[Jasper's POV]
Carlisle took a longer route home back tracking multiply times on the off-chance that someone managed to follow us. I felt Bella's momentary confusion at this, but she seemed to accept it quickly. Esme spoke quietly with her mate thought out the drive. She was worried about Bella's reaction to everything that was happening. He was quick to explain that the human mind could only take so much before simply refusing to accept anymore. With everything that's happened since her birthday to now, she might be out the end of her rope.
I watched Bella staring out of the window next to her. She was idly tapping on the cover of the book in her lap, yet she had made no move to open it. Her leg was bouncing in time with her tapping. I focused more on the emotions rolling off her. At first glance she was simply calming waiting to get back to the house, but it felt false to me. Almost like she had tossed a thick blanket over the cage she normally felt trapped in. I could easily toss it aside to see what I wanted, but that would force her to face whatever she was hiding from, and I didn't want to do that. Without contact with her I wouldn't be able to get past the false emotions.
Not anymore at least. In the past when I fed from humans it felt like I could do much more with my gift than I could now. Carlisle thought it had to do with my refusal of my more vampiric side, but how could I live with humans and embrace that side of myself? Rose thought it was more than that, and thanks to her degree in psychology she had a bit more sway than out coven head in this subject. She thought it was because I believed that this diet made us weaker, and so my mind weakened my gift as well. When she first explained it to me I could feel Major agreeing with her, and more out of spit than anything else I disagreed. I could feel her smug glee when I had, too. She knew she was right and my quick disagreement only proved to push her further down her path to understand the mind. There wasn't much I could do to help right now, so I settled with sending her a bit of strength that she could add to her blanket.
We pulled into the driveway as the sun was setting. The others easily beat us there not having felt the need to make sure they weren't tailed since we had Bella with us. Rose met Bella at her door and pulled her inside the house while the rest of us started pulling bags out of the car.
"We picked up some food for Bella on the way here." Alice said when Esme opened her mouth. Shaking her head Esme smiled when her unspoken question was answered.
"Yeah! We got her Subway!" Em was excited, so I figured he must have picked out the food. I sent a flash of childlike joy at Alice and then send a bit of curiosity as well. Her eye's flashed to mine, and she nodded at my question. So he had picked out the food.
"Esme, dear, where do you want us to put Bella's books?" Carlisle turned to his wife.
"In the empty study between yours and Jasper's. I think she'll like that room. Speaking of rooms we still need to set up a room for her to use when she stays over."
"I bought some stuff for both of our rooms while we were at the mall today. It should be here by next week." I had use my own money instead of the family funds to do so. It felt right to use my own funds to get Bella things rather than the families. Alice smirked at me as she walked away with her hands full of bags. Em watched her go before shrugging and following with his own bags.
"Oh! You did? That's wonderful Jasper! What did you pick out?" Esme's full focus turned to me. Carlisle quickly grabbed the rest of the bags rushing off.
"Not much. I picked up a new desk for my room along with two chairs. One for my desk and one for Bella's study. She felt very relaxed sitting in it, so I thought she might like it. I also picked up a bed for her room, because she's been wanting it for a while. We do still need to pick up a few things for her room, and I wanted to order a costume gaming computer."
"Oh? What do we still need?"
"Navy blue curtains, fairy lights, some soft pillows, and fuzzy blankets. Oh and a T.V."
"I see." Esme was looking me over. Her emotions were calmer now than they were on the drive back home. She felt less worried. Did the idea of Bella having a room she liked here that helpful?
"When are you going to order your computer?"
"I was going to make the order tonight. I thought we could let Bella use my room till we got hers set up." I felt Esme calm down farther. I raised my eyebrow. Why did that relax her more. Of course, I wouldn't make Bella sleep in Edward's room, or Alice's for that matter. She wouldn't get any sleep in either room.
"Thank you, Jasper."
