CONTROL

JPOV

I didn't know what to think or what to say. I, for the first time in my existence, wasn't sure how to fix whatever it was I did wrong. I didn't think I did anything wrong. I was worried. I was scared for a woman who I loved. Hell, I was terrified for my woman.

"Yes, you can stay the hell out of my head." I muttered towards Edward. I could see from my peripheral vision that he was looking at me. He turned back to the road and didn't say a word.

I loved her. I wanted to make sure she was safe. This "love" thing was all new to me. I didn't know how to be with her. I didn't know how to make her understand that she was my life now. I wanted to be there, to walk beside her. Hell, I would support her in anyway she wanted me to but there was a line where I would constantly question whether the decision was right or wrong. It didn't matter what she did or said, I would always wonder. Wonder if I was doing right by her. If I was being enough for her.

I would always worry that who I was in my past would someday make her tell me that she didn't want that. She was so free. She freed me when I was near her, but when I wasn't I was a different person. I was the old Jasper. My war tactics, my officer way of thinking, all of it came back into focus. Was that enough for her? Was that what she deserved?

Why couldn't she stop for one moment and realize that I would want what was safe for her? I didn't want to stop her from being in danger. She had survived the war for this long. She was strong in every way possible. I just wanted to make her safe so I could have forever with her. Allow her to bring out the inner me that had never had a reason for being.

"Edward, is she always like this?"

"Worse actually; I'm fairly positive that she is being nicer because you are involved."

"I'm a fucking dead man." I said with a sigh. She would be the death of me someday. I just hoped it was many centuries from now.

"She's going to be impossible to get through to. She doesn't know what she's up against with the Hunters. I know what your thinking." The words sounded strange coming out of my mouth when I was speaking to a mind-reader. "She's headed for the Volturi. Shit, Edward, she thinks they are the worst. They're in bed with the Hunters. It's far too dangerous for them to go alone."

"They've done this before. Bella and Alice, they won't go to your stronghold and they won't go to the Volturi. Alice always has a plan; she just expects people to follow along without sharing the details of her plan. Barging in on people who want her dead wouldn't be smart and she knows that. I just don't know if I agree with any of it. I want them safe; and there is only one safe place for them in this entire world and there is no way for me to keep either of them there. Trust me; I have tried."

We arrived at the house and I instantly knew something was wrong. I signaled to Edward. The man had an officer quality to him I could relate to. He took off to the back of the house while I made my way to the front.

The wolf smell still lingered in the air from within the house but it wasn't fresh. I reached out and only felt one emotion besides Edward's. He was in military mode. His only emotion was stealth and sneaky. The other emotion was sad and lost. Emmett. He was traveling down a lonely path of misery.

I reached Rosalie and Emmett's room and peered in. Emmett sat on the edge of his chair beside the bed. His hands were on the bed in a position that suggested that he had been holding someone's hand. Where the hell was Rosalie?

"Emmett?" I asked cautiously.

Emmett looked up. His eyes were blank. He was comatose. He was so worried about Rosalie that he had shutdown. I couldn't have this. Her, I didn't care. Fuck that bitch but him. We needed him.

I turned and saw Edward standing in the doorway. He was pissed. No abilities were needed to see that. We both knew what had happened.

I heard a cellphone go off and knew it had to be Edward's. He answered it on the first ring. "Where are you?"

There was a pause. "You two are being ridiculous, you could get yourselves killed..."

Edward held out the phone as he growled. "Talk to her. Do something. She's got Rose. I know it."

I held out my hand and he tossed me the phone. "Alice, what the hell are you doing? You are on the verge of committing suicide. I just found you and you want to go against a vampire you haven't seen or heard from in a hundred years? She's not the same as the Rose you knew."

"Well, hello to you to handsome; and I am not going against a vampire I haven't seen or heard from in a hundred years. It's possibly been longer than that and she is my sister. I have reinforcements and I need answers. So does Emmett know I have kidnapped her yet? I could just look but it kind of falls under my whole 'wont search your future promise' and I am driving so I shouldn't go future searching while driving…"

My mind was about to explode. She did have Rose. I wasn't even sure Edward was right till she said the words. Everything I had said was true. Rose had changed in the time I had known her. She was deceitful and a true backstabber. That's why Emmett was always with her. No one could keep her under control.

"…I am not going to the strong hold. I have another connection; would you feel more comfortable going with me to meet him?"

She truly thinks she still knows these two. Emmett is not the lackey he once was. He had stood toe to toe with her once and since then, he had the control. She still did what she wanted but he pulled the strings to control how she did it.

