A/N: Thanks so much for all your wonderful thoughts.

Most characters belong to S. Meyer. The rest belong to me. All mistakes are mine as well.

Broken - Chapter 30

For a handful of seconds after her outburst, both Alice and I stood immobile and mute, taking one another in from opposite sides of the narrow, kitchen island. She had our father's blue eyes, but now they looked inky, darkened by acrimony, by the recriminations she'd just spewed, and by the matching circles rimming her eyes. Her shoulders rose and fell in time with her frenzied heaves. Yet, for all her agitation, my thoughts were about a million miles away from her and her issues.

While she stewed, I made plans. I mentally cleared my schedule for the next few days - moved around meetings, handed off tasks, etc. I calculated the best routes to JFK at this time of Thanksgiving Day. I estimated flight times from the East Coast to the West Coast. How long the drive took from Seattle-Tacoma airport to the small town of Forks, Washington was one thing I couldn't approximate, but I could easily GPS that information and those directions. Either way, I was pretty sure I could have Jasper Hale in a choke-hold by late evening.

When Alice's eyes flashed to the counter space between us and then narrowed, I followed their trajectory. Just a few moments earlier, my hands had been splayed open, fingers stretched wide. Now, they were in fists so tight that my knuckle-bones protruded like sharp daggers.

"What are you going to do?"

She whispered the question, and I replied in an equally low yet rumbling voice.

"First...are you sure about this?"

"Yes, I'm fucking sure," she spat. "For days, he's been on edge and even more of an...apathetic asshole..." - the last words came out strangled, for a fraction of a second betraying the pain she concealed with her umbrage - "than usual."

"Alice, that damn guy's not worth your pain or your-"

"The other night, when I checked his phone while he slept-"

"You check his phone while he sleeps?"

"Yes, I do! And you're stupid if you think she doesn't check yours. None of you assholes can be trusted. Look at what dear old Daddy did to your mother with mine."

And there went any modicum of sympathy I may have started feeling for my kid sister.

"Jesus." When I shut my eyes and shook my head, she expelled a bitter laugh.

"Oh, I forgot. You're Mister Perfect. You would never do anything like that, would you?"

My eyes snapped open. "Though I'd love to stand here and point out all the massive flaws in your argument and in your relationship if you feel the need to check that fucker's phone, we don't have the time. Go on. You checked his phone." I snorted. "Then what?"

"Besides the phone numbers I found that I couldn't place...whatever. The point is, I found an incoming call from Daddy to him."

"And?"

She offered me an exaggerated huff as if the rest should've been obvious. "Daddy never calls him, Edward. I know you think I'm stupid, but I can figure things out too. I pick up on clues just as well as you supposedly do in your shitty job. It was after that phone call that Jasper started acting stupider than usual. So, I confronted him, and he finally told me at least part of what Daddy told him; though, I know there had to be more."

I drew in a deep breath and released it in a long, hard exhalation while simultaneously raking a hand through my hair. Yeah, I was starting to pick up on the clues too. And the clues were pointing to the possibility that Carlisle might need a choking as well.

"What did Dad tell him?"

"Daddy told him that he had reason to believe that you and that bitch-"

"Get out, Alice."

Her head jerked back. "You're throwing me out?"

I replied by wordlessly rounding the counter and making my way to the door. Alice followed while still spewing her garbage.

"I knew you and that...that woman were together again! When I spoke to Daddy, he played stupid and denied he said anything about it to Jasper, but as soon as I walked in here, I knew it was true!"

I opened the door. "I've heard enough to get the big picture. Now, do me a favor, and go."

Without another word, I turned around dismissively, then I retrieved my hoodie from where I'd dropped it near the door. Anxiously yanking my cell phone out of the kangaroo pocket, I breathed a sigh of partial relief when I checked the phone and found no missed calls from Bella. Hopefully, that meant there was nothing rotten going on in the rainy town of Forks. All the while, the silence behind me alerted me to the fact that despite my dismissal, Alice hadn't budged. With an internal groan, I rounded on my sister.

"Seriously, Alice, I've got things to do."

