all, it's not as though we can feel pain in the more traditional methods."

"What the fuck are you even talking about?" the man said with a moan. "Shut up. Jesus, just shut up."

Jasper tilted his head, considering his guest. It was rude, he supposed. This man deserved his undivided attention. After all, this was for him. His life was no less valuable than Bella's. It wasn't his fault that this whole situation with Bella intrigued him more than anything had in many hundreds of years.

"I knew someone named Santiago once," Jasper said, changing the subject. That was why he'd chosen this boy. It was a whim; as good a reason as any. He shared his name with someone from Jasper's past, and he would die for it.

Well. No one said death had to have any point. It was as good a reason as any when it came right down to it.

~Edward~

Edward tilted his head back, listening to his father's soft voice on the other end of the phone as he watched Bella sleep.

"I think it's fairly clear he's not trying to get near the town," Carlisle said. "He skirts around the edges. I think he's gathering information, not planning anything."

"He thinks he has years to strike." Edward spoke quietly so as not to disturb Bella's sleep. She was restless tonight—tightening into a smaller ball as the hours went by. She hadn't started talking yet. "This is maddening."

"I'm sure he knows that too. If he can push us to make the first move…"

Edward huffed. "With five of us and the wolves?" He shook his head. "But you're right. Doubtless he knows how to handle us if we were to rush in without a plan or any organization. Although, how do we plan assuming he has the future-teller on his side?"

"Well, we have a meet with the wolves tomorrow night. We'll see if we have any ideas collectively. I'm not sure if Sam and the pack would be amenable to expanding their territory for a time. Pinning him down has proven to be difficult so far."

"Right, and he hasn't killed anyone in Washington that we can figure since Tyler." Edward paused a beat. "Carlisle, do you think he would stop if we changed her? Do you think he'd leave her alone?"

"You'd know his mind better than I would. Her being a vampire is what he wanted though."

"On his own terms."

"Yes, on his own terms. Though, it would seem to me a being as old as he is understands that life doesn't often happen on our own terms." Carlisle paused, and his next words were careful. "Although, I do think leaving Bella without a possibility of defending herself—"

"That battle is won." Edward let his eyes trace the rise and fall of Bella's precious breaths, knowing each of them was numbered. "I just wish it wasn't in reaction to this. If she's to be changed, I wish it wasn't out of fear."

"In an ideal world, my son. Though, in an ideal world…"

"We wouldn't exist."

His father chuffed. "I don't think I've met a vampire who would exist if not for some kind of violence or injustice. Yet goodness too has come out of our lives."

Edward considered this. Esme would never have known love as truly and unconditionally as Carlisle gave it to her had it not been for her vampiric life. "As Emmett says, you may wish in one hand and crap in the other, and see which fills up first." The world was never going to be exactly as it should.

Carlisle laughed. "Emmett does have a way with words when he puts his mind to it."

Edward hung up then, thanking his father one more time before he did. He returned his attention to Bella and frowned.

She was hunched all the way over, her knees drawn up to her chest and her head tucked down. Her brow was furrowed, the skin around her eyes creased. Her heartbeat had picked up speed. Edward stood and crossed the room to kneel by her bedside.

"No, no." She mouthed the words at first, but they got louder quickly. "Get away from me. Get your hands off me," she growled through gritted teeth. "Don't." This word was more a plea. "Please. No. No."

"Bella?" he called to her, fingers hovering above her cheek. He didn't want to make her nightmare worse by touching her when she didn't want to be touched.

"Don't hurt me. Please. Please, someone help me. Please," she whispered brokenly.

That did it. Edward had to get her out of her nightmares even if it meant she was afraid of him for a moment. He pressed his palm to her cheek, calling her name. Sure enough, she flinched away from his touch.

"Get away," she snarled. "Don't touch me."

"Bella, wake up." He caught her flailing hand. She cried out quietly, but her eyes came open. She blinked, not focusing right away.

"My dad's a cop. He'll have your ass. He'll have all your asses," Bella said, her voice trembling. "All of them. I hope you fry."

Edward stroked his thumb along her jaw. "Wake up, sweetheart. It's just me. I promise I won't hurt you."

She blinked several more times, and when she didn't try to pull away from him, he climbed into her bed. He pulled her into his arms and she buried her face at his chest, crying quietly.

