Chapter 24.

"So, how did it go?" Alice asked enthusiastically. I rolled my eyes and sighed. I guess I appreciated her asking for the sake of conversation, though I assumed she already knew. To be honest, I was still trying to get used to the sight of her driving my truck, t just seemed so out of character.

"Well, it got off to a rocky start, but I think we managed to salvage the day and cross a few hurdles. I just get so nervous every time the slightest conflict arises. I figure,this is it . . . she's going to realize I'm not who she thinks I am and it will be over, but somehow she always manages to surprise me."

"That's because you're in love!" She squealed.

"Alice, why doesn't any of this feel real? I'm terrified that something is going to swoop in and take it all away. She's so vulnerable and fragile, I can't even bring her scent into the house without possibly triggering my own brother to kill her. If the Volturi were to find out that she knew about us, they'd kill us all. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful. I'll never stop being grateful for any amount of time that I get with her, but I feel like something bad is going to happen." I could feel Alice's hesitation. She was struggling with whether or not to tell me something. Worry was creeping up on her. "What is it Alice? Spit it out."

"Jasper . . . I've seen her like us." She said carefully. It felt like my ears were ringing. It's the one thing about the future that I'd been dying to know, but I knew that Alice wouldn't tell me until she was ready. The fact that she was telling me, mixed with her internal conflict and anxiety now made me nervous. I wanted Bella to choose this life, to choose me. What I feared, was having to turn her before she was ready, if it wasn't her choice. I didn't want to have to pull the vampire card as a life or death last resort, I wanted it to be something we decided together.

"How soon? What are the circumstances?"

"I don't know, I can't see her change, but I keep getting glimpses of her as one of us further down the line, I just can't place the exact time. She doesn't seem much older, but the way the change effects appearance, I can't be sure." It felt like she was still holding something back, she was trying to conceal her emotions but she'd waited too long.

"Alice . . . If there is something else, I have the right to know."

"Jasper look, please don't freak out, but there are some gray areas in her future . . . as well as yours. Really . . . it's all four of us. Edward, Bella, you, and I. I don't know if I'm just wearing myself out trying to watch for too much, but when I try to look too far ahead into any of our futures . . . it gets muddy and dark. I can only catch faint glimpses that don't make sense. I don't know what it means but it seems like whatever it is, we do come out on the other side of it." I became livid as her words sank in, I couldn't help but raise my voice.

"I know exactly what it means Alice! He's going to catch her scent, I just know it. I wish I could just get her . . . far away from here. Maybe Edward should just go back to Alaska." A low growl escaped my chest. Alice sighed.

"Trust me, I've already thought of that. If it were that easy, don't you think we'd have been out of here first thing? No matter what decisions I look at, everything still goes dark. I wouldn't worry too much yet, it could clear up in a few days, maybe there are just too many things left undecided. In the mean time, I just need to try to relax and see what visions come naturally. I'll try to keep an eye on as much as I can, but it will have to be to a lesser extent. This is the most mentally drained I've ever felt."

"So all of our futures are dark and intertwined, you can't see what's to come and I'm supposed to - What? Just keep going on like everything is fine? This sounds like a bad omen Alice. I knew this was too good to be true." I stared out the window of the truck, fuming. Alice remained quiet as we turned down the long drive that led back to our home. We neared the house and I started to get confused as Alice began driving down a newly formed makeshift path. It seemed to lead to the woods behind our house.

"I can still see . . . I just can't see too far ahead. I'm not going to leave you in the dark Jasper, I promise. I just may not be able to be on top of everything 24/7 like I have been this week. Until I can see clearly, I have something that might help ease your worry." She continued down the dirt path, leading us into the woods through the tall trees. I noticed that some of them had even been removed to make way for the new . . . uh, road.

"Alice, where are we going? When did this path get made? It wasn't here this morning."

"You know that old cabin down by the stream?"

"The old dilapidated one you and Edward sneak off to when you want to -"

"Okay, I see you're familiar!" She said, raising her voice slightly, cutting me off. I felt a flicker of her embarrassment and grinned. "Well, a couple of months ago something told me to fix it up, so Edward and I worked on it when we could. I didn't know the reason, just that it needed to be done. It was almost finished when we left for Alaska. Then, I got a vision while we were there and I called Esme. Her and Emmett worked on it while we were gone and we all finished it this afternoon. My only regret is not being able to finish it sooner, maybe we could have saved that amazing blue shirt from your bleach-y fury this morning." She laughed as she pulled my truck into a newly formed gravel driveway that led to the cabin. It suddenly hit me, they'd done this for me. It was beautiful, complete with landscaping and a large pile of fire wood stacked neatly on the side. The cabin was completely different than the image of the weathered one in my mind. I could tell just how much work my family had put into the place, I felt my eyes gloss with venom.

