Another chapter finally up. Once again, I am so sorry that it has taken me this long to update. If theres interest, I'll put up another "David & Jane Hate Their Author" short with the next chapter (which is coming).

Big thanks to my beta, CorieHall. And, of course, Stephanie Meyers owns Twilight.

Chapter 26 - Bats are Nocturnal

Jacob's POV

All in all, it was a really shitty day.

Renesmee and I had another fight. A real one. She wasn't talking to anyone, not even Rose. And just to top it all off, the terror bloodsucker had been replaced. And we all had to wonder, Who did the Italians find to replace her?

I reached up, and rubbed my face. I tried to sleep, but my room was too quiet. I came downstairs, and turned on the TV, just to have some white noise. As I passed their room, I found that the only other guy in the house that needed sleep was already passed out. Probably curdled up with his bloodsucker girlfriend.

What a freakin' mess that was. A psychopath and a sadist. I wasn't even sure which was which.

Of course, it wasn't like I was jealous or anything. Those two deserved each other.

But then, that tiny voice I hadn't heard since Bella was pregnant, stood up and said, But at least they have each other.

God, I hated that voice. It sounded like Leah.

But, it was true. Nessie and I...

Well, I lost her. And that burning feeling... it felt like I was losing Bella again.

I took a deep breath and tried to watch TV. But... it was just noise and lights. It didn't mean anything.

I looked outside, hoping that I could see something right outside that would solve all my problems. But... all I saw was the night, and the rain.

And just the cliché of that, raining on a day like this, pissed me off!

I laid my head back on the couch, and closed my eyes. I laid there for a couple of minutes, but with my eyes closed, I saw two beautiful brown eyes, filled with tears.

I couldn't fall asleep to that.

I sighed and gave up trying.

I had just resigned myself to a sleepless night staring at the TV, when I heard the soft padding of footsteps coming down the stairs. As I listened, I also heard a rapid heartbeat.

I froze. What do I do? What do I say?

Nessie walked over to the couch I was sprawled on, and stood still for a moment.

"Why are you watching the Weather Channel?" She asked.

For the first time all night, I actually focused on the TV. Sure enough, I had tuned into a thrilling report on a mid-western drought.

"Uh," I responded.

As I tried to come up with something to say, I heard the most wonderful sound: Renesmee giggled.

I turned to her, and I dared to hope...

Renesmee met my eyes, and she held her smile for a second. She always looked so beautiful when she smiled at me.

As I waited for her to say something, I noticed she had a thick leather book tucked under her arm. It took me a moment to recognize it.

"Isn't that your old scrapbook?" I asked.

When Renesmee was growing up, Edward and Bella wanted her to see as much of the world as they could. So they travailed everywhere. Nessie always insisted that I come to.

Nessie looked down the thick leather book that documented her life. "Aunt Rose wanted to show me something," She said.

My stomach fell. Oh, great, I through. The freakin' blonde finally got me.

She walked over to my couch. I sat up, and slid down, making room for her. With everything that was going on, with Jane around and the Volturi, I wanted her as close to me as possible. She just wasn't safe anywhere else.

Nessie sat the book down on the table and started flipping through the pages.

"Remember this?" She asked with a gleaming smile. I leaned forward, and looked at the pictures.

When Renesmee was two, Edward and Bella took her in a sailboat from New York to London. At first, they didn't want me to come along, but when Renesmee found out, she threw the biggest temper tantrum ever. Not even Rose could get her to calm down. The only thing that got her to stop screaming was when Bella promised her that I would be coming too.

"Remember when I asked you to push Dad over the side of the boat?" Renesmee asked with a beautiful smile.

I started laughing. "I remember the look on his face when he went in." I finally got the mind-reader.

Renesmee laughed and then flipped through another couple of pages. "This was when Aunt Rose taught me to ski."

Aunt Bimbo took Renesmee skiing for her first time after her fourth birthday. I have no idea how, but she somehow convinced Rose to take me. I have to admit, staying in a five star hotel at the top of the Swiss Alps... that was pretty cool.

"Remember that night we all sat down to watch a movie?" she laughed again, "And you kept flicking cashews at Aunt Rose?"

I burst out laughing. "She chased me around that place with a fire poker for two hours," I reminisced.

