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Confirmation: 11/02/2014 11:52

"This is too easy," Rosalie smiled at her screen. "It's like taking candy from a freakin' baby."

Though there was no one else in the office that late at night, she quickly erased her history and shut off the computer. Even after successfully stealing more than half a million dollars from the firm's multiple accounts already, she refused to take any chances of anyone discovering her crime.

With Carlisle apparently giving her half his shares in the company, her plan was already so close to completion – it would be an awful shame if someone were to ruin it at this point.

And that was exactly why she was a little nervous over what Jacob had revealed to her.

Not that she would ever admit that, of course. If anyone heard of Rosalie Hale believing stories as crazy as souls possessing bodies so they can resurrect, she'd probably be checked into the same facility her mother was staying in.

Still, Jake's words somehow made sense. As she looked back at Jasper's behaviour, she realized a lot of them were eerily similar to Edward's. They both pulled at their hair in moments of frustration. They used the same dry tone with her when she tested their patience.

They even had the same taste in food. Jasper had ordered lamb shank – one of Edward's favourites – when they ate at Sala all those weeks ago, but maybe that was just a coincidence.

Heck, perhaps the whole thing was just one spectacular coincidence. Everything just so happened to occur right after Edward ended up in a coma.

Too bad Rosalie didn't believe in coincidences.

After about ten more minutes of thinking it over, she decided that when it came to taking the Cullens down, it was better to be safe than sorry. She left her office with a plan to investigate Jasper Whitlock a lot better the next day.

"Hello, Edward."

"Um, hi," Edward answered a bit awkwardly. "Um, I'm really sorry to bother You, Sir, but I really wanted to ask something."

"It isn't a bother at all, my son," The Big Boss told him. "Ask away."

"I was just wondering if this is…normal," Edward began. "I'm just feeling tired, for some reason. My needs have always been neutral, and I just feel what Jasper's feeling when I possess him, so I was hoping to know if-if this is just fine."

Instead of hearing assurance, he heard a suspenseful pause and a sigh. "Well, son, that tiredness is indeed normal, but not the good kind, I'm afraid. Usually, souls feel that way when their time is almost up."

If Edward still had blood in his body, he was sure his face would be devoid of it by now. "Oh."

"Soon, you'll be feeling a lot worse than that, and every time you spirit your host, the chances of you leaving him involuntarily will be greater. Aside from your strength, your speed will be affected as well."

"But I already have one tear! Doesn't that, I dunno, help in any way?"

"That's not how it works," The Big Man informed him gently but with an underlying firmness. "You need the three tears, Edward. I know your outlook is starting to look bleak now, but don't give up. Your life is closer than you think."

"But it's still too far," Edward mumbled.

"There's still hope," the deity on the phone reminded him. "It isn't too late for you to get those tears yet."

"He's right, you know."

Edward looked up, and saw Scheduler's slightly smiling face.

"Sched," he breathed before pulling her into a hug. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you."

"Uh, yeah, I think I have some idea," she laughed, patting him on the back. She looked at his face intently after they parted. "Look at you-you're starting to get circles under your eyes, Ed."

"Yeah, that's a thing now apparently." Edward rubbed his face. "I'm feeling kinda tired today, too, but with the number of days I have left…that's just how it is."

"So what have you been up to while I was gone?" Scheduler asked to break the silence that ensued.

"No way. It's your turn to tell me what's up," Edward mock-scolded. "Really, though. Are you doing okay? I'm sorry for – "

"Don't. It's okay," Scheduler sighed. She sat beside him on the bench and pulled her legs up to her chest. "I don't blame you for anything, and I'm…good. Better than the last time you saw me, anyway."

"What happened then? You just disappeared."

"I know, I know. I just couldn't handle it, you know? While…" she paused for a second. "Jasper was going through the whole hypnotherapy thing, I could see it all happening again in my own head. I've hurt him so badly."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I'm sorry but, I can't right now. Hell, even just thinking about it now hurts my chest."

"Oh. Alright, then."

"What about you? Have you been taking care him?"

"Of course," Edward sounded slightly offended. "This week has been really difficult, though. A lot of shit's gone down, and as of now, I'm really at a loss."

"Why?"

Edward proceeded to spend the next few minutes filling Scheduler in on the events that occurred while she was gone. The look on his guardian's face changed almost comically as the tale progressed, and by the end of it, she seemed as stressed as Edward.

"God, I have horrible timing for having breakdowns," she muttered. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that alone."

"Nah, I did okay," Edward mock-punched her arm. "And I wasn't alone. Bella was always there to offer support, and then there's The Bi –" he stopped talking just as a realization clicked in his head. "Oh shit."

"What?"

"I hung up on Him!" he pulled his hair. "Before you showed up, I was talking to Him, and then I just –"

"Wait, okay, back up. Who is 'Him?'"

"The Big Boss! Your Boss!"

"Oh, right. You were speaking to him before I arrived," Scheduler nodded, then burst into a fit of giggles. "You hung up the phone on God?"

"It's not funny," Edward grumbled.

"Oh, relax. He's not going to condemn you to hell for that. God forgives everyone, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Come on," she stood. "As gorgeous as this park is at sunrise, we have to get you back to Jasper's place before he wakes up."

Edward made a face, but followed her as she breezed through the park gates. He noticed a slight lag in his speed when he tried to do the same, which made his anxiety double in force. Thankfully, Scheduler waited patiently for him to catch up to her.

"Hey, Edward?" she asked after a while.

"Mm?"

"Who's Alice?"

"Alice…" Edward's nose scrunched up a bit as he thought. "Hm, I don't really know any Alice's. Unless you mean Jasper's girlfriend?"

"Girlfriend?!"