"Of course. She wouldn't be comfortable in Edward or Alice's room, so it just makes sense to put her in mine." Esme smiled at me feeling amused by my answer. She moved to hug me. Showing her intentions in slow movements giving me time to pull back if I wanted. I opened my arms easily for her letting her wrap me in her embrace. I felt her try to push her love for her children at me. Smiling I easily wrapped the feeling around the both of us adding my love for the family as well. Smiling, we both moved into the house. The family was sitting around the living room Bella no where in sight.
"She went to shower I already told her that you said she could use our room for now." Alice danced over to hug Esme as she spoke. I nodded, but tracked Alice as she moved. She felt like she was up to no good, and was far too happy about that fact. What was she planning? Shaking my head I joined Em playing a racing game.
"Alice!" Bella's voice was shrill and her emotions were quickly sliding into a panic. We all looked to the second floor as Alice ran up the stairs.
"Yes Bella?"
"Where is the outfit I picked out?" Her voice was calmer and softer now that she could see Alice.
"This one will work better tonight Bella I promise. Don't you trust me?" Alice's voice was sweet. Too sweet. This is what she was planning. I sighed already planning to help Bella hunt down where ever Alice had hidden her clothes. I could still feel Bella's panic rising to an all time high.
"Please Bella!" I felt guilt flood though Bella and growled. I sent Alice a quick warning hoping she would back down and give Bella her outfit back. Alice pushed back the emotional equivalent of an eye roll. "Bella would I ever guide you wrong?"
"I don't see what my outfit has to do with your gift Alice."
"Please Bella."
"There aren't even any shorts to go with it."
"What if I get you some shorts?"
"I," she was going to give in even with her panic she felt to guilty not to, "okay." I felt the fight leave her. She couldn't fight for what she wanted. I growled crushing the controller in my hands. I flung my anger at Alice and felt her hesitate. I could feel her internal debate.
"Trust me you'll feel better." I heard Alice getting Bella something.
"Thank you." Bella's voice was faint barely audible even with my hearing. The blanket she had tossed over her cage was fraying at the edges. I could feel the drowning girl under it who was desperately trying to hold the blankets edges together. I was torn between wanted to help her deal with the black mess, and wanting to help her hide it, so I wouldn't have to feel it myself. What did that say about me?
"There you look great! Let's go down stairs." Alice moved without waiting for Bella. Waves of fear and uneasiness crashed against the covered cage. I couldn't handle it anymore. I tossed the broken controller at Em to deal with as I pushed off the couch. Alice had just reached the bottom of the stairs when I got to them. I growled at her as I passed. Her eyes widened but she let me pass without trouble. Reaching the door to my room I took a moment to calm my nerves before knocking.
"Come in." She spoke, but her emotions let me know she didn't want anyone in the room. Frowning I covered my eyes with my hand before entering the room and leaning against the door.
"Jasper?" Shock colored her voice and chased the negative emotions from her fraying blanket. I smiled at the small victory.
"You didn't want anyone to see the outfit Alice picked out." I explained quickly. She was still confused. "I think Alice and Edward forgot that how you feel is more important than what they want. However, you're not dating my coven mate anymore, so I feel it's time I stepped in to fix that." I could feel her confusion grow. I sighed.
"The outfit it's self isn't the problem." I heard her shift from foot to foot while thinking. "It's who the shirt belongs to. I don't know how they would feel about me taking one of their shirts." Whose shirt would Alice give her? I sniffed the air but all I could smell was Alice, Bella, and myself. Alice said Bella would feel better if she wore the shirt she had picked out, so if she was using vampiric logic than it needed to have her mates smell on it. However I didn't smell Edward who Bella thought was her mate. I thought back to Alice's amusement. She wouldn't!
"Bella, whose shirt did she give you?" I had to ask even though I was sure the shirt was mine. Nervous embarrassment filled the air between us. I heard her heart rate pick up and her blood smelled sweeter. She was blushing.