Edward trailed his fingers along her hot cheeks and brow. It wasn't long before she calmed. She sniffled and lifted her head. He took her face in his hands, cooling the rest of her face and wiping away the remnants of her tears. She smiled—a small, tired smile, and rested her head on his chest again. She picked up his hand and played with his fingers.

"My dad taught me how to throw a punch," she said, her voice rough. "When they surrounded me...the guys in Port Angeles, I mean. When they surrounded me, I punched one of them right in the nose. It was a good punch."

"I believe that," he said, tracing the spot behind her ear.

She sighed. "For a second, when I saw the blood on his face and watched him fall backward, I felt powerful."

Edward tensed, because he knew what was coming next. He also knew he couldn't react. He couldn't make it about him; couldn't make it her responsibility to calm him down.

"They punished me for that one second of power," she said.

Edward rested the back of his hand against her chest. "I was listening to your heartbeat earlier, and I was wondering how many you had left." He tilted his head, nuzzling the top of hers. "It makes me sad to think about not hearing that sound again." He threaded his fingers through hers. "But I'm glad your nightmares are numbered too."

She huffed. "The end of nightmares." She shifted backward, putting some distance between them so she could look him in the eyes. He rolled onto his side, resting his hand on her waist. "Do you miss sleeping?" she asked.

He smirked. "You know...I did mushrooms once. Shrooms."

Bella's eyebrows shot toward her hairline. He laughed. It was nice to scandalize her for once. "It was a trip. Bright colors. And I thought I could fly."

"So you miss drugs."

"I suppose I miss the possibility of drugs. And dreams. I could fly in my dreams too, if I recall."

"You can scale a tree in seconds." She smirked at him. "And you run about as fast as a crow flies."

"Faster, I should think."

"And I bet the crow gets tired."

After a moment, the grin on her face faded, replaced by a contemplative look. He crooked a finger under her chin, looking at her questioningly. When she tilted her head invitingly, he pressed his lips to hers. Her hand came up to cup the back of his neck, and he shivered in pleasure. The warmth was so good, especially with her lips moving against him.

"Are you still going to help me?" Bella asked, the sound of her voice vibrating where their lips touched.

"Mm. I said I would, if that's still what you want." He didn't want to think about it. Not when she was in his arms like this. "We can talk about it tomorrow. How. When."

"I have two requests."

He sighed and pulled back slightly. Okay, so they were going to talk about it now. He was surprised to find she looked anxious somehow. Or was it nervous. He brushed her hair back. "There's nothing I'd deny you, Bella. Not if it's in my power to give." Possibly she was self-conscious because she had some fancy idea about how to be turned. It was a unique opportunity, after all.

Carlisle had bitten him right on the side of that lonely road where he'd crashed. He'd examined all of Edward's injuries, seen that his wounds would kill him before an ambulance could get up the mountainside. So he'd stopped the worst of the bleeding with venom, and that had been that. There was no romanticism in that transition.

"I want you to be the one," Bella said in a whisper.

Edward froze. He was absolutely still for ten full, long seconds while Bella squirmed, looking down. Finally, he breathed, inhaling her scent. This time, for a fraction of a moment, he let himself revel in the tantalizing smell. She smelled so good, so delicious, that he felt almost dizzy. Venom pooled in his mouth. "Oh, Bella."

"I don't know how it works," she said in a rush. "If it makes you responsible for me or whatever. If there—"

"Being responsible for you would be the least of my worries," he said wryly. "There's no mandate or official rule. It's considered bad form to abandon someone you turn. Waking up as a vampire is very confusing, and newborns are particularly volatile. The risk is exposure. If a new vampire—all instinct and strength—woke near a populated place without a sire to control him, it wouldn't likely end well.

"As it is, though, there's no question you'll have me and my family by your side." He grimaced and traced her features with his fingertip. "It's just that there's something I haven't told you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Something else?"

"Yes, well. Until this moment it was somewhat of a personal problem." He flexed his arms around her, protective of her even against himself. "If I'd thought I was a risk to you, I never would have let myself be around you at all. Although, I suppose nothing is a guarantee."

"A risk?"

Edward studied her a moment, wondering that she didn't look frightened. Of course she didn't. She had such trust in him. The last thing he wanted was for her to be afraid of him. As though she needed more to fear. "Do you remember the first time you walked into the bookstore?"