"I think?" Edward backtracked, surprised by Scheduler's reaction. "I mean, I'm not entirely sure, but, they're…close, I guess. Why?"

"Nothing," Scheduler groused. Though she quickly buried her hands in her pockets, Edward didn't miss her clenched fists, and he wondered briefly if his guardian was experiencing some bouts with jealousy.

He didn't blame her; if he was in her position now seeing Bella flirting with someone else, he knew he'd react the same way.

It was nearly ten-thirty PM, and Rosalie felt like an idiot as she drove around the city. She wasn't sure what exactly she was trying to accomplish – well, she knew she had to find Jasper – but then what would she do? Stalk him? Speak to him? Demand to know if he was being possessed?

"God, Rose, just go home," she banged her head on her steering wheel. "What were you thinking believing Jacob of all people? And I still have that freakin' presentation to sit through early tomorrow. Fuck it, this is a waste of time."

With a resigned sigh, she repositioned herself on her seat and prepared to drive again. She was just about to turn the ignition when she spotted her target from the corner of her eye.

Rosalie watched as Jasper walked in the sidewalk beside her car. Nothing seemed different about the way he moved, but then again, that doesn't really tell her much. When he entered a diner a block away, she exited her car and did the same.

For the next hour and a half, Rose stayed in the old eatery, simply observing. While she didn't find anything changed about Jasper earlier, she was starting to notice it now. His demeanour wasn't the same as that when she'd see him in Heaven.

But that still doesn't prove anything, she thought. I'll have to dig a little deeper.

And she did.

Squaring her shoulders, Rosalie approached the counter and cleared her throat. Jasper immediately came over.

"What can I get you, miss?"

He doesn't recognize me, Rose noted with a quirk of an eyebrow.

"Don't you remember me, Jas?" she asked. "It's me – Rosalie Hale."

"From Forks?" Jasper confirmed. "Oh, yeah. Um, no, I still remember you. It's been a while since we've seen each other, huh? How's it going?"

"Alright. What about you?"

"I'm okay," he smiled. "So do you want a coffee or something?"

"Actually, I was hoping to talk to you." Rose leaned in. "Alone, preferably. I have to tell you something important."

"I'm still on the clock." Jasper told her.

"Oh, come on. There's no one else here. I'll make it quick, I promise."

"Well…" Jasper looked around. "Okay. But no more than five minutes."

"Done," Rosalie slid off the stool, and led Jasper to where she had parked her car.

"So…what is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"I have a secret," Rose said, her mind working overtime to formulate a good lie fast. "I can…see things. Like, spirits and otherworldly beings."

"Oh-kay," Jasper nodded mostly to humour her. "That's…great, I guess."

"I'm sensing someone with you, Jasper," Rose pretended to discern the air around him. "A spirit that won't leave you alone."

"What?" he couldn't help it; he had to laugh. "What are you –"

"Tell me, have you been experiencing anything strange lately? Like doing actions and speaking words that aren't really yours? Like someone else is controlling your body?"

"No," Jasper answered automatically. "But…I mean, I've been having some moments of amnesia –"

"See! That's the work of the evil spirit. He's possessing you. The times you can't remember? That's when he takes over." Rose had no idea if that was true, but it seemed to make sense.

"That's really hard to believe," Jasper shook his head, but internally, he had a nagging feeling she was right.

"Trust me, you don't want to associate yourself with him.," Rosalie grabbed his hand, her voice sage. "This spirit is demented. He's using you, and if you don't do anything, he'll take over for good."

Jasper didn't reply. She sighed.

"Okay, look. I can see in your eyes right now that you don't trust me, but when you finally come to your senses, here's my number," she pushed a business card into his palm. "When you experience anything strange – and I believe you will – pack your things and call me, okay? I can help you out."

Again, Jasper didn't say anything. He just nodded and walked back to the diner, the card fisted tightly in his hand.

Edward was getting impatient, and admittedly, a little worried. Jasper was usually back in his apartment by now, but thirty minutes gone, and he still wasn't home.

"Finally," he breathed when he heard the knob turning. Jasper opened the door slowly, his eyes darting around the room before fully entering.

"It's about time," Edward chided jokingly. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to come home."

Jasper froze where he stood, and Edward noticed his face go pale in an instant.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Wh-Who's there?"

"What?" Edward looked around. "What are –"

"Who are you? Leave me alone!"

"What the – maybe you should sit down or something."

"Don't tell me what to do!"

"You can hear me?" Edward blinked in shock. He supposed that was another repercussion to add to the list of things he could or couldn't do while being so close to his deadline.

"I- I can. What the hell do you want from me?" Jasper demanded, his posture defensive.

"Okay. Jasper," Edward used an unthreatening tone as he slowly approached him. He was pretty sure Jasper couldn't see him, but just in case. "I'm not going to hurt you. Now, if you'll just take a deep –"

"No! Fuck, where is that card," Jasper frantically searched his pockets until his hand surfaced with a crumpled piece of cardboard. He then sprinted out into the hallway so quickly that Edward was too stunned to react at once.

"Rosalie," he spoke quickly to the phone. "I believe you now. Please, please, help me. I want to get out of here."

"Rosalie," Edward stated as he rattled off his address. "No, Jasper, that's a really bad idea."

His host didn't appear to be listening, however. After hanging up, he stuffed a bag with clothes, and before Edward knew it, he was running out the building.

"Fuck. Don't go!" Edward scrambled to follow him, but Jasper was out of sight as soon as he made it outside. Panic flooding his system, Edward got his phone out and called the only person who could help him.

"Scheduler? We have a major problem here…"

I guess I should warn you guys: the next chapters after this are going to have some more obstacles for Edward that will seem pretty impossible to overcome. Just remember to have some faith that this story WILL have a happily ever after :)