Renesmee laughed again. She flipped another couple of pages, until she stopped, tapped a picture and smiled.

"My seventh birthday," Nessie said. "My first drive in the Volvo."

I slid a little closer, and looked over her shoulder.

On her seventh birthday, Nessie got her Dad's old Volvo. And someone had to give her a driving lesson. It was supposed to be a quick drive around town, but Nessie had so much fun driving herself, that we ended up having dinner in San Francisco.

"When I called your Dad from the Bay... oh, he was pissed." I laughed.

Then, Nessie closed the book. She paused, before she turned to me, and folded her legs beneath her.

It warmed my heart to see that she was still smiling.

"Jake... I have so many happy, wonderful, magical memories," She said. "And what they all have common... is you."

She reached out, and took my hand in hers. Again, I felt her replaying her memories for me.

I saw her all over the world, and no matter where she was, all she had to do was turn around, and see me.

Her guardian werwolf.

"Jacob," Nessie continued. "I want you to tell me, simply, plainly and clearly, what does imprinting mean."

"I already told you, I will always be there for you," I tried to explain. "I'm... bound to you."

Nessie's face became sad. "But that's just it. I don't want someone who's 'bound' to me. I want you to choose me."

I started to feel frustrated, not at Nessie, but because I couldn't explain it right.

"Nessie..." I struggled to find the right words, "When you were born, your mother and I... we weren't in a good place. I loved her, but she loved your dad. I tried to win her, I tried to prove to her that I was better but no matter how hard I pushed, I couldn't get her to think of me as anything more than a friend."

Nessie was wearing a strange look. "Why are you telling me this?" She asked.

"Because I want you to understand," I said. "Watching your Mom and Dad... it hurt. I... couldn't stand it. Then, the day you were born...

"Nessie, you took my pain away," I confessed. "You... fixed me. After you were born, your mother and I started getting along. I got my best friend back. And I got you," I gave her my best doggy smile. "My beautiful little miracle."

Nessie looked like she was fighting a smile.

"Thanks, Jake," She whispered. She started chewing her lip, a sign from Bella that she had something to say.

"What?" I pressed.

"Do you just... love me because I... I'm better than hurting?" She asked, almost in a whispered.

It would have been so easily to lie to her. But... I couldn't.

"At first, yes," I said. "Anything was better than what I was going through. But..." I smiled. "It's the way you scratch you nose after you yawn. It's the way your hair is all frizzy when you just wake up." I paused, and pointed to her feet tucked underneath her, "And it's the way you always sit on your feet."

Nessie looked down, and blushed. Even though she tried hiding behind her hair, I could see her smiling.

"Nessie, when I first saw you, you made me see that there was still something worth living for," I continued. "But now, when I look at you... There are so many things that are just so uniquely you, and I love them."

Slowly, Nessie raised her head, and looked at me. She was blushing so brightly I could almost feel the heat coming off her face.

"But Jake..." She whispered. "Do you love... me?"

When she asked me that, I felt it. It was like the universe shifted beneath me. I felt like everything holding me to earth, let go. I felt like I was flying.

As I was looking at her, I realized something. I realized that, even though she was Bella's daughter, she wasn't Bella. And that was why I...

I noticed that my arm had raised, and was brushing stray strands of hair behind her ear. Without deciding to, I leaned closer. She slowly did the same.

As I brushed her skin, I could feel her thoughts. She was... nervous. And excited. She had dreamed about this moment. But there was still something she needed to hear.

"Yes," I whispered. "I love you."

We both leaned in, and kissed.

David's POV

"CHALK THREE AND FIVE, FLANK RIGHT!" I screamed over the thunder of machine guns. "CHALK ONE, ON ME!"

We were leading an assault over one of the Afghan mountains, and about to take a Taliban stronghold.

For the first time in a long time, we had the upper hand. And we were gonna use it.

I charged forward, and kept shooting. I heard the crack of Army rifles behind me, and every so often a bullet whizzed by my head.

I had better things to do tonight than die.

We kept running, and saw the objective ahead. A two story stone building. There was something about the building that seemed... familiar.

My chalk kept running, and we came to the front door of the building. They stacked up behind me and I visually checked the door. It was old, rotten, and didn't look like it was barricaded.

I took position, and kicked the door in. As I splintered the old wood, I recognized this building. It was where I first meet Jane.