Her look turned wary. "When I thought you looked at me like you wanted to kill me? And I thought I was just being a delusional basketcase." Her eyes narrowed. "Which I told you. My friend."

Edward winced. "Bella…"

"It's okay," she said more softly. "I understand as much as I'm going to. You couldn't tell me you were a vampire." Her eyes met his, and he could see trepidation there. A smidge, but present. "Are you going to tell me you really did want to kill me?"

"Want to? No. Or, I suppose I was of two minds. My rational mind didn't want that." Tentatively, he sought her hands, taking them in his. "As you know, I'd prefer not to kill any human, but you? You were already precious to me. I already felt responsible for what happened to you. What that bastard did to you. For me to be responsible for your death?" He shook his head. "No, that wasn't what I wanted.

"But, of course, I didn't hear you coming. The last thing I would have expected was for you to walk in my door." He brought her hands to his lips and kissed her cooling skin. "We've talked about what life's like for all of us. Like we're drug addicts, surrounded by every wonderful drug. We can smell it in the air, and we can't have it.

"This base part of myself is all animal. All instinct. And in that moment, I was a ravenous beast."

"And I was a really juicy piece of steak?"

"That was a horrible comparison. I don't want to think of you that way, but—"

"It's accurate. That's what you've been trying to tell me, isn't it? There is a part of you that's not civilized. Unthinking. Unfeeling."

He closed his eyes, aching. "Yes. I keep the beast tightly tethered but the smell of your blood." He sighed and dipped his head to breathe in her scent. "The smell of your blood had me undone in a fraction of a moment."

"Mine in particular?"

He opened his eyes. "I've wondered about that. You said before that your life is wrapped up in this. In vampires. I wondered if there was something to it. I've never encountered someone who smells the way you do to me."

"Are you telling me I'm a vampire magnet? That...well, that sounds like my life." She eyed him. "Though if it gets me you…"

He snorted. "Bella, it makes it difficult for me not to eat you."

She cupped his face. "You're not going to eat me."

"No. No, I'm not." He kissed her then and brushed the tip of his nose against hers. "Why are you being so blasé about this?"

"Because it makes sense to me."

He quirked an eyebrow. "The fact that there's a part of me that really, really wants to kill you makes sense to you?"

"Yes. Different species means a different context. That's not exactly a new concept." She pursed her lips, considering. "You know how you always hear those news stories? Whales at Seaworld attacking their trainers? Domesticated pets that one day turn on their owner? It always irritates me when people are so shocked. Animals aren't human. You can't expect an animal to act the way you think it should." She huffed. "Hell, you can't even expect a human to act the way you think they should, but you understand what I mean." She tickled the underside of his chin, for as little good as it did her. "I told you. You're natural. You're a part of the natural world. It's common sense to figure that a different species will be different."

Edward laughed. He gathered her closer to him, chortling against her shoulder while she ran her fingers through his hair. "I do love you, Bella."

"Yes, well." She sighed—a contented sound as he started to kiss her neck lightly. "For the record, I still trust you. I still want it to be you. I'm willing to take that risk, but I'd understand if you weren't comfortable with it." She paused. "Would Carlisle mind? It's such an awkward request."

"No, I don't think he'd mind. Refreshing, I think, to turn someone who consented. He's always felt awful about that part." Edward raised his head. He rolled over and held himself above her on his elbows. She sucked in a breath, but she was calm as she stared up at him. "You said there were two things you wanted," he said, peppering soft kisses along her cheek and the bridge of her nose. "What was the second thing? What else do you want?"

She caught his face. She was nervous again; her eyes troubled. Her heartbeat picked up at an erratic pace. "You," she said.

He furrowed his brow, not understanding what that meant. Then, her hands drifted along his neck, down his sides, and then, to his astonishment, around to caress his ass. He froze again. She looked scared and guilty, but she took another deep breath. "I want to feel you. All of you." Her hands moved over him, as though exploring, and though her breath stuttered, she met his eyes again. "I want to have that one time as a human. I want one time where it's my choice. I want you."

For the first time in his immortal life, Edward was quite literally stunned.

A/N: Shout out to Belle, who is sitting in front of me right now...even though she won't read this for another month. It's 12/6, Belle...what day is it when you read this?