The dream sequence dialogue is taken directly from the movie version of New Moon.

The two songs for this chapter should be taken in order - the first for the dream sequence, and the start of the waking conversation. Around midway through - toward the end of the chapter, it switches to the second song.

Chapter songs: "Breezeblocks" by Alt-J "Tessellate" by Alt-J

Bella's POV

I turned off the ignition of my cherry red truck - 1953 Chevrolet, an old beat up hand me down gift from Charlie. I love that damn truck. I linger in it a moment, before opening the door. I can see Edward standing just beyond the side of the house. He seems hesitant to greet me, his gaze taking a little too long to meet mine.

"Hey." I call over to him, crossing the distance between us. Everything seems to be moving in slow motion. Something's wrong, but I'm not sure what.

"Come and take a walk with me." It wasn't really a question, more like a hesitant command. The look he finally gives me when he meets my gaze sends a jolt of anxiety through my very core. The first of the pain that was yet to come.

I hesitated myself, taken aback by the coldness he'd given me. It reminded me of the way he treated me the first few days I knew him. Distant. Cold. Unwanted. I followed him through the trees, trailing deeper and deeper into the woods with him.

We walked in silence for what felt like ages, until he came to an abrupt stop. He turned to me, drawing in a deep and shaking breath before he finally spoke. "We have to leave Forks."

"Why?" My confusion must have been evident, because Edward took entirely too long to respond. His face was off - something was eating at him, I could tell. But I didn't know what.

"Carlisle's supposed to be 10 years older than he looks. People are starting to notice."

"Okay... I-I've gotta think of something to tell Charlie." It took me a moment to gather my thoughts, I hadn't planned on moving until after graduation, but I was 18 now. I could go whenever I pleased. I glanced back over to Edward, noticing his fallen face immediately. "When you say we...?"

"I mean my family and myself." Each word was deliberate and crystal clear. There was no mistaking him.

"Edward, what happened with Alice... it's nothing." Panic began to swell within my stomach, ballooning outward at an alarming rate.

"You're right. It was nothing - nothing but what I always expected - and nothing compared to what could have happened. You just... don't belong in my world Bella."

"I belong with you." I sounded desperate in my own ears, but the panic and bile rising in my throat made it hard to speak calmly.

"No, you don't." There was a coldness to his tone that shocked me. It was so unlike anything he'd ever said before. Bitter. But why?

"I'm coming!" I exclaimed, resisting the urge to stomp my foot like a toddler having a temper tantrum.

"Bella, I don't want you to come." I felt like a breezeblock had just been dropped on my chest, a cement weight that threatened to send me to my knees.

"You don't want me?" My voice was barely above a whisper. The numbness set in, leaving me speechless after hearing his admission. Perhaps he would change his mind. Surely he didn't mean it. This was Edward - the love of my life! I knew he loved me too, he'd made it so evident. He was just having an off day, right? This would clear up. He wanted me! He wanted me? Did he want me?

"No." His voice was firm and confident as it sliced through me. I felt every part of my body combust in that moment.

"That changes things - a lot." My vision was starting to blur as the burning sting of tears began to gather in my tear ducts. I willed them to stay in. I wasn't going to cry in front of him. I already felt pathetic enough, I didn't need him to stay out of pity.

"But if it's not too much to ask? Can you just... promise me something?" He took a small step toward me, freezing midway through the motion as if willing himself to stop. "Don't do anything reckless - for Charlie's sake."

"And..." He hesitated again, though I was barely comprehending anything he was saying at this point. The pain was making it hard to pay attention to anything other than the fire in my chest. "I'll promise something to you in return. This is the last time you'll ever see me. I won't come back, and you can go on with your life without any interference from me. It'll be like I never existed, I promise."

"I promise."

It echoed in my head over and over, building in intensity until it reached a fever pitch - and all I felt like doing was screaming. It's only when I felt a pair of cold hands on my face that I realized I was screaming. I slammed full force back into reality, shooting up from my sleep. My eyes flew open, and for a few disorienting moments I thrashed against the figure kneeling at my side.

"Hey! Hey, hey, shhh... it's alright." A familiar voice rang in my ears, causing me to still quickly. I recognized that voice, that smooth and alluring tenor. It belonged to the angel that found me in the field. I felt his left hand glide over my forehead and into my hair, tucking it behind my ear. "You're safe."

"Wh-...?" I barely had time to register the strangely intimate motion of him brushing aside my hair, when I was hit with a hefty dose of realization. My eyes flickered around, taking in the scene before me. I was in what seemed to a livingroom of some sort, though I didn't have time to take it all in yet. All at once, I realized three alarming things.

