Chapter 36

Nicole embraced her mother's wishes and was grateful that she had accepted Salvatore into their world, no matter how strict the stipulations. Jasper hadn't warmed up to the young man. He remained firm on the surface, though it wasn't an act. He barely moved in his company, but just watched him in a menacingly intimidating fashion.

Alice actively made it known that Edward and Bella were about to return home. She wanted to keep Salvatore on his toes.

Gosh, if only Edward was here to hear my thoughts now, she thought to herself, I'm ready to light a fire in the fireplace and-

"Mom," Nicole interrupted her thoughts. "Did you hear what I said?"

Alice refocused her attention to her daughter. "Huh?"

"I just wanted to thank you," she repeated, though Alice was hearing the words for the first time, "Thank you for giving him a chance."

She forced a smile, wanting the situation to work out for her daughter though not nearly on the verge of establishing trust for her new beau. "You're welcome."

Salvatore sat stiffly on the couch, unable to keep his eyes off of Jasper for longer than a minute or so.

Nicole kept giving her father a look, begging him with her eyes to soften up a bit. Jasper either didn't get the message or thought he was justified in the way he stood still with his arms folded over his chest. His expression hadn't changed much, aside from the occasional shift of his eyes from person to person.

"Can the four of us maybe watch a movie?" Nicole asked.

Alice was overly attempting to be polite. She managed a small smile. "Sure." She glanced over at Jasper and patted the couch next to her. "Would you like to come join us Jas?"

The kids' eyes shifted to meet him again, before Jasper slowly edged off the wall he had been standing against to accompany Alice on the couch.

Salvatore let out a small breath, exhaling to release the tension that he had felt building up. The truth was, Jasper terrified him in many ways. He knew some minor background details about him from the mouths of his family, and a little from Nicole. The man's persona thus far had surpassed their claims of his tough past and military mind. Whether trying to be or not, Jasper was quite intimidating.

Nicole stood up from her place next to Salvatore, making his eyes widen just slightly as if she was his protector.

"What do you want to watch?" she asked him, crossing the room toward a clear cabinet filled with DVDs. She began rattling off a number of titles, all of which Salvatore had never seen. "You haven't watched any of these?" she asked, a little dumbfounded, "This one's pretty popular."

Salvatore shook his head, "No. I, uh, I haven't. We didn't have a television in Italy... at least not available for me to watch."

Nicole's expression softened as she openly acknowledged their different upbringings. She couldn't imagine living under the command and supervision of Aro. She attempted to brighten his already tense mood. "Well, these ones are pretty funny. I think you'll like them."

"Either one is fine," Salvatore said with a nod. He glanced to the side, noting that Alice and Jasper were both staring at him.

Alice forced a smile as he turned in their direction, but Jasper didn't change his hardened facial features.

It's like he's feeding off my fear, Salvatore thought. The notion freaked him out a bit, and so he tried to put it out of his mind.

Nicole set up the movie and then rejoined Salvatore on the couch. She leaned back and put her feet up in a reclined position, though he stayed more stiff and alert.

Alice, too, attempted to relaxing, putting out the recliner on her end of the couch. Jasper mirrored the young man's posture and remained stiff and upright.

Rosalie and Emmett passed through the kitchen, glancing over their shoulders at the awkward interaction that was taking place in the living room. They continued on their way without saying anything.

Likewise, Alice could hear Carlisle and Esme trying to mind their own business while playing with Marshall upstairs in their room.

She wanted to call them all in to relieve some of the tension, or at least share a little piece with each of them. Alice knew they were all attempting to give them the space they needed, but Alice longed for the time in the near future when she would be able to speak with each of them about Nicole's situation with each of them. The truth was, she needed opinions outside of her own and Jasper's.

Rosalie and Emmett talked quietly amongst themselves, settling quietly into their room.

"What do you think of all this?" Rosalie asked him quietly. She looked toward the closed door as if she had just yelled out the question.

He shrugged, "Mixed feelings."

"Do you think he can be trusted?"

Emmett shook his head, "I don't know. I don't know the kid. For Nicole's sake, I hope so. I mean look at the successful relationships despite the odds; Caleb and Delilah, Seth and Lucy..."

"This feels different," Rosalie told him.

"Why do you say that?"

"I don't know," she admitted, "Just a feeling."

Emmett sighed, "If he hurts her, I'll-"

Rosalie placed a finger over his lips, "No, Emmett," she said, "If he hurts her I'll kill him."

He tipped the corner of his mouth up in a smirk, "Can I at least help?"

She smiled, "Maybe."

Emmett snickered and snuck a quick kiss, and then wrapped his arms around her. He repositioned them so he laid on his back and she on his chest.

"I just hope I'm wrong about this feeling," Rosalie whispered.

Esme sat on the edge of the bed while Marshall played with one of the deer antlers on the bed next to where Carlisle laid watching television.

"Where is he going to stay?" Esme whispered. She turned herself fully around so she was sitting with her legs crossed on the bed facing her husband.

"I don't know," he told her.

"I wonder if Alice will allow her to go back over across the lake to stay. She can't see past Leah over there."

"If she does, we'll have to have Mason and Leah keep an eye on her."

Esme sighed, "I have a bad feeling."

Carlisle's eyes shifted off the television screen to meet hers. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged, "I really don't know. I just..." Esme searched for the right words, "I don't know."

"Do you think Salvatore is lying?"

"I can't tell," Esme admitted, "But..." her eyes traveled toward the window. She shrugged and repeated her words over again, "I don't know."

The antler fell off the bed that Marshall was playing with, and his face looked a little distraught. Carlisle grinned to himself and reached down before handing their son the miracle toy that Edward had thought of. When he resumed playing with it, Carlisle returned his attention back to Esme.

She gave a closed-mouth smile that quickly faded.

"We'll handle this like everything else," he told her, "It could end up being another real relationship like Caleb and Delilah's."

"Yeah..." her voice trailed off, "I just don't want to see Nicole get hurt."