The the door flew open; I looked ahead and saw a forest. Confused, I stepped forward and looked around. All around me were giant trees. I looked behind me, but the battlefield in Afghanistan and the castle doors had vanished.

I dropped to a knee, and looked around. I was alone, in the middle of a dense forest. How?

I looked down, and saw that I was standing on some kind of a road. I shouldered my rifle, and started moving forward. I turned back around corner, I saw an old stone village. Looked like something out of a Harry Potter movie.

It looked like something was happening in the middle of the village. I ran towards it, trying to find out what the Hell was going on.

As I started through the village, I noticed that no-one was around. The closer I got to the town center, the worse that feeling got. That pit of your stomach feeling that always meant bad news.

I turned around a building, and froze.

"Jane?" I said.

It was her, standing at the top of a pile of wood. Tied to a stake.

"JANE!" I called.

She turned to me. "David!" She screamed. "Help me!"

I watched in horror as one of the villagers touched a flame to Jane's pyre.

I ran forward, but only made it a few steps before I collapsed. I didn't understand why my legs weren't working.

I twisted around, and heaved in horror. Both my legs were bloody stumps above the knee.

I turned back around. I could still get to her.

"JANE!" I screamed, I reached up, and tried to crawl forward. As I reached up, I saw that like my legs, my arms were gone.

Just bleeding stumps.

I looked up in horror, and watched helplessly as the fire reached her clothes. She was starting to burn, and there was nothing I could do.

"DAVID, PLEASE! HELP ME!" Jane begged.

"Jah-" I gurgled. I tried to scream, but my mouth was filling with blood. I tried to spit it out, but I was bleeding too fast. I tried to call out to her, but I realized my tongue was gone.

I couldn't reach her. Now I couldn't even call to her.

I looked up, Jane was screaming in pain. I tried to crawl forward; I had to get to her. But, no matter how hard I tried, I could reach her.

Jane died in front of me. Screaming.

Then, the townsfolk turned around, and I recognized the one closest to me. The creepy one from Alice's drawing. The Volturi. I looked around, and saw I was surrounded by a sea of black cloaks and red eyes.

And I was bleeding out, laying in a deep pool of crimson.

Like sharks, they lunged closer. And then they started to -

I dived out of bed, grabbing my pistol of the nightstand, caulked it, and spun around, leveling my sights.

I looked around, and tried to get my bearings.

The Volturi are here!

I saw a figure on the bed. I leveled my sight, tightened my finger on the trigger, and tried to control my breathing.

I looked closer. Target sitting up in bed. Hands empty and raised, no threat. I looked a little closer. Target was female. No...

"Jane?" I asked urgently.

Jane, still raising her empty hands, nodded slowly.

I rushed forward.

"Jane, are you alright?" I asked franticly. I started checking her looking for injuries. As I checked her, I saw that not only was she not burnt, but her clothes weren't singed. She was fine.

I froze. Oh, shit.

"Jane," I asked slowly. "Was I just dreaming?"

I slowly looked up. Jane was looking at me, she looked scared, but she slowly nodded.

I looked down at the gun in my hand. My 45 caliber sidearm from the Army. The same firearm I used to kill, I just pointed at Jane.

I started to feel bile rising in my throat. I flicked the thumb safety on my pistol, set it down on the dresser, and ran to the bathroom. I made it just in time to empty my guts into the toilet.

God-fucking-damn it, not again!

Jane's POV

It was hard to watch David so sick. But, unfortunately, I learned that he didn't like being touch after a bad dream.

It was... heartbreaking. I watched him hurt so much and there was nothing I could do to help.

I sat back on the bed, and blinked a few times as my eyes filled with venom. I was glad I couldn't cry in times like this. I knew it would only make it harder for David.

I heard a very soft knocking on the door. I quietly climbed off the bed, and opened it a crack.

Bella appeared in the doorway, wearing a fluffy white robe and a look of concern. "Are you both okay?" She asked.

I felt a cold weight settle in my stomach. "Does the whole house know?" I gasped quietly.

Bella shock her head. "No," She said kindly.

"But... Edward does?" I asked.

She paused, but nodded. "And Alice," She said.

I closed my eyes, rested against the door and sighed.

I heard the soft creaking of someone approaching. I opened my eyes, and saw Jasper slowly walking up. Bella turned around and saw him, too.