"You guys did this for me?" I asked, staring at the cabin in awe.

"And Bella." She added with a smile. "Now you have to let me meet her! Don't think I didn't see that she asked! Now look, we're not kicking you out, most of your stuff is still in your room at home . . . but this way you can come here, change, shower, and do laundry after you leave Bella's without having a panic attack. Edward has already promised to steer clear of the place." I was speechless. This was the perfect solution to quite a few of my problems.

"Alice, this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. This place looks brand new."

"It practically is. We had to replace most of the structure and Emmett wired the whole thing for electricity and added plumbing. There's only well water for now, but I have someone coming to install a water softener later this week. Come on, let's go check it out!" I followed her as she floated off into the cabin.

It was decorated beautifully with antique wooden furniture that perfectly complimented the wooden walls. There was a small kitchen with all the necessities and appliances for cooking human meals, a bathroom, a small bedroom, a laundry room, and a living room. It was perfect and I was thankful that they had taken Bella's human needs into account. I couldn't believe that they had done all of this without my knowledge, though I had been pretty distracted all week. Alice and I had only been about a mile away from here a couple of nights ago, she really did have a knack for surprises.

"So . . . what do you think?" She asked, brimming with excitement.

"You know I love it. This is amazing. Thank you Alice, really. I'm going to go get cleaned up, then I'll meet you at the house. I want to thank the others."

"You need to hunt before tonight."

"I know. I'll see you soon."

"Enjoy, see you!"

She closed the door and I took a moment to really soak it all in, admiring all of the special touches that my family had included. They'd even hung my antler above the couch and framed a few of my drawings. An ornate antique wooden desk sat in the corner of the living room with a nice table light for future moments of inspiration. I slid one of the drawers open and found it filled with the pencils that Alice knew I liked, plus a few empty notebooks.

I grinned as I flopped onto an overstuffed, hunter green couch near the desk and inhaled the scent of the cedar walls. The earthy tones of the cozy decor blended seamlessly with the structure, it truly felt like home. I could tell I'd be spending most of my time, when I wasn't with Bella, out at the cabin. I changed out of the clothes I'd worn on my date with her, taking in her scent before tossing them in the wash. I still felt the relaxing effects of her pheromones as I showered and dressed. I couldn't help but smile as I gave the cabin a once over before heading back to the main house, truly grateful for the kindness of my family. The distance was perfect. It took me less than a minute to run back home, but it was far enough away that Edward could easily avoid it.

"Hey stranger!" Emmett yelled as I came through the front door, I couldn't help but grin. Everyone was waiting for me in the living room, their happiness matching my own. I felt a lump in my throat, I truly didn't deserve any of them. I had to clear my throat before speaking.

"Where do I start? Thank you guys so much for everything. I know I haven't made this easy on anyone and I'm sorry that you've all been dragged into this in one way or another. But, I really appreciate you all taking time on the cabin to help Bella and I. I love it, I can't wait to show her."

"We just want you to be happy son." Carlisle said, wrapping an arm around his wife. Esme nodded enthusiastically in agreement, her eyes glossed with venom.

"And to keep Bella safe." Edward added, a bit awkwardly. I could tell that he was being sincere, but he was having a hard time acknowledging that he was the potential threat to her safety. Esme was suddenly in front of me, she wrapped her arms around me in a tight embrace. I returned the gesture and sent her a wave of my love and gratitude. I knew she'd added the personal touches. Building and designing homes was her passion. She'd been the brains behind most of the places we'd lived in over the years.

"By the way Esme, Bella and her father really loved your lasagna." I felt her heart swell at the compliment. Carlisle beamed at her with pride and smiled.

"Oh that's wonderful! Aren't they just the sweetest? I guess now I have a reason to keep practicing!" I could feel the genuine joy and excitement radiating off of her.

"Hey I fixed your window and your steering wheel. Don't I get any acknowledgement?" Rose said, raising an eyebrow, giving me a teasing grin. I was glad to feel that she was in a good mood for a change.

"Thank you Rose. Really, I know you didn't have to. Thank you, all of you. Edward, Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rose, Alice, I'm truly speechless. It's perfect."

I probably thanked them about a hundred more times as we took turns talking about our favorite parts of the cabin. They shared stories of their time working on it and Emmett bragged about how much elbow grease he'd put into it. After we hugged and said our good byes for the evening, I took a few more items from my room out to the cabin and headed off to hunt. I tried to stay close by, not wanting to miss any of my time with Bella. I found a herd of deer about twenty miles outside of Forks and took down a doe with extra precaution, trying not to make a mess of myself. I didn't want to have to shower again before going to her house. As I neared Forks, I felt the phone in my pocket buzz. I came to a stop when I saw that it was Bella and grinned.