"He doesn't know yet. I don't know how long we can keep him from finding out. He's her husband. He wants to protect her. He loves her. He's going to come looking for her when he does. I promise you one thing, angel, he won't stop until he knows she's safe. I've known these two for the last hundred years. They've been through a lot." I hoped that she understood what I was telling her. I was speaking about us too.

"Jasper, I have a place to keep Rose that only I know about. It's underground; safe and comfortable. It will protect us from her and her from herself. Emmett has information we need and he is the only coherent one right now. So we need him to work; Edward and Bella are going to work on that…or well Bella and Tanya if Edward is still being a prick. I'm going to have Kate watch the place I plan to have Rose…do you want to come with me to meet up with Demetri?"

Emmett wouldn't go for this. He wouldn't agree to shit unless he knew she was safe. He was a fucking mental patient at the moment and no good to anyone. "Alice, trust me when I tell you that he will need to see her. He will have to know she's okay before he agrees to anything. I could use my ability to make him agree but I can't keep him leashed forever. Once I back off he will change his mind. Sorry, angel, but on this it has to be my way or no way."

"As for Demetri......" He and I had been on one mission together. Boy, was there a surprise in store for a few people. "...I'm up for a little hide and seek with him. So you agree to my terms and I agree to yours."

"I can agree to let Emmett see Rose and verify that she is okay as long as he agrees to help fix the mess she created so that we can all go on about our happy lives."

Rosalie had definitely caused shit and now whether I wanted to admit it or not I was caught in the middle of it. I needed Emmett "sober", if that was the right word for it. "Edward, go tell him that Rose isn't here. Make sure he is looking at you when you tell him. If he won't, force him."

"I need Emmett to come to meet her alone. Tell him to go where Bella and Edward had there first date. I will meet him in the old alley way next to it; I will bring Emmett back to Forks and drop him off at the house where I will pick you up and we will go meet with Demetri. Bella will be on her way home soon to deal with Edward."

She was putting demands on this. Edward was right. She's controlling the situation. This had to stop before she had Edward and I were going to have a shot at stopping whatever suicide mission she was on.

"Should I just run home?" I heard Bella ask in the background.

"No Bella are you crazy? I may be mad at Edward but I have not lost my mind. Take the car; have Emmett drive it back here." Alice answered.

I heard Edward hiss from the other side of the room. He was as mad at her as she was at him. He loved Bella and the fact that Alice had "pulled" Bella into this was more than he could deal with. He truly loved her. He was like me. Protect the one you love.

"That sounds reasonable."

"Jasper did you hear that? Bella is driving the car back to the house so that Emmett can drive the car here."

She still thinks I'm going to allow this charade. "I heard......"

My emotions started to get away from me. I was in a raging cyclone of torrent emotions. "Alice Cullen, I swear when I get my hands on you........"

I didn't get any further with that comment. Edward was growling and glaring with murder in his eyes.

"....fuck, woman, you know how to be so fucking stubborn......."

Instantly Edward had his hand around my throat and pinned against the wall. "Fuck off, Edward."

I looked at him and saw my eyes reflecting in his. My eyes were blood shot red. I was losing my mind. I, suddenly, was craving blood. I was disgusted with myself. I had considered for a split second going against everything I was trying to accomplished. "Alice, come back, promise me. You're coming back here to get us. I promise no games but you have to come back to the house and get us."

"Jasper, I love you…a lot, and you drive me crazy in more than one way. I will send Bella with the car for Emmett; I will be back for you after Emmett is able to see Rose. Kate will stay and guard the location that Rose will be in. If you have a better plan please let me know."

She had faith in me. Even if she didn't know how close I had just come to....I didn't want to think the words. For her, I wouldn't. I wouldn't destroy something she and I were building because of a moment of weakness. I was stronger than that.

"Fine. We'll be waiting. We'll get him ready.......Edward, bring him downstairs. We have some work to do. We've got to bring him around."

"Thank you Jasper. I promise I'll see you soon."

"Alice no matter what, you know I love you. Even when you drive me crazy."

"I love you too, Jasper and we'll talk about how well I drive you when I pick you up."

Again with the decisions. She never lets up. "Let's get this show on the road and figure out who's driving once you're back here. Okay? Now, get Bella back here so I can see you."

I needed to see her. I needed her scent and touch to secure that I could overcome this. If her family had done it, why couldn't I?

"Yes, sir. Good bye, Jasper."

My dead heart sank to a new low as the phone went silent. I didn't like the way she said "good bye". It wasn't in the way she said it, it was just the words. I never wanted to say "good bye". She would never hear those words coming out of my mouth. They were too definite, too permanent.