"Jasper," She said, surprise in her voice.

"Bella," He warmly greeted, before turning to me.

"Jane, I am sorry to be rude, but I'd like a word with your mate," He said in his most respectful, southern tone.

"Jasper, I don't think now-" I tried to say.

"I may have a perspective that David needs to hear," He said.

I turned back towards the bathroom. I could see off the window's reflection that David was still hunched over the toilet.

I turned back to Jasper. As I thought of what to say, Jasper sent me a small taste of his emotions. A strong sense of concern, and a measure of sadness. But, also confidence.

And the strong urge to help.

I leaned in closer. Even though we were speaking well below David's range of hearing, I felt guilty whispering aloud, "Can you help him?"

Jasper smiled, and nodded. "Yes, ma'am," He said.

"Alice said you might want to talk to Rose," He said with a shrug. "She didn't say why," He paused to smirk. "Or how."

I nodded. I wasn't in the mood for jokes right now.

I turned back into a room, pulled on a sweatshirt, and stepped out into the hallway. Bella smiled at me.

"Jasper and David have a lot in common," She said. "I really think Jasper can help."

I looked at Bella. I wanted to believe that someone could help David. After everything he's told me... it wasn't fair that he carried such a burden.

I turned my head. Jasper had stepped politely off to this side.

He smiled, and nodded to me, then walked into our new room.

Bella turned to me.

"Come on," She said. "Alice told you to talk to Rose."

I was hesitant to be meeting Rose so late at night. And on my own.

Bella seemed to sense my discomfort because she chuckled a little.

"I know she can be intimidating, but she's not so bad once you get to know her," Bella said.

"Right," I said, not completely convinced.

Bella laughed. "Come on, I'll come with you."

Bella turned, and led me down the hallway. Still not convinced this was a good idea, I followed her.

She led me down the hall, and to another closed door. On the other side, I could hear what sounded like a video game, and Emmett shouting.

Bella knocked firmly.

"Come in," Rose answered.

Bella opened the door, and gestured that I should follow.

Rose and Emmett had an ornately decorated bedroom. Everything from the dressers, to the canopy bed was Victorian, and very decorative. Rosalie was working at a mahogany desk, while Emmett sat on the bed, wearing some sort of headset, staring intently at the TV.

I looked, and saw that Emmett was in the middle of a very intense Call of Duty online match.

"BOOM! Oh, hahaha!" Emmett laughed into his headset. "Learn to shoot, noobs!" He taunted.

"Hi, Emmett," Bella said with a smile.

"Yeah, hey Bells," He answered distractedly.

I laughed, than noticed that Rosalie was coldly staring at me.

I lifted my nose, and greeted, "Rose," in my Volturi tone.

"Jane," She answered coldly.

"Rose," Bella interjected, with some forced happiness. "I'm thinking about doing something with my hair," She said, running her fingers through her mahogany hair. "You think you could show me something?"

Rose looked at her incredulously.

"You're thinking about what?" She mock gasped. "Don't let Alice hear that."

"I don't mean I want a full make over," Bella quickly qualified, "I just want to try something... different."

I smiled as I realized that Bella was trying to break the ice for me.

Rose smiled at Bella. "Take a seat, let me get my product," She said.

Bella sat down beside Emmett, who failed to notice, as Rose walked into the adjoining bathroom.

While Bella was getting comfortable, I wondered over to Rosalie's desk. She had a couple of papers scattered around her desk. I looked closer, and I saw what looked like newspaper clippings, state documents and pictures of people I didn't recognize. It all looked old, but the portraits looked vaguely familiar.

I was so interested in Rosalie's work that I didn't notice her walking back in. Well, until she walked up beside be, and started packing all her work away.

"What was that?" I asked.

Rose didn't say anything until all the papers were locked away in her desk. "Genealogy," She finally answered, as turned to Bella and started organizing various bottles of... something.

"Sorry, what's genealogy?" I asked.

Rose ignored me, but looked up at Bella.

"So what sort of style are you looking for?" Rose asked.

Bella smiled, and looked around to me.

"Genealogy is the study of your ancestors," She said. "Rose is building the Cullen family tree."

"Oh, wow," I said. "How far back are you going?"

Again, Rose ignored me.