"I guess we're all detectives in our family, huh? You've heard enough to piece together the rest. Daddy figured out something you obviously didn't confide in him. Jasper started a fight with me so he could supposedly 'take a breather in Forks with my folks.'" She made air quotes as she mimicked what I assumed was the asshole's voice. "But then I saw that article, and I know he must've found out somehow that she'd be there. Then I come over here, and the second I walk in, this place reeks of her-"

My hackles rose again. "Alice, I asked you to-"

"-and it has all those female touches that bitch-"

"DAMN IT, ALICE, ENOUGH!"

Her mouth fell shut. Yet, she stood there undaunted and glowering at me. Her nostrils flared wildly as if somehow, she were the affronted party, while I pinched the bridge of my nose and bit down hard on my tongue because the retort danced on its tip. When I spoke, it was through gritted teeth, my tenuous self-control hanging by a proverbial thread.

"Don't force me to say things I won't be able to retract."

She expelled an acidic chuckle. "Though that right there says it all, doesn't it, big brother? Just as you meant it to."

For a handful of seconds, we watched one another warily, and I realized that for all the antagonism between us, my sister and I knew one another pretty well.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what you're going to do."

I gave her an acerbic grin. "Oh, don't worry. I told you once, the fact that he's my nephew's father is his saving grace. I won't hurt him...too badly."

"Oh, but I want you to hurt him." She hissed the words, her voice quaking with her admitted eagerness before her eyes flashed to the cell phone clutched in my hand. "Why do you think I'm here? You don't really think I came to warn you so that you could defend her? She would've killed me That Day in the lobby had the cops not arrived when they did."

"Alice, she was never a threat to you, and you knew it."

"She was and she is. She doesn't need defending. She planned all this, and she's only with you to torture Jasper and me."

"Alice," I warned again.

"Do you really think she gives two shits about you, Edward? This is all about her taking Jasper back."

"Alice," I said through a tightly squared jaw.

"Yet you're going to play her hero now, aren't you? You're going to take care of Jasper, but not on my behalf, rather on her behalf. So, who defends me and what's mine? Even in that lobby-"

"Jesus, Alice, you were the thief in that lobby! Nothing there was yours!"

"Except you were my brother!" she spat. "Yet you stood by her side - a perfect stranger's side - the entire time! Even after she threatened to kill me! Even after she broke your nose! What's more, the baby in my belly was your nephew, is your nephew, who you act like you care about so much, yet she's trying to steal his father, and you're going to let her because you're too pussy-whipped to see what's really happening here!"

Drained of every iota of patience, my reply started out low yet grew louder and more scathing with each successive sentence.

"You know, I knew you had no scruples, but to stoop low enough to use your son that way?" Shaking my head, I jerked a finger toward the elevator. "Alice, go home to your son and protect and defend him the way a goddamn parent should protect and defend their child. He should be your real fucking concern here. He should be your goddamn priority instead of a guy who's made it clear from day one that you were nothing more to him than an affair gone wrong. Worry about JJ and about what the train wreck you've made of your fucking life is going to do to him as he grows up. It's fucking Thanksgiving!" I gripped my hair in both hands. "Go thank your lucky fucking stars that you were somehow granted something so precious because seriously?" I chuckled caustically. "I have no clue what fucked-up force in this universe decided you of all people deserved to procreate."

Even as I spoke, I regretted the words, but like verbal vomit, they just kept fucking coming. And at that moment I couldn't, in all honesty, say my regrets had anything to do with her; not even as her inky blue eyes grew glassier and glassier, or as her mouth fell open a bit more with each ensuing proclamation until it hung completely agape. By then, she'd pushed me too far.

I regretted them because of JJ, because of my nephew. I'd lost control, and I could blame the vitriol she spat for provoking me, but I'd lost control. And in so doing, I'd done exactly what I'd just accused Alice of doing: I'd used JJ. Even worse, I'd implied that JJ was a mistake.

"Fuck." I swallowed hard. "Alice, I didn't mean-"

"Just one mistake begetting another, huh?"

"You know I don't believe JJ is a mistake."