I headed down the stairs and stopped. Edward had moved Emmett. He was coming around. He knew Rose wasn't here. He understood that Alice had her. It was killing him emotionally. I had to work on getting him back.

If Alice needed him, I would make sure he was ready. "Edward, I think you should wait outside. Remember what I told you in the woods. You don't want to be caught inside my head if this backfires. Well, its going to be sort of like that but different. I have to concentrate. I have to put pretty much everything I have out there and the feelings are going to get pretty thick in this room."

I waited till he was on the porch. He wouldn't be any good to me at the moment. His attitude towards Bella at the moment was rivaled only by my own towards Alice. Plus, they deserved something of a private conversation once Bella got here.

I knew it wouldn't be long before Bella arrived so I had little time to work my magic. "Emmett, man. Look at me."

He looked up. "Tell me what's going on in there." I pointed a finger to his temple.

"Jazz. Why? Why did you take Rose? She's not well. She needs me." His concern was genuine.

"They want to keep her safe." I started filtering soothing emotions around him. This was much more difficult than manipulating his emotions. This wasn't part of my natural ability just something I had figured out how to do over the years.

"Bro, why is she like this? Why did she change? I loved her and now....." I sent passion and caring feelings out around him. I could feel his emotions becoming stronger.

"Now, you still love her. She just needs to love herself. She needs to believe in herself." Another wave flowed out of me. I was throwing emotions out of my body I had only recently started feeling myself.

I heard a car pull up to the house. "Edward! Get down here." She was calling him away from the house. Damn, that boy has his hands full.

"Can I see her?" He was irritated.

"Bella's here to take you to her. They're going to hide Rose till this is over. She's no good to us in the shape she's in and we can't afford to have her in harms way." I didn't believe a word I was saying but he had to. I didn't care. She had betrayed her family.

Everyone had a part in causing this war. Or at least, parts of it. Everyone had to atone for what they had done. We all had to take responsibility for our part. Whether it was because of the war or causing something to help it along, we were all guilty in some way. This madness had to stop.

"What are we doing, Jazz?" His enthusiasm was gathering like a wave heading to shore.

"......do stupid things like this; but I don't expect it of you." If Alice is anything close to Bella I'm a dead man. If she worse........God, I have my hands full.

"We're going to help your family. We're going to end the war."

"Promise?" I could feel his hope renewing.

"Promise. We'll end this war so Rose can be okay." I cared about my friend even if I didn't care about his wife. Emmett needed to know that he would have the woman he loved before the war back.

"....if I lost you? I wouldn't be able to live." He loved her. That's why he so stubborn. His love for her.

"You know what she did, don't you?" He anger was building.

I was shocked. His guilt was stronger than I had ever felt before with him. "We know."

"I'll make this up to them. I will make her do whatever it takes to make this right. She shouldn't have done it. She should've been happy with who she was. She's going to make it right, Jazz, I swear it." He was fighting back. He wanted to make it right.

"No, I have been stuck in the background far too long. I can handle myself..." She's a fighter. She wants the chance to prove that. I wasn't sure if Edward could hear my thoughts but we would have to pull together, all of us, so no one went rogue.

I could see the spark coming back. He was back. He was returning to the bear I knew. Strong, independent, a fighter.

I stuck out my hand and pulled him from the couch. I gave him a short manly hug with a slap on the back. "Do you want to see her?"

".....made up my mind. When the time comes I am going to do everything within my power to protect this......" You've lost, buddy. She's set on what she wants to do. She's determined.

"I want to know....Alice didn't kill her yet?" He was back. He threw me a glance.

I shook my head no. "She is still Alice's sister."

"I figured as much." I could hear Edward and Bella finishing their conversation. It was time to save his manly pride or what was left of it.

Emmett and I walked out of the house and waited on the porch. Edward and Bella were by the car. She was stone-faced. Edward look defeated.

Emmett took off running and scooped Bella up into a huge bear hug. "I missed you, sis."

"Awww, I missed you too Emmett! And look you can hug me without breaking me now!"

"Yeah, but I bet I can settle wrestle ya to the ground."

"Alright, you two. Get moving." I was irritated now myself. Sentimental family love had to wait. I wanted to get this gong show underway. I wanted to see Alice and figure out what the hell kind of plan she had cooked up.

"You're not coming?" Emmett looked at me.

"No." I said as I looked at Bella. "I've been blackmailed into staying here."

"Should I be scared?" Emmett asked. He had a habit of asking for what kind of emotions he should be feeling. It was a game in a way for us.

"I don't think you have to be more than normal. But, you know Alice better than me." I replied.

Emmett looked at Edward and then Bella. His eyes went a little wider. "I think I'm in trouble."