"As far as she can," Bella answered. Rose glared at her.

"Apparently, almost every man on my father's side was a police officer," Bella recounted with a smile. "My great-grandfather was a New York detective during prohibition," Bella smiled at Rose, "It's been fun learning about all our families."

This made me think of something.

"So, Rose, you're... tracking down everyone's family members?" I asked.

Rose continued to ignore me, but Bella nodded.

"If I asked you to find a living relative, could you?" I asked hopefully.

This time Rose scoffed aloud. She turned and glared at me. "Who would you want to find? Everyone you'd know is dead."

"Rose!" Bella chastised.

But I didn't care. If Rose could find...

"I want you to find," I asked, "Rebecca Cain."

David's POV

Fucking Hell! I mentally swore, as I emptied more of my guts.

Great. I had another freak-out. Once again, I couldn't control myself. I failed.

I failed her. And then I pointed a loaded gun at her.

What the fuck?

I reached up, and flushed the toilet again. As I got up, I felt someone behind me.

I sighed as I recognized him.

But... I didn't know what to say.

Jasper began for me.

"When you're done in here, meet me in the garage," He said.

"Wait, what?" I asked, turning around.

Jasper was halfway out the door. He paused, and turned back around.

"Well, are you going back to sleep?" He asked.

I thought for a second.

"No," I honestly answered.

"You going to do anything besides feel pissed at yourself?"

Again, I thought seriously for a second.

"No."

Jasper nodded.

"Well, you might as well do something productive," He said, and left.

I stood there for a moment, stunned.

But before I did anything else, I owed Jane another apology.

What the shit, man.

I walked, slightly unsteady, into the bedroom, but Jane was gone.

I felt shame press down on me. She couldn't even face me.

As I dwelled on how much I fucked up, my phone rang.

On autopilot, I walked over and picked it up. Why wasn't I surprised that Alice texted me?

Jane is bonding with Bella and Rose, just let her go for a while. Don't forget that Jasper is waiting for you in the garage. She wrote.

I read it again, and felt my anger growing. I was bad enough that I almost shot Jane, but I was really getting pissed off that the entire fucking family was assing in!

My phone vibrated again. I seriously considered smashing it to bits, just to piss her off. It took me a moment, but I decided to read it instead.

David, we are all really trying to help, and it's because we think of you both as family.. Give us a chance.

I tried to stay mad. I really did. But... I couldn't.

I closed my eyes, and took five deep, slow breaths.

Whatever you're doing, it's not working, I hear in the back of my head myself. It's worth a shot.

I took one more breath, and thought, Do it for her.

Jasper had left a pair of jeans and a t-shirt in my room, probably on advice from Alice. After I got dressed, I climbed downstairs to meet Jasper.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, Esme walked out of the kitchen. She was wearing a light pink robe and her usual kind smile. She also held a slightly steaming mug.

"When I was a little girl, my mother would make the most wonderful tea," Esme reminisced with a smile. "I remember that it always made me feel better," She said, as she offered me the cup.

"Uh," I responded.

Esme smiled politely, and continued offering it to me.

Feeling foolish, I accepted the warm mug, and took a sip. It was still hot, and just sweet enough. Sure enough, my nausea started to fade, as did the bitter aftertaste in my mouth.

"Thank you," I finally said.

Esme's golden eyes sparkled. "Everything will work out, dear. You'll see."

She gave me one last loving smile, before walking upstairs.

I took another swig of tea, and walked towards the garage. As I walked into the massive barn, the first thing I noticed was a large, oak wardrobe sitting on tarp in the middle of the floor. Beside it, Jasper was setting up something on a workbench.

After that, I of course noticed the collection of amazing cars parked along the wall. I made a note to get a closer look later.

I walked over towards Jasper and set the mug down on the bench. When I looked closer at the dresser, I saw that it was old, and in rough shape. The doors weren't hanging right, the lacquered finish was pealing and discolored, and I saw what looked like mold or maybe rot in a couple of places.

Jasper turned around, and saw me inspecting the dresser.

"Esme discovered that in the old barn," He said. "She and I have been meaning to restore it, but it looks like you and I will be working instead."

"Am I supposed to start gushing about how tough my life is?" I asked, in a sour tone.

"If you'd like," He said, completely unfazed.

