A/N: So sorry for the delay! With school starting, I haven't had a lot of time to write. Thank god for 4 day weekends! So finally here's the next chap! Please enjoy!
I was lounging on my bed with Jasper. It had been a couple days since the incident with the pack, but everything had settled down. I had even visited the Cullens, not feeling like I was the cause of Bella's "death."
Jasper tightened his hold around me. "Gwendolyn," he breathed into my hair.
I sighed contentedly. Nothing was better than spending an afternoon in Jasper's arms. When I heard one of our phones vibrate, killing the moment, I growled.
Jasper laughed. "Calm down, darlin'. It's Alice."
"Stupid pixie," I huffed, and Jasper sweetly kissed my forehead before answering the phone. I watched his expression as Ali talked to him. His face fell, and was replaced with urgency.
"I'm sorry, Gwen, but I have to go," he said, shutting his phone and getting up off the bed.
"What's happening?" I asked.
"Bella's getting ready to wake up. I need to be there to control her emotions. Newborns are extremely volatile."
I nodded my understanding, and we both tried to walk out of my room at the same time.
"Where do you think you're going?" Jasper asked.
"With you, to see Bella," I replied shortly. Before he could protest, I placed a finger over his lips. "Vampires aren't attracted to witch blood. I'll be safe, especially with you protecting me."
Jasper sighed heavily, knowing that there was no way he could leave me out of this. I kissed him, trying to make him feel better.
"You really are impossible, aren't you?" he asked as I took his hand we hurried out of the apartment to my car, Tasha on our heels.
"Would you love me if I weren't?" I asked with a knowing smirk.
When we got to the Cullens, I tried to lock Tasha in the car, but to no avail.
"Tasha!" I whined. "You'll be eaten! Bella can't control her thirst yet!"
Tasha glared at me, sitting defiantly on the roof of my car. How she managed to jump up there, I'm not sure…
"Esme," Jasper called, and suddenly his mother-figure was outside with us. "Will you look after Tasha?"
"Okay," she said, and scooped Tasha into her arms. The black cat gave a happy purr. "I'll keep her in the kitchen. She should be safe there."
"How's Bella?" I asked as the three of us walked into the house.
"Well, Carlisle gave her morphine after Edward bit her; he wanted to see if that would help with the pain," she explained. "She's been in a coma-like state since the other day. But her heart is starting to fail," she said, her head tilted towards the upstairs as we walked in.
"I don't want a lot of us in there with her when she wakes," Jasper said. "She'll be disoriented and overwhelmed by her new senses. She'll be less of a threat if there's only two or three of us with her."
"Edward hasn't left her side," Esme told me. "He's been talking to her and holding her hand."
"She's very lucky to have such a supportive family," I said. "It'll make the transition easier for her, I'm sure."
"That's what we're hoping," Carlisle said, appearing at the top of the steps. "Jasper, Alice said she'll be awake in two minutes."
"One minute and 45 seconds!" Ali called from somewhere in the house. Then she appeared beside me, a pout on her face. "I wish I could be with her!"
"It's too dangerous, Ali," Carlisle and Jasper said simultaneously.
"And Gwen's not going to be with her, either," Jazz said slowly, and I wanted to kill him.
"Gwendolyn!" Alice practically shouted in my ear. "I found an awesome outfit for you! C'mon!" She grabbed my hand and spirited me away upstairs to her room, where I fell on the bed as Ali unexpectedly let me go and dashed into her walk-in closet.
"Where's Em and Rose?" I asked, dodging a blouse that was thrown at my head.
"Oh, they're downstairs with Irina," she informed me.
"Who's Irina?" I asked.
"She's a 'cousin' of ours, from the Denali coven." Her head popped out of the closet. "Jazz told you about them?"
"Yeah. They're vegetarians, like you guys. Why is she here?"
"Well," Alice started and sat down on the bed with me. "We've haven't been on very good terms with her since Laurent was killed…"
I nodded my understanding. Laurent had gone to visit the Denali coven to see if he could be on the vegetarian diet. He and Irina were apparently mates, but when Laurent came back to Forks to kill Bella, the wolves had killed him.