Charlie had a few too many beers while watching the game and fell asleep on the couch. Window's open.

I smiled and sent her a quick text back before heading straight to her place. It was 8:30 pm.

On my way.

Within a few minutes, I came to a stop as a neared the edge of the tree line behind her house. I sent her a flicker of my love to let her know I was there. I felt her excitement when she realized I was there and quietly climbed up to her room. I could hear her father snoring from the couch as I slid through her open window. I felt a surge of excitement coming from her as she came to meet me with an embrace. I held her for a moment, letting the burn settle in, enjoying her calming scent. She'd just showered and her hair smelled like strawberries. We went and took our seats on the bed just like we had the night before. I could feel that she was a little nervous about something.

"Is your brother going to be back at school tomorrow?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yes." I told her, feeling her heart rate increase. "May I see a copy of your schedule?" She got up, dug through her book bag and brought me back a sheet of paper that had her schedule printed on it. I looked it over, memorizing it instantly, before handing it back to her.

"Okay, this is what we're going to do. I'm going to pass this along to my sister and Edward, so they'll know where and when to avoid you. Make sure your phone is charged and bring it with you tomorrow. I'll meet you in the parking lot in the morning and walk you to your first class. I'm going to make sure that either myself or my brother Emmett are able to keep an eye out for you between classes, who ever is closer." I pulled my phone out to text Alice.

Alice, did you get that?

Her reply came seconds later.

Yes, saw the schedule and I'll talk to Emmett now. :)

"It seems like a lot of extra work for everyone, I don't want them to be bothered . . ."

"Bella, they're all dying to meet you, they want to keep you safe too. It's no problem." I reached for her hand and brought it to my lips, trying to reassure her. "Speaking of keeping you safe, they actually fixed up a cabin for me out on our property. It's small, but it has all the necessities. I'd love for you to be able to come see it sometime soon."

"That's awesome, but what does it have to do with keeping me safe?"

"Well, I sort of freaked out this morning when I caught your scent on my shirt. I may have poured bleach over all of the clothes in my hamper. They thought it would be easier if I had my own space and didn't have to constantly worry about Edward coming in contact with your scent."

"Wow, that's so thoughtful. I can't believe they did that just for us. They don't even know me."

"Well, I think Alice feels like she knows you . . . and Edward will do anything to make her happy. Esme loves designing and Emmett loves putting his strength to use. So, try not to worry over it too much. It was a labor of love, but it sounds like they had fun working on it, I got to hear all about it earlier." She was thoughtful for a moment. A soft rain began to fall outside.

"Can we go tomorrow after school?"

"And what are you going to tell the Chief?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hmm . . . That I'm going to study at the library?" She shrugged and braced herself for my disapproval.

"You really are a bad liar." I grinned. Her cheeks turned red and she groaned.

"Really? That was one of my better ones." She said through a laugh.

"Just tell him you're coming to my place to study. He could easily check the library Bella, it's right by the police station. He trusts my father, I think he'll probably be okay with it."

"Well, after you left he wouldn't stop calling you my boyfriend. I think that's probably the reason for the few extra beers. He's over protective." She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Is he? You do have a dangerous vampire in your bed as we speak. . . And I believe I'm much, much more than just your boyfriend." I said with a smirk, leaning towards her. Her heart rate increased and her breathing deepened.

"How dangerous?" She asked, raising an eyebrow and leaning forward, narrowing the gap between us. The playfulness I felt coming from her was tangled with lust and excitement. I was just about to place my lips onto hers when I heard her father downstairs. The snoring had stopped and I heard him start to get up off of the couch. I quickly turned off her light and felt her curiosity.

"Bella, your father's waking up. I'm gonna hide for a minute until he goes to his room, just in case he checks in on you." I whispered. Her eyes grew wide and I felt her nerves increase, but she nodded. I hid under her bed and focused on projecting Bella's usual sleep cocktail onto her father, hoping it would deter him from knocking on the door or coming inside. We waited in silence as he walked up the stairs and into the bathroom. It seemed like forever before he finally came out. I held my breath, unsure of exactly what I'd do if he were to find me. Bella's heart pounded as the sound of creaking floorboards came to a stop right outside of her door. My eyes were glued to the doorknob bracing for the slightest twist of the handle.

"Night Bells." Her father yelled from the other side of the door.