Jasper picked up a screwdriver, some of pieces of sand paper, and passed them to me.

"You're working on the doors. After you unscrew the hinges, try to get as much of the old paint as you can," He said. "And see what you can do with the mold."

Without another word, he walked around to the back of the dresser, and I heard him start sanding away at the rough wood.

It took a moment to decide whether or not to tell Jasper to blow it out his ass, but I eventually decided to humor him.

I picked up the screw driver, and set to work with the rusted hinges and screws.

After the doors were off, I set them down on the work bench, and started sanding them.

I was still pissy when I started sanding, but after a while, I started to like it. Working quietly on something mindless was... peaceful.

Probably Jaspers intention.

I turned around, and saw that Jasper had already finished the back, and was working on the side closest me. And I got the feeling he was working slow.

I looked back down, and kept working. I liked Jasper, probably best out of the Cullens. Not as exuberant as Emmett and not as... whatever Edward was.

He was someone good to talk to.

"Hey, Jasper?" I asked.

"Yes?"

"Did you ever..." I tried to say something, but the words just didn't sound right. "Did you and Alice... uh..."

Jasper, thankfully, new what I was trying to say. Probably better than me.

"There were times, when I first meet Alice, that I struggled to control myself around her," He remembered. "When Alice and I were first chasing the Cullens, we spent a night in a camp somewhere in New York. I was... struggling with the vegetarian diet, and Alice could tell. That night, I couldn't take it anymore. I tried to sneak out and find human blood. Alice, God bless her for it, stopped me. She stood in my way and..."

I turned, and saw that Jasper was now resting against the dresser, as if telling me his story was a strain. I knew the feeling.

"Just wanted to get her out of the way. Just a little push. But she kept coming back, she knew I would regret it. So, I pushed her harder. Then... I really hit her."

Jasper took a deep breath. "It was the only time I truly scared her. It was her fear that brought me back."

Rather than stand there and gawk at me, I turned around and got back to work.

Behind me, I heard Jasper sanding away too. "When I saw her," He continued, "When I saw... when I felt the fear in her... I ran."

"So... how did you get her back?" I asked.

Jasper laughed. "I didn't. She chased after me, all the way to the Maine coast. She found me, forgave me, and promised to love me forevermore."

Jasper laughed again, and I felt a ripple of peace and happiness spread through the room.

"The next day we were married. The only time."

"Huh," I responded.

"David," I heard Jasper say. "Jane doesn't pity you."

My head snapped around.

"Neither is she embarrassed by you," He continued. "She's scared, and most of all she feels overwhelming sympathy for you. And, because she doesn't know what to do, she feels helpless."

Jasper locked eyes with me.

"Jane loves you too much to ever look down on you," He said with confidence.

I said nothing. I didn't know what to say.

After a moment of silence, Jasper looked down at the doors I was supposed to be working on.

"If you're just going to stand around, get back to work," He instructed, as he turned and resumed sanding.

I had the urge to pick up the screwdriver and burry it into the back of his head. Jasper must have felt it because he chuckled.

Instead of picking a fight, for once I turned around, and pressed hard into the sandpaper.

As I scraped away layers of neglect on the door, I heard Jasper's voice ringing in my head.

She doesn't pity you... She feels helpless.

I hated myself so much because I couldn't function around her. I just assumed that she felt the same way.

Maybe I'm more fucked up than I thought.

"Hey Jasper?" I called.

I heard him stop working. "Yes?" He asked.

"I watched her die," I said, still pressing into the sandpaper, harder then I should. "I watched them burn her at the stake, and I couldn't stop them."

Jasper said nothing for a minute.

"So, when you woke up..." He asked.

I finally stopped working, but I still couldn't turn around.

"Jasper, I pointed my gun at her. My fuckin' service pistol," I snarled.

"FUCK!" I barked, as I brought my fist down on the bench.

As soon as I did that, I regretted it. I'd forgotten that its taboo to bleed around vampires. I slowly lifted my knuckles, really hoping I didn't break the skin.

I breathed a sigh of relieve that I hadn't started bleeding.

"David, when you say you saw 'them' burn her..." Jasper let the question hang.

"The Volturi," I answered. "I recognized the one from the picture."

Jasper was quiet for a moment.

"In all your other bad dreams, is Jane there as well?" He asked.