One, I had absolutely no clue where I was. I was inside somewhere, from what I could gather it seemed to be a small hunting cabin. They were fairly common in this area - assuming I was still anywhere near Forks. For all I knew he'd taken me across the country. There was no way for me to tell just yet.

Two, to my absolute mortification, I was not wearing the clothes I'd left my house in. Instead of my faded jeans, green henley shirt, and obnoxious yellow raincoat, I was in something entirely not my own. A black pair of yoga pants, and a tight fitting v-neck maroon sweater, layered under a large dark grey hoodie. I was all at once thankful for the warmth and dryness, and horrified at the prospect of being changed while I slept. Had he made the outfit swap? I felt myself burn a deep red at the thought.

Yet again, as if he could hear my thoughts, he spoke. "I had Charlotte change your clothes - she's one of my coven mates. You were soaked to the bone." That uncertainty was eased, at least.

And three, this angel's right hand was still lingering on my face - even after my thrashing and flailing stopped, he kept it there. Closing my eyes, I leaned into it for a moment. I didn't realize until that moment how touch starved I had been. There was a silence between us for a time - comfortable and absolute. Neither of us broke it, until my eyes opened again.

"Why didn't you kill me?" Pulling my knees up to my chest, I turned to look at him. He seemed equally amused, and concerned that this had been my first question. Carefully, he slid his palm from my cheek and slowly moved to sit across from me on the sofa I'd been laid on.

"Because I don't want to hurt you." His reply was quick, and certain. It left me more confused than anything else. I noted that he angled himself to face me full on, instead of sitting naturally on the couch.

"Why?" I felt my brows furrow, as I asked him the only thing that came to mind from his response. The color of his eyes told me he drank from humans, though I still was uncertain as to why they were orange, instead of crimson.

"What's your name?" He entirely avoided my question - a fact that didn't go unnoticed by me, but I didn't feel like tempting fate by pushing the matter. Now that I wasn't entirely in the throws of agony I was thankful to be alive. The hole in my chest - once a searing agony - was now more of a dull throb. How curious indeed.

"Isabella Swan - but Bella works just as well. I actually prefer it." My comfort with this conversation was comical in hindsight. I'd been taken by a strange nomad and was now holed up in some sort of cabin - God knows where - and I didn't feel anything other than content curiosity. Certainly there must have been something wrong with me. Many things, if I had to venture a guess.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." A smirk pulled at the corner of his lip, and I felt my breath hitch in my throat. Gods, what a perfect smile - even half-slack and cautious it was a sight to behold. "Bella's a beautiful name."

"Hilarious." I fought the urge to roll my eyes at the pun, but I found myself smiling in return. "And what is your name?"

"Jasper Whitlock." He nodded slightly, as if tipping an imaginary cowboy hat. At least, that's what I imagined. The more he spoke, the more his accent became evident. It snuck through each word, poking out at odd times. I had the feeling he was masking his accent for some reason. I decided I'd file that away for later.

"Jasper, huh?" I pulled the name over my tongue, letting it roll around and resonate. Jasper Whitlock - I rather liked the sound of it, having never heard of anyone sharing the name. "Like the stone?"

"I suppose, yeah." He scoffed softly through his reply, a brilliant brow quirking as he tilted his head. "You a big fan of rocks?" His laughter washed over me, and I couldn't help but return it. What the hell was going on?

"They're not rocks, they're stones. There's a difference!" I leaned forward to grab the woven blanket that had been covering me, before I'd thrown it off in my thrashing. Pulling it up over my knees, I continued. "Jasper is a part of the Chalcedony family - though many gemstones are. Onyx, Agate, Carnelian, Heliotrope, Chrysoprase... and Jasper." His expression was a bit hard to read, but he remained silent. I took it as an opening to carry on.

"Jasper - the stone that is - comes in many different varieties. It can be found in almost every color, and is usually marked with beautiful speckles or spots. Sometimes it's even striped. Speaking metaphysically, it is believed that Jasper carries a vibration of peace, calm, and tranquility. Patience and understanding - often feeling like an old friend." Why was I even saying any of this? I was going on about this and not demanding to know where I was, or terrified that this beautiful vampire was going to rip out my throat - if for nothing other than getting me to shut the fuck up about the properties of Jasper gemstones.