"Yours." Her voice was softer than a whisper. If I could blush I'm sure I would be. I smiled at the spot I could hear her heartbeat.
"Alright. Bella if it will make you feel better I give you my permission to wear my shirt." relief flooded her. "Which one did she give you?"
"You can look."
I uncovered my eyes looking at Bella. Her hair was still wet and was drying into a wavy mess around her shoulders. Alice had pulled one of my plain black shirts out for her. The color a sharp contrast against her pale skin. The shirt was a loose fit on me making it seem huge on her smaller frame. The end of it fell just her knee's covering whatever shorts Alice and given in and given her. She was beautiful. Her eyes were bright and slightly wet from the earlier panic. I couldn't seem to take me eyes off of her which I'm sure was Alice's plan. I could feel Major laughing in the back of my mind explaining the effect of see your mate in something you knew was covered in your scent, but I couldn't seem to focus on anything but her.
"Is this okay? I can find my bag if it's not, but I don't know where Alice put it." She was working herself into a panic again. My staring making her feel self-conscious.
"No. It's fine, Bella. You look nice in it." She smiled a blush returning to her cheeks. "Do you feel up to heading down stairs now? I think Em wants to play some games with us."
"Okay sounds good." She felt calmer now and this time it felt less false. We walked toward the stairs together until we reached my study. Without much thought I ran in to grab the blanket I liked to wrap up in when I read. It always felt nice against my skin. Meeting up with Bella at the stairs I wrapped the blanket around her shoulders.
"Incase you get cold." She smiled as I helped her down the stairs, so she wouldn't trip. Rose and Em were finishing a race when we reached the family. Alice passed us both a controller as we sat down. She wouldn't meet my eyes. She pushed an apology at me, but I was still unhappy with her treatment of Bella and push that feeling to her. Her face fell but she nodded understanding my reasons.
"Bella how about you play the next match without me okay?"
"Okay."
Alice was already making her way outside, and I quickly followed her. We had pushed this off for conversation too long. Alice waited until I reached her to race off into the woods I followed her easily. We ran until we reached the point the family wouldn't be able to hear us. Alice jumped up lightly landing on a tree branch sitting down swinging her legs in the open air. I leaned against the tree opposite of her. She watched me waiting for me to gather my thoughts, and choose what I wanted to say. I could feel her reacting to the different possible conversation. We didn't really want to fight, and we both knew how to keep the possibility of one low.
"I only wanted to help her calm down. Even I could see how uneasy she was feeling, and I could see that putting something with your scent there would help the most. She looked happiest in this future. I'm sorry Jasper. I didn't mean to upset the two of you." She saw the path of the least pain, yet would let us discuss the core of the issue.
"I know that Alice. I know that you always look for the best outcome, but you don't think about what Bella is. She isn't one of us, and you spend so much time in the future that you forget that. You can't wait for her to be the sister you saw her as, so you try to push her into that role. She isn't ready for it yet."
"I know that!"
"Do you? Can you really wait for her to be the girl you saw? Because you're putting a wight on her shoulders that she shouldn't have to carry."
Alice paused thinking back on how she treated Bella with this new information. I felt her growing horror as she saw how her actions might be viewed as from outside her eyes. I saw venom pool in her eyes.
"I'm a horrible sister aren't I?" Sadness and guilt mixed with the horror.
"No, Alice, you're not. You just needed a reminder that not everyone can see the outcome to your actions. That said I do have one thing to ask. I need help with something that will help Bella." She jumped down, so she could meet my eye's easier.
"Anything, Jazz."
"She needs to work on saying what she wants and not letting people push her over."
"The way she lets me?"
"Yes. We need to stop that. She needs to stand up for herself. Work on her self-worth."
Alice's eyes glazed over as she searched the future for ways to help me reach my goal. After a few moments she smiled.
"I have a plan." She grabbed me hand ending the conversation, and pulling me back toward the house. I smiled following her the way I always had.