I slowly turned and faced him. "How did..."

Jasper gave me a knowing smile.

"The last few months of my human life, I remember those dreams. I remember waking each morning in a cold sweat. And after I was turned..." Jasper paused, and his eyes fell. "Sometimes I still see them. Sometimes I still feel them."

Jasper and I were silent for a moment. Rather than stand there and stare at him, I turned, picked up the sand paper, and got back to work.

While I worked, I mulled over Jasper's question.

I thought about the dream I had on Monday. The first time I meet Jane, and another time I helplessly watched men die. And earlier tonight... I watched Jane burn. I thought back farther; all the "routine" patrols, all the botch raids... all the nightmares that woke me up in the middle of the night.

As I remembered my nightmares, I realized something: they were all times when I didn't do enough. They were times when I failed, and good people died. They were when I failed.

"I don't know what you're thinking about, but you're wrong," Jasper announced, as he walked up beside me, and started inspecting my work.

"You're pressing into the sandpaper too hard," He said as he fixed my uneven job.

"Say your right," I stated, "Say I am fucked in the head. Why do I want to drag Jane into it?"

I felt a cold hand grab the right shoulder and spin me around. I caught a glimpse of Jasper's furious snarl before he shoved me backwards. Even though he was being gentle, he still lifted me off the floor.

I landed on the concrete about twelve feet back. Instead of another dousing of calm, I felt a ripple of Jasper's anger sweep the room.

"First of all," Jasper snarled, "Don't you daredisrespect the poor souls who have lost their minds. You are in fine shape, and I suggest you remember it!"

I climbed to my feet, and tried not to hit him back.

We both stood there, glaring at each other. After a moment, I felt the Jasper's angry fog fade.

"And as for 'draggin' Jane into it'," Jasper paused for a moment, "You won't like hearing this, but you already have."

Again, I said nothing. But as I remembered what I'd done that landed me in front of Jasper, I had to agree.

"In fact," Jasper continued, "What you're doing ain't fair. She sees you struggling, but you won't let her help. It's killing her."

Jasper turned back to the doors. "Now get back over here and finish these!" He barked.

I smirked, but walked over to the bench. Since I hadn't even finished the first door, Jasper took over the second one. Again, I got the feeling her was deliberately working slow.

"So, what do I do?" I asked.

"Be honest," He said. "Be open. The rest, well, you'll figure out."

Jasper and I finished working in silence. By the time I finally finished, Jasper was ready with cans of paint and brushes.

"Now, I've seen the way you Yankee's work," He quipped, gesturing to my uneven door. "You tear through it so fast it ends up looking like a dead cow's ass," For humor, he emphasized his Texan drawl. "That's why we're doing this the Southern way. The right way."

He turned and started demonstrating. "Slow and easy," He said. "Little patience and a little care can make the world of difference."

He turned, and held out the brush. "Remember, slow and easy."

Jasper and I switched places, and I picked up the brush.

"Oh, yes, sir," Jasper half chuckled, and half groaned, "Now this is Northern workmanship," He picked up the sandpaper and started fixing the fruit of my half-assed labor.

"Yeah, I guess I made a mess out it, didn't I?" I conceded.

Jasper laughed. "David, if there's one thing I've learned in all my years with Alice, it's this; There's no mess one person can make that two people can't fix."

I paused and looked down at my watch. I'd been down here with Jasper for more than two hours. And I still owed Jane an apology.

"Hey, Jasper?" I called.

"If you have somewhere you'd rather be, don't let me stop you," He called. "I'd rather not have to fix your work twice."

I smiled, and headed back into the main house.

I was still smiling when I passed Alice on the stairs.

"Well, it's nice to see you two making headway," Her smile grew smug, "Like I knew you would."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Alice."

She laughed, "Oh, it's so good you're here," She bounced on her toes for a moment, "It's nice having new family around. And really..." Her voice hushed for a moment. I leaned in to better hear her. "When we first meet I saw your future. The one without us," I was so used to seeing her smiling, so when her smile fell, it was almost like watching her age, "It... didn't end well for you two."

"What about you?" I asked. "What about your family?"

"This new one, Salem..." He voiced trailed off at the end. "I've been watching him... And, what he's... going to do." For a moment, Alice looked every one of her one hundred and thirteen years. "And what it would cost for us to fight him."