"You're knowledgeable. That's good." He nodded again, seemingly in approval. There was another silence between us, every bit as comfortable as the last one. Why was it good that I was knowledgeable? What possible use could that have to him? We hardly even knew each other. I didn't question it out loud.

"T-thanks." I felt myself blush again, damning the blood that always seemed eager to shoot to my cheeks.

"'Course." As if it were an obvious thing, he smiled again. I gripped the yarn edge of the woven blanket between my fingers, clearing my throat. Was it hot in there, or was it just me? It must have been just me, because he seemed cool as a cucumber sitting across from me.

"So... uh..." I looked around slowly. The cabin was small and cozy, dark hardwood with a rustic country feel. I was quite fond of the aesthetic. It seemed to be a single floor - from where I was in the main room I couldn't see any stairs. I could see a small archway that lead into a kitchen area, though it seemed largely unused for obvious reasons. There was a door on the left wall from the entrance that I assumed was a bathroom.

"Where are we?" I asked softly, my head still on a swivel as I drank in as much detail about the cabin as I could. Along the back wall there were two more doorways which I imagined lead to bedrooms - the door to the left was slightly ajar, confirming my theory of that room anyway. I could see a bedframe through the crack. To my left there was a fireplace, smoldering and warm. It must have been burning for a while. A small wooden coffee table sat between the fireplace and the maroon sofa I was on, with two more maroon armchairs parked on either side of it. Wooden shelves and bookcases adorned the walls, and there was a large gaudy deer head hanging over the fireplace.

"Beaver." His reply did nothing but confuse me.

"Huh? Where?" I looked behind me, half expecting a little beaver to waddle out from under the bookcase on the far wall. When I saw none, I returned my gaze to him.

"...Bella, we're in Beaver, Washington." His lip twitched noticeably, and I felt myself burn a bright crimson. My embarrassment was palpable, as I slid my head into my hands.

"Right. Of course. Beaver, Washington." I sighed heavily, moving to pinch the bridge of my nose. "That's not far from Forks, actually. That's... good?"

"You don't sound so sure. Do you want to go back?" If I hadn't been entirely disarmed before that question, I was then.

"What do you mean?" My reply was shaky, and uncertain. Was he asking me if I wanted to go back because he didn't want me there? But if he didn't want me there then why had he brought me there in the first place. He said he wasn't going to kill me, so why not just leave me in that field. Did he feel bad for me? Did he want me to stay?

"Do you want to go back to Forks? You don't have to, you know." As his reply came, so did a sense of calm. I went from a budding panic, to a peaceful calm in a manner of seconds. Why did that keep happening? Was it the softness in his voice? The faint feeling that he cared? Why would he possibly care?

"I-I... well what about school?" What was I saying? Was I considering staying here? Forever? That was absurd! And yet I couldn't help but consider the allure of not returning - not leaving his side. Ever. I felt safe here - surprisingly so, and with Victoria still out and about plotting my eventual death I couldn't be anywhere safer. Except maybe La Push.

"You're still in school? How old are you?" I watched as his head tilted just so, a curious expression washing over him.

"I'm 18. 18 and a half, I guess, if that counts for something." My face grew red for the umpteenth time today as embarrassment once again set in. Would he think less of me for being so young? Would he see me as a child? I wasn't a child! "How old are you?"

"Surely it does." His soft snicker did nothing to ward off my embarrassment, though the sound of his laughter made my stomach turn over itself. That funny feeling I'd get every time Edward would kiss me. What was that supposed to mean? "I'm much, much older."

"That doesn't really tell me anything. You're a vampire - you could be 300 years old for all I know." I crossed my arms, leering over at him.

"Do I look 300 years old?" He held a playful hand over his chest, as if I'd wounded him. I couldn't help but giggle at the gesture. "Biologically speaking, I'm 19. 19 and a half, actually, if that counts for something." He paused, flashing me a dazzling grin, making my stomach do another summersault. "Chronologically speaking, I'm 163 years old."

My eyes widened slightly, as I did some quick maths in my head. One hundred and sixty three years old!? "...You were born in 1843?"

"Aye." He crossed his arms loosely over his chest. I tried not to linger on them for too long, though the sight was certainly something to behold. His arms were toned and defined.

"Where were you born?" I managed to ask, after an uncomfortable pause. I'd been staring. I flushed again, likely unnoticeable over my already burning red cheeks.

"Houston, Texas." There was a slight hesitation to his reply, though I didn't pick up why.

"That explains the accent." I nodded softly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. I should have worn a damn hair-tie. The rain had curled my hair and I could only imagine how wild it must look now that it'd dried.