Alice reiterated my words. "You don't believe JJ was a mistake. I know that; I do know that. I've caught glimpses of how you are with him, and he worships his Uncle Edward, so...yeah, you don't believe he was a mistake. You would've made a good dad, Edward; definitely a better one than our father or JJ's father."

All the while, I held her gaze guardedly, prepping myself for the hit I knew was coming, though I may not have known its exact form. Yes, I knew my sister, and she knew me. I'd just hit her where it hurt, and she'd make sure she paid me back in kind.

"It's a shame, really," she shrugged, "and for a second, I almost felt sorry for you." When she leaned in close and stood on her tiptoes, she clarified the rest in a faux whisper. "Because she can't have kids, which means if you ever had dreams of having a kid of your own, you should probably let 'em go. So, whether I deserve JJ or not, it looks like I'll be the only Cullen sibling who'll ever procreate." She pulled away with a scornful grin and tilted her head as she took me in. "So maybe you're not Mister Perfect after all, big brother."

With that, Alice made her way to the elevator. The moment she pressed the call button, the doors opened, and as soon as she disappeared inside, the cell phone in my hand vibrated. I stepped into the loft, simultaneously shutting the door and answering the Facetime call.

Bella was seated at the small table in her father's kitchen, wrapped in a robe and drinking a mug of coffee - dark and bitter. When she caught sight of me on the screen, she pulled the mug away from her face and smiled. She looked recently woken, a shot of pure beauty with her hair up in a careless ponytail and her smooth face clear of wiped of anything that wasn't her. For a moment, I almost forgot the shit-fest my sister had brought to my door.

"Hey, baby. Happy Thanksgiving."

"Bella. Hi." I scrubbed a hand down my face and took the winding steps two at a time up to the bedroom. "Happy...I'm sorry, love. I..." I exhaled heavily.

Bella's brow furrowed, and she set down the mug with an audible thud.

"Edward, baby, what's wrong?"

I paused at the top step and gripped my hair. "Bella, I just found out your ex-husband is over there, in Forks, and I've got reason to believe he may try to approach-"

Bella replied with surprising calm. "I know, Edward. He was here a short while ago."

I shot to the closet and pulled out my duffel bag. "What did he want?"

She sighed. "He wanted to apologize, and...to seek a reconciliation."

"That motherfucker." I flung the duffel on top of the bed.

"Edward, I'm not telling you this to upset you, but because I don't want secrets between us. I've had that sort of relationship - twice. The first time, the secrets were kept from me. The second time, I kept the secrets, because I was in love with you, but I wasn't ready to admit it, not even to myself yet. Either way, secrets in a relationship don't work."

"I don't want secrets either, Bella. So, tell me the truth." I stopped and stood perfectly still in the middle of the bedroom. "Are you okay? Did he upset you? Did he...did he touch you in any way?"

"No, no," she said quickly, then chuckled mirthlessly. "I mean, it wasn't a fun conversation, but I'm fine. He just spewed a lot of nonsense, how the stress in our marriage, the stress from our failed fertility attempts, and the mounting bills from the treatments led him to the affair with...with your sister. He said he made a mistake, that he didn't belong in the city, and you know what?" When she choked on those last few words, I took a seat at the edge of the bed, already savoring the sound Jasper's jaw would make when I broke it.

"What?" I prompted.

"Edward, throughout his entire speech, he didn't even mention his son, your nephew. I mean, what kind of a parent selfishly disregards his or her child that way?"

I shook my head. "Go on, my love."

Bella shrugged. "That's basically it, Edward. There's not much more to tell. I mean, he kept at it for a bit, but it was all just more of the same nonsense, though he seemed to know that you and I were together. I got the feeling that knowledge was more or less the impetus for his visit."

I nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, he knows. My sister paid me a short visit as well."

For one long moment, Bella eyed me carefully. "No secrets, remember?"

"I remember," I breathed. "I just wasn't sure you'd want to discuss...anyway, she knows he's there, and she knows why. It got...pretty loud here."

"Oh, Edward." Bella shook her head. "And here Jasper thought he left her behind thinking he only meant to visit his parents."