As I watched the shadows crawl across her face, I realized what a toll her ability takes on her. She sees the best, and worst possible outcomes of everything.

"But what about now?" I asked.

That was what it took to shake her out of the future. She made eye contact with me, and relaxed.

"You have no idea the difference that you two will make."

I smiled at her. "You heard Jane and me talking about my sister, right?"

She nodded, and suppressed a smile, as she saw what I was about to say.

"Should I bother?" I asked with a smile.

"I'd like to hear you say it. For real."

I nodded. "I loved my sister, and... I miss my sister. I'm excited to have another one."

And just like that, all of Alice's perk and vigor returned. She chirped happily, and bounced up on her toes, looking ever more like a pixie.

"It's going to be so much fun having you two around," She said, as she bounced over, and pecked me on the check. When I was done blinking, she was gone.

I looked around, but I felt that she had joined Jasper in the garage. Out of respect, I stopped. Instead I turned and followed Jane's pull.

I climbed to the second floor, and followed a hallway. What's she doing down here?

I walked right to her door, and raised my hand to knock. Before I could, Jane opened it.

"Hi," She breathed.

I waited a moment, trying to see if she was mad or not. All I saw was worry and what Jasper said started to sink in.

I smiled at her.

"I'm sorry," I said. "For what I did earlier."

Jane blinked. "David, you know that you can't hurt me."

"I know. Diamond skin," I acknowledged. "But I still pointed a loaded gun at you. And I'm sorry."

Jane smiled. "Apology accepted."

"And when I get back, I'd like to... talk... uh, with you."

"About what?" She asked, looking a little worried.

"Nothing bad," I blurted out. "But... I have a lot of stories I've never told you."

"Oh," She gasped. "Uh, David, is this about earlier?"

"No," I smiled. "Jasper and I talked and, uh.." I reached down, and took her cool hands in mine, "And I think I can do better. I think I can... be better."

Jane leaned back.

"I plan on you and I being together for a long time," I smiled. "The least I can do is make it as painless as possible, right?"

Jane's face grew into that wonderful, coy smile. The one she only wore for me.

She squeezed my hand back. "I already told you, I'll listen to anything you tell me. And it will never change how much I love you."

She stepped on the toes of my shoes, stood eye to eye for a moment, than leaned in and kissed me.

For a moment, we just pressed together, enjoying our bodies pressed so close together. But then, we were interrupted by...

"Go, for, it! Go, for, it!" Emmett chanted.

That was followed by a hiss and the sound of a backhand.

Jane stepped back, and opened the door fully.

Emmett was propped up in bed, laughing at us. Behind him, Bella and Rose where standing by a desk in the corner.

"So, what where the girls up to tonight?" I asked.

Bella opened her mouth to answer, but Jane responded. "Well, first we took all our clothes off and made out. After that we had a pillow fight and just sort of cuddled."

"Whoa! What?" Emmett exclaimed, wide eyes darting around the room.

"Well, I'm glad the thought of other woman makes you so excited," Rose said, acid dripping off her voice.

For a moment, Emmett looked like a deer staring down a set of coming headlights.

He slowly turned around, and "Uhhhh..." Spilled out of his mouth.

While Rose stared down Emmett, Bella spoke up.

"David, what do you need to get back from?" She asked.

Jane cocked her head to the side. "You're not going back to campus, are you?" She asked.

I smiled, and kissed her. "Yes, I am. I'm still responsible for the rest of Ranger platoon, and I'm due in class," I reasoned.

She smiled broadly, reached up, and kissed me again. "I'm playing hooky today," She said with a devilish grin.

"Really?" I asked.

For a moment, all the flippancy vanished and her face shone with sincerity. "It's the first time in three years I've been around my own kind. I miss it."

There was no way I would have argued with her, so I kissed her.

"Angel, you know I just want to see you happy and safe," I vowed, "And with them, you're both."

She reached up and kissed me again.

"I should call you my knight in shining armor, but..." She rested her open hands on my chest. "Your armor doesn't shine."

She looked up at me, and love shimmered in her eyes. "You're still my white knight."

I leaned down, and vowed, "Always."

I know this chapter was a little heavy on dialouge, but the action is on its way.

What did you think of David and Jasper? Looks like Jane's up to something too...