"She came back to apologize about her actions, about not attending Bella and Edward's wedding and disowning the family. We understand that she was distraught; it's tough to lose a mate." A note of sadness crept into Alice's voice. "But she's sorry, and we've welcomed her back."
I smiled. "How is Bella going to take her being here?"
"Once we have her under control, I think she'll be fine," Alice said thoughtfully. "And Irina has actually made a very nice offer."
"Offer?"
"She asked Bella and Edward to come back with her, to Alaska. I think it would be good for Bella to be away from humans, that is until she gets her thirst controlled."
"That's very kind of her," I said.
"Yes. I think Edward's tempted to accept it. He's afraid Bella might accidentally hurt someone she cares about in Forks."
"I think it would be good for Bella to get away. And I've heard Alaska is very beautiful…"
"Oh, it's the best!" Alice said excitedly. "The wilderness is breathtaking, and the hunting isn't bad, either- Oh!" She stopped herself with a giggle.
"Yeah, that's where you lose me," I laughed.
Our little awkward moment was interrupted by Jasper standing in the doorway. "Ali," he started, "Did you know something about Bella that you didn't share?"
"Like what, Jazzy?" she asked innocently.
"Like Bella having unbelievable control for a newborn," Jasper said.
I gasped. "Really?"
Jasper nodded. "She was able to calm herself down when she got a little excited. I've never seen a newborn able to do that!" "Where is she now?" Alice asked.
"Edward is taking her hunting, and then they're going to talk to Irina." He paused thoughtfully. "I think they should go. Then the pack won't be worried about Bella."
Something dawned on me. "It was Irina that was in the rez, wasn't it?"
"Yep. She got a little confused when she was trying to find us and wandered into their territory."
"Thank god she was able to get away. It would've been such a tragedy if she had been killed."
Silence descended on the three of us, and I got an idea. I got up and walked over to Jasper, slipping my arms around him. "Can we get away for a while?" I asked.
"Where to, angel?" he asked, brushing my hair away from my face.
"We can go back to my house," I said. "I haven't been back in a month; I really need to check on it. Make sure it's still standing."
Jasper chuckled. "Well, since Bella seems to be under control-"
"And since she and Edward are indeed going to Alaska," Alice said, snapping out of a vision.
"Okay, Gwen. I know you've been under a lot of pressure lately. We'll have a little extended vacation."
That night Jasper drove us back to my house. Tasha was curled up asleep on my lap when we pulled into my driveway.
"Well, it's still standing," Jasper noted, taking our suitcases out of the trunk and carrying them up the front steps.
"The outside is, at least," I said, carrying a limp cat in my arms. "It's locked," I said as Jazz went for the door knob. "There's a spare key-" I stood in shock as Jazz turned the knob and opened the door.
"It was locked," I said.
"It's not anymore," Jasper replied. Then I saw him stiffen, and head a low growl come from him. "There's someone in your house."
Panic flooded me. Grandmother had put multiple spells around here to prevent intruders from breaking into the house. It was impenetrable, unless you had a key.
Jasper told me to stay outside.
"Like hell," I mumbled, carefully putting Tasha on one of the chairs on the porch and following my boyfriend into the house. With my powers and his…well, his being a vampire, I felt pretty secure.
As we walked through the front hall, a little crash caused us to both jump.
"Kitchen," he mouthed.
I nodded, and we crept around the corner. The refrigerator door was open, blocking whoever was rummaging through my food. Quicker than a gunshot, Jasper had the intruder pinned against the now closed fridge door.
"Turn on the light, Gwendolyn," he instructed.
I flicked the switch and gasped. The figure was struggling to free himself of Jasper's iron grip, brown eyes wide with terror.
"Jasper, let him go!" I said, springing forward and putting myself between Jasper's rage and the trembling figure.
"Do you know this guy?" Jazz asked, unwilling to release him just yet.
"Know him?" I laughed. "This is Antonio!"
A/N: Yay for Antonio! Trust me- you'll love him! Once I get the next chapter out, that is. And can't make any promises about when that might be. Super sorry!
Please review! :)