"Alice is stupid, but she's not stupid."

"I know. I...remember. And I warned him that if she figured out what he was up to, she'd tell you."

"And what did the bastard say to that?" I snarled.

Bella simply smiled. "That gave him some pause. It looks like he might be a bit scared of you."

"Not scared enough to walk a straight fucking line. That's fine, though." I stood from the bed and made my way to the dresser drawers, pulling open the top one. "I should be there by early evening your time."

"You should be where?" Through the screen, Bella appeared suddenly wary.

"In Forks." Pulling out a fistful of boxers and a few tee shirts, I made my way to the duffel resting on top of the bed.

"In Forks?"

I shoved everything in and returned to the drawers for more. "Yeah."

"Why, and what are you doing?"

"Packing."

Bella's silence lasted and made me pause.

"You're joking me, right?" she said as I took her in through the screen.

Sighing, I raked a hand through my hair. "Bella, I'm so damn grateful you're okay. When Alice told me Jasper went looking for you...and after the off day you had yesterday, Bella I've been so fucking worried," I admitted. "That motherfucker hurt you, on so many goddamn levels."

"Yeah, but Edward, yesterday's off day was yesterday's off day. Just like the hurt he caused me was also another day in the past. Today, I took care of Jasper."

"I understand you took care of him, but he needs to know-"

"Whatever he needs to know regarding me," - she pointed at herself - "I've made clear."

"You're not hearing me."

"Oh, I am hearing you, loud and clear. You're not hearing me, or rather I should say you're selectively hearing me."

"I don't want to argue with you."

"Then, don't, and unpack that bag."

"Bella, what if he tries this shit again?" I hissed, all my righteous fury returned full force because the bastard had to be made to understand. Didn't he?

"He can try whatever he wants." She shrugged with a bewildering sense of carelessness. "Controlling his actions isn't something I can do. I can only focus on my reaction to those actions."

"That sounds great, Bella; it really does," I spat, "and I'm sure Rose had the best intentions when she told you that, but I'm here now," I said, digging my thumb into my chest, "to make sure that neither Jasper nor my sister ever messes with you or your mental health again."

When she reeled back, all my fury dissipated in an instant.

"Fuck. Bella, I'm sorry. That was...massively condescending both toward you and toward Rose. And unbelievably, chauvinistically fucked up."

She didn't reply right away, but when she did...her tone was much more composed and gentle...and forgiving than I'd expected...than I knew I deserved.

"Here's the thing, Edward: I don't think it's my mental health they're affecting right now, babe."

I fell heavily on the edge of the bed again and swallowed hard.

"Edward, I don't like how...agitated you look right now. Mental health and physical health are all interrelated, remember?"

"I'm furious at both of them, Bella; I can't help it."

She sighed heavily, holding my gaze through the small screen. "Edward...I stopped loving Jasper long ago-,

I sucked my teeth. "Bella, it's not that. I'm not worried that you still love him. I didn't think for a moment you'd take him back. But he can still hurt you."

She chuckled quietly. "But that's what I'm trying to tell you, Edward. Up until today, there was still a part of me controlled by the things he did in the past. Today, when he stopped by, I realized he no longer even has that power over me. Today, for the very first time, I saw Jasper through the eyes of an individual who understands that his past and current mistakes no longer affect my present or my future. If anything," she smiled somewhat impishly, "he did me a favor with his impromptu visit."

"I want to at least talk to him," I insisted.

The smile fell from her face. "Edward, no. We both know you'd do more than talk to him."

I threw my head up and growled at the ceiling. The growl morphed into a mirthless chuckle. "Unbelievable. I had my sister here a few minutes ago, begging me to take care of Jasper for her."

"I'm not your sister, Edward."

When I looked back at the screen and took in Bella's stoic expression, shame replaced anger.

"I know. You're not. Not at all."

"Edward," she breathed, "here's something else I learned from Rose when she was my therapist: 'A real princess slays her own fucking dragons.'"

This time, my ensuing chuckle held a bit more genuine humor. Nonetheless, when I stopped chuckling, I had to draw in a series of cleansing breaths.

