Jasper crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair. He was bored out of his mind. It had been a long 48 hours of listening to plans each more ridiculous than the last. Each idea suggested would either destroy the house (Alice), draw unnecessary attention (Edward), or get them killed (Carlisle). Why couldn't they just trust those who hadn't spend the last few years pushing daises had the whole Aro thing handled?
Jasper looked up at the ceiling. He could hear Jacob pacing the length of the attic at human speed. He'd been trapped up there for the last two days not allowed to even think about coming downstairs. Every now and then someone, usually Edward, would go upstairs and scold him for Alice's lack of visions. Jasper felt a tad bad about that. Jacob wasn't to blame for Alice's gift being disrupted. If it was anyone's fault it was the Silver Bullets and their unfortunate habit of ending up in life or death situations without a battle plan or an exit strategy.
Jasper heard the bathroom door click closed and looked over at Rose with a smug look on his face. Rose flipped him the bird and went back to nodding along with Edward's ridiculous plan. Was it really just last week Nahuel asked about joining the Silver Bullets? While Rose was in favor of giving him a chance, Jasper didn't think he had the grit and mental strength it took to be a hero. Bella was uncertain. With Rose sidelined, they desperately another body on the street to help with keeping the city under control. On the other hand, Nessie would never forgive them if Nahuel was allowed to join the team while she was stuck at home.
In the end, Bella sided with Jasper, and Nahuel stormed out of the command center vowing he'd prove them wrong. It was now clear turning him down was the right choice. If seeing one dead human drove him to insanity he'd never be able to stomach the gore the Silver Bullets faced on a daily basis.
As soon as the shower started, the attic door squeaked open. Jasper was glad to hear size nine feet scurry up the ladder. Let them have a few minutes alone while the others were distracted with their useless plans. While Jasper was not yet ready to give up his secrets, he hoped Jacob was. It was far past time Nessie learned Nahuel wasn't her only option for a happily ever after. Alice's leg brushed against Jasper's reminding him of the three days of agony it took for him to go from human to vampire. If only someone had been there to tell him there was no need to rush into marriage with the first woman to catch his eye.
Jasper looked across the table at Bella and allowed his mind to wander for a minute or two. Like him, she'd grown weary of the planning session. She was slumped over with her head resting on her forearms. If only they could slip away for an hour or two. Jasper readjusted in his chair and nudged Bella's foot under the table as if by accident.
"Beach," he mouthed.
"Spencer's," Bella mothed back, a mischievous grin on her face.
It was fifty degrees and cloudy, a little chilly for human beachgoers but perfect for a pair of vampires. They'd spend the morning wrapped in each other's arms watching the sun come up over the lake. If he was lucky, there might even be more than kissing.
Edward noticed Jasper's gaze lingering a little too long on the collar of Bella's shirt. His eyes darken and he pulled Bella's chair a little closer to his. Thank goodness for Bella's shield. All hell would have broken loose if Edward knew Jasper was thinking about Bella's new bikini.
"Jasper," Alice said, nudging him a little harder than necessary. "Are you even listening?"
"Of course", Jasper said.
"Then what do you think?"
"About what?"
Alice rolled her eyes. "About calling the Denalis to help us fight Aro."
Jasper resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the mention of their Alaskan "friends." Those cowards had spent the last five years burying their hands in the sand while the world around them fell apart. They didn't help when aliens invaded or when an 8.1 earthquake nearly tore California in half. They didn't bat an eye when Anchorage, a city less than an hour's run away, was nearly wiped off the map by Russian missiles. There wasn't a chance in hell they'd help the Cullens fight Aro. If it came down to it, they'd be much better off calling Jacob's pack. At least they answered the phone.
"I think it's a great idea, " Bella said. "Why don't you, Edward call them." She turned to Carlisle. "And you should call Alistair." she tugged her ear. "Rose, Jasper, and I will make sure the house is secured."
Jasper knew the house was secure but was more than willing to take a lap around the property if it meant a break from the stuffy living room.
Jasper stood and stretched. "Bella and I will cover inside while Rose checks the security system."
"What about me?" Emmett asked, startling Jasper. The usually aloof vampire had been quiet as a church mouse for the last two days. Jasper had been too preoccupied with thoughts of Bella, Aro, and the future of the Silver Bullets to wonder why his class clown of a brother hadn't even smiled when Edward said the word "asinine."
"You can come with me," Rose said taking his hand.
Had Rose lost her mind? Their security system wasn't exactly standard issue. With a few simple keystrokes, it was possible to release a fleet of attack drones or hack into any camera, on or off, in the city. While Emmett could be a bit dense at times, he'd question why their security system was on par with that of the United States army.
Before Jasper could protest, Edward chimed in.
"Bella, I think you should go check on Nessie."
"Why?" Bella asked.
"If I'm not mistaken, she's in the attic with Jacob."
Bella didn't need any further prompting She jumped out of her chair and rocketed up the stairs before Jasper had the chance to tug his ear. He could feel the bliss raining down from the attic. All was well. No need for Bella to go up there leaving him face to face with a vampire radiating the kind of anger he'd only ever felt from serial killers.
"Don't worry, Jasper," Edward said, gripping Jasper's shoulder hard enough to form microfractures. "You don't have to patrol alone. I'll come with you."