"You picked that up, huh?" I couldn't tell if he was amused or annoyed by that. Perhaps a bit of both?

"Yes, though I'm not sure why you're trying to hide it." Curiosity painted my face, earning me another sweet smile from my angel. My angel? It seemed so silly to think of him that way now that I wasn't inconsolable but somehow the description still fit. That was a lot to unpack, and I didn't feel like doing any more soul searching then I had to.

"Habit, I suppose." His smug, short reply told me he wasn't going to go into any more detail than he had to on that subject. I wasn't going to press it. We settled into another short friendly silence, until something crossed my mind.

"You were 20 when you turned, meaning you were likely a soldier, yes?" His brows pulled together slightly after my estimation.

"Yes. You're quick." A slight nod had one of his curls sliding over his forehead. My fingers twitched as I held myself still, pushing away the urge to reach out and brush it aside.

"And you're from Texas?" I felt myself bite down on my bottom lip softly. Late 1800's. Texas. Soldier. Shit.

"...Yes." His eyes narrowed slightly, though there wasn't any hostility present. He knew where I was going with my question.

"So you're a Confederate?" The question was out of my mouth before I could stop it, but his reply came quicker.

"I was." He made no effort to hide the truth from me, and though the answer made my stomach drop I respected him for his honesty.

"Please tell me you were a conscript." Fingers dug into the covers again, trying to brace myself for his answer.

"I … I'm surprised you even know what that is. But - no. I was a volunteer." I wasn't sure if I should be insulted or prideful that I had seemingly impressed him. His admission, however, had left me a bit blindsided.

"I see." There was a long pause. Truthfully, I was dumbstruck. A Confederate soldier. That was... well it wasn't a good thing, suffice it to say. His face fell some, and I could tell that if he could blush he might have been - out of frustration. "I'm not sure how to feel about that."

"Bella... it was a long time ago. I'm not going to make excuses for myself. I was born into, and died on the wrong side of history. I'm not proud of anything about my past, that included. Trust me when I tell you that I'm a changed man - in more ways than one." Once again I was struck, but this time by the strongest feeling that he was telling me the truth. I had no idea why or how I knew he was being honest about himself, I simply knew. I felt it in my soul.

"Right, of course. I-I'm sorry, I just … wow. That's a lot to take in. I never expected to meet a Confederate soldier - er... former Confederate soldier face to face. It's uncomfortable to say the least. Uh... I mean I'm sorry, I just..." I trailed off into an awkward silence. I wasn't sure exactly what to say, and the feeling buzzing in my head made it difficult to form coherent thoughts.

"I understand that discomfort. I've thought long and hard about my past actions. I've had a century and a half to dwell on them." His gaze flickered over mine a few times, and I found myself lost again. Something in the back of my head began to hum and resonate. Softly at first, but it grew more noticeable the longer we sat together. What was it?

I decided after a few moments that I trusted him. Not only about his admission of his past, but entirely. He didn't have to tell me any of this. He could have lied a hundred different ways, and I'd have been none the wiser. To me, that spoke volumes of his character. I found myself comforted by the truth, however uncomfortable, because he'd been real about it. I had the funny feeling again, of butterflies winging around in the pit of my stomach. "I believe you."

"I'm glad you do." He seemed truly glad, his face lighting up just so as I'd said the words. We kept falling into perfect silences - never too long but never uncomfortable. It was nearly hypnotizing, yet each time I felt like we might stay in quiet forever, he seemed to chime back in. "You felt it right?"

"Hmm? Felt what?" I must have had another silly look on my face, because for some reason he was laughing again - though just as I felt my bashfulness creep up on me again, he cleared his throat softly and composed himself.

"The honesty I conveyed to you. You felt it, yes?" I felt the heat leave my cheeks just as quickly as it had crept up. Slowly, the awkward chagrin I'd found myself in again began to recede - I'd lost count how many times I'd felt it just in the last hour alone.

"...Yes? How exactly did you know that?" All trace of any embarrassment was gone, and replaced with something I couldn't quite place - and the thrumming in the back of my head began to resonate on a new level, growing exponentially.

"My gift. Pathokinesis is the technical term for it." I felt like a jigsaw piece clicked in my mind. It didn't come as much of a shock. Alice had future sight, Edward could read minds - most of them anyway - and I was fairly certain they were not the only two vampires with powers such as this. Perhaps humans too could possess such gifts? I couldn't be certain.