"Night dad." She shouted, a bit shakily. We both waited in silence as the sound of his footsteps became softer, neither of us daring to relax until his bedroom door clicked shut. Bella let out a deep breath as I came to take my seat back at the end of her bed.

"Well that was close." She said, trying to steady her breathing, her heart still pounding.

"I'll get to know his patterns and soon it'll be a piece of cake, don't worry. That was a bit scary though and I'm practically indestructible."

"Yeah you kinda looked like that guy from earlier who peed his pants for a second." We tried to keep our laughter quiet, though her father was already snoring again. After a moment, she snuggled up in her covers and I decided to lay next to her, on top of them. We turned towards each other so that we were lying face to face. We laid there for a long while just listening to the rain, admiring each other's features.

"By the way Bella, my name isn't Jasper Hale. Well, it is, for all intents and purposes . . . but I want you to know my real name, my human name. It's Jasper Whitlock."

"Whitlock." She repeated, a smile spreading across her lips. "I like it. It fits you better, I think."

"That's what my momma thought." I told her in a thick southern draw, raising my eyebrow and miming a hat tip. She laughed and playfully pushed my chest.

"You know, you never told me why we had to go to a diner earlier." She said after a moment.

"Well, back before I met Alice, they were the only crowded place I could really stand to be around humans. The smell of the food covers up the scent pretty well. Alice found me in a diner, I was at the end of my rope. Sick of killing humans, having to feel their fear and pain as I took their life. Anyway, when I first came to live with the Cullen's, before I was strong enough to attend high school, Carlisle encouraged me to work in a few of them, as a way to integrate myself. So, I knew it would be a safe bet. I'll have to make you a cheeseburger sometime." I told her with a grin, feeling her disbelief.

"You were a fry cook? You . . . the dangerous vampire?" We both fought to keep our laughter quiet. Once it subsided, we looked into each others eyes, getting lost for a moment before I felt Bella's curiosity. "How do you do it? I mean, going to school, being around everyone? Having to feel everything . . ." As she trailed off I could feel her sympathy and awe.

"The truth? I barely do sometimes. If you looked at my attendance record you'd see it's not very good, but I have good grades so they let it slide. If it gets to be too bad Alice or Edward will tell me to leave, go hunt. I think it will be a little easier now tough. I've been hunting a lot more to make sure you're safe around me. Plus, you seem to help my control. I feel calmer with you, even just thinking of you relaxes me." I brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and let my hand linger on her face, caressing her cheek bone with my thumb. She surprised me by reaching up to run her fingers through my curls.

I closed my eyes as she continued the motion and I nuzzled closer to her. She let out a soft hum as I moved the hair away from her neck so I could take in more of her scent. The beat of her heart echoed loudly in my ears, reminding me of the warm blood that flowed through her veins. It made her seem even more fragile. I swallowed a mouthful of venom and fought through the fire as the predator inside me roared, eager to break free; angry that I wouldn't allow it to. The burn began to subside the longer that I fought through it. After a while I could feel Bella starting to get tired. I lifted my head and looked back at the alarm clock on her nightstand. It was 10:30 pm. I weighed my options. I could go sit in the chair like I had last night, observing her, protecting her at a safe distance. Or, I could stay where I was, possibly overwhelming myself and testing the predator, but I'd get to hold Bella in my arms all night. I decided to leave it up to her, though I had a feeling which way she'd lean.

"I can tell you're getting tired. Do you want me to go sit in the chair?" I asked. I felt a pang of disappointment from her.

"Only if that's what you want." She looked at me with tired eyes and pulled her bottom lip up between her teeth, she was trying not to get her hopes up.

"But what do you want?" I raised an eyebrow and grinned at her.

"For you to stay right here." She looked down, beginning to blush.

"Then I'll stay right here." Her eyes met mine and I felt her trust grow slightly.

"I don't want you to make yourself uncomfortable." She said hesitantly. I turned a bit to lay on my back and kicked off my boots, to make my point.

"Ah, see . . . I'm plenty comfortable." She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Really, I think I'm okay. I just hunted and I might've actually worked past the worst of it. The burn isn't as bad as when we first laid down. That, or I'm just getting used to it." She breathed a sigh of relief and wrapped her arm around me, laying her head against my chest. I kissed the top of her head and slowly started filling the room with calming lethargic energy to lull her to sleep.

"Okay, well . . . Good night Jasper." She focused through her fatigue to show me her love.

"Good night Bella." I told her, adding my own love to her bedtime dose. I closed my eyes as I felt her fall gently into slumber, trying to let myself feel tired, it worked to an extent. It wasn't as good as the real thing, but laying next to her, inhaling her soothing scent, and feeling what she felt as she slept . . . It was the closest I'd been able to get to rest in the last 142 years.