"The ability to sense, alter, and control moods and emotions. So, you're an empath." That answered quite a few connections I'd had about my shifting emotions. I wasn't sure if I was thankful or annoyed that he could sense what I felt - what's more was I was mortified once again. Could he feel every one of my emotions? That was - well that was quite intimate. I felt vulnerable for the first time since meeting Jasper.

"Yes." His expression was mixed, some strange concoction of amusement, bewilderment, and curiosity. Had he underestimated my intelligence again? I got the impression he didn't mean to patronize me though - he'd stopped making comments about how 'quick' I was. I could tell he was taken off guard by it, but he made a point to keep it to himself. I was thankful for that.

"Christ, an empath. As a vampire? That must be..." My head began to spin - being an empath while feasting on human blood? I couldn't imagine what that would put him through. I felt a tugging at my chest, perhaps my own human empathy pulling on my heart.

"Exhausting?" A slow cant of his head had his chin length curls falling over his eyes for a moment, before he ran a quick hand through them. My heart skipped a beat - and I'm certain he heard it, but he made no indication that he did. I was thankful once again, for that small mercy.

"Unbearable." My head shook slowly, mechanically. Though, after a moment something else clicked into place within my mind. His eyes. "Is that why your eyes are orange?"

"I noticed them changing a few weeks after starting my new diet, yeah." His brows lofted, matching his vexed disposition.

"So you're vegetarian too?" I couldn't control the slight twitch of my lips curling into a half smile. This was good! Still, I wouldn't have shamed him either way - I didn't possess Edward's ideation of goodness and a soul. Some people were wicked in ways that could not be justified - and I would not damn a vampire for draining them. That would be preferable to any human punishment, at least in my eyes.

"Pardon?" His confusion snapped me out of my train of thought.

"You know? Vegetarian? You only drink animal blood." I watched as he considered my words, his brow twitching as he contained a sharp chuckle.

"That's an entirely inaccurate use of the word, but I suppose it does make some sense. Sure, I'm a vegetarian now." His luminous smile that followed nearly toppled me. Luminous wasn't the correct word - truly there were no words that could accurately describe how it dazzled. It was haunting, mesmerizing, beautiful... It was other. Other entirely, and only once had I ever seen a smile so beautiful. In fact, I wasn't sure if I could even compare them fully.

"Edward was..." I trailed off. Edward - thinking the name should have torn me up inside. It had been a constant source of anguish for six months, rendering me nearly incapacitated whenever my guard slipped long enough for it to crawl up from the prison I'd locked it in. But now? There was nothing more than a throbbing pang of unease. It hurt, surely but it was bearable. It was nearly nothing at all. Was this Jasper's gift? Was he easing my pain? The peculiar buzzing in the back of my head settled then, into a rhythm of sorts. A playful tessellation, folding in on itself and tumbling around. I felt as it began to weave in and out of my thoughts, my mind... my heart.

"Bella? Hey, are you alright?" Once again I was ripped away from my train of thought. I must have spaced out for longer than I'd realized, because Jasper was much closer than he had been. His hand hovered just above my cheek, not quite touching. I wished so fully that it had been.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, no. Yeah! I'm fine." My attempt at fabrication was entirely in vain, and I knew it. Of course he could tell I wasn't fine.

"I just told you I'm an empath. You can't lie to me." In the field, I'd wondered if he could read my mind - and now I knew that he could, in a way. To lie to him would be trivial at best. I decided then that I'd never attempt it again.

"It's... complicated." Complicated didn't even begin to touch the reality of my last few years, and certainly didn't describe the feelings that had begun to oscillate within my mind. I wondered if he could feel them all. Was the scope of his empathy enough to pick them apart and isolate them?

All anew his beaming grin captivated me, and I felt myself slip into something entirely unusual. Something like a fraction of a shadow of a sliver of a feeling I'd felt before - but even then it wasn't the same. How unusual. I couldn't put my finger on it.

"I'm immortal, darlin'. I've got nothing but time."

How's everyone feeling so far? Do we like where this is going? Let me hear your thoughts and ideas!

I'll try to have chapter four out shortly. There's a lot to discuss. This was a dialogue heavy chapter, so my overlap of it will be brief, if there is any at all - to save myself from rewriting the exact same chapter from Jasper's view.

I'd also like to note that I was always going to cover Jasper being a Confederate. It didn't sit right with me in the books/movies that it was never really addressed in depth. I get that Jasper was a supporting role, but that's kind of a tone-deaf bomb to drop and let lay.

ANYWAY, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Until next time! Be well. xo.