"I still wish you'd let me-"

"No."

"I'm not happy with this."

She shrugged again. "I can tell. It's not going to sway me, though I do wish you'd let it go. Not just for me...but for you."

I snorted and shook my head.

OOOOO

We ended our call with an unstable truce, and with my still being unable to give her my word that I wouldn't board a flight to Forks. Either way, I still had another person and his stupidity to contend with.

"Dad."

"Edward." My father sighed, while in the background, I could hear JJ crying and my mom's voice, trying to calm him. "Your sister...she called."

"Of course she did."

Carlisle's voice was weak and quivery. "Son, I apologize. I never intended-"

"As we've discussed, we both know what the road to hell is paved with."

"Edward-"

"Dad, I'm tired. I'm fucking drained from dealing with your daughter as well as with the consequences of whatever you said to her piece-of-shit boyfriend. Please, just tell me what you said to Jasper about Bella and me."

When Carlisle sighed, he sounded as exhausted as I felt. "Edward, I simply didn't want a repeat of what happened last time, when Jasper went looking for Bella, and Alice found out and went after her as well. I hoped if I warned Jasper quietly that...that you and his ex-wife appeared to be together, he'd finally settle into his relationship with your sister."

I snorted. "And Alice worries she has no heroes championing her."

"When she called me a couple of days ago, I said nothing, I promise you, Edward. Unfortunately, it seems she didn't need my confirmation, and from what I gathered through her furious shrieks a short while earlier...it appears Jasper followed Bella to Washington State."

All the while, in the background, JJ cried harder.

"Alice isn't stupid, Dad, plus she checks Jasper's phone because she's sure all men cheat. I'll let you puzzle that one out later, but the immediate result of your once again misplaced efforts is that yeah, Jasper decided to follow Bella to Washington State for Thanksgiving, to see if he could convince her to give him one more chance."

"Fuck," Carlisle spat. "And what did she say?"

"She said no, Dad! What the...do you not understand the meaning of a commitment? She said no, and Alice found out about Jasper's visit and paid me a visit. Now, I won't go into everything that was said between us, because I'll admit I may have lost my patience and been a bit of an asshole to her, but it might be better if I don't show up for our family Thanksgiving celebration this year. Both of us in the same room might make for a dangerous time around the turkey carving."

"Edward..." Carlisle breathed heavily through his nostrils. "Son, your sister isn't coming to Thanksgiving dinner."

"What do you mean she's not going?" JJ's cries grew shriller. "I hear her son in the background."

Carlisle made no reply.

"Jesus," I breathed. "She's going to make him spend Thanksgiving without either of his parents?"

There was some shuffling over the phone, and then my mom's voice came on the line.

"Carlisle, take JJ into the kitchen and get him some water." After a short lull, my mom spoke again. "Edward, hi honey. Happy Thanksgiving." Despite the greeting, she sounded as morose as the rest of us.

I chuckled just as dismally. "Happy Thanksgiving, Mom. Is JJ okay?"

"He's upset, the poor little man. It's hard for him to understand why, but he senses...anyway, sweetheart, we'll take good care of him here. Edward honey, I know what happened. Your father confessed it all to me after Alice called her screaming, and I heard what you said to him now. While I'd love to spend Thanksgiving with you, I can imagine you're in no mood to celebrate."

"Understatement of the year, Mom."

"Edward...I understand the choices we've made, both your father and I, have led to a lot of this. Either way, Alice won't be here, and JJ deserves as close to a normal Thanksgiving as your father and I can manage."

I thought of my nephew, old enough to feel something was off, but too young to understand none of it was his fault. And...I thought of the fucked up things I said earlier.

"Jamie and his partner, Freddy will be here as well, and we'll try to make it as happy a-"

"I won't make any promises, Mom, because I'm still trying to figure out some other stuff, but I'll see if I can swing by."

My mom was quiet for a few moments. "While we'd love to see you, it's not your job, honey, to fix Alice's mistakes...to fix anyone's mistakes."

Now I remained silent.

"From everything Alice screamed over the phone, and from what your dad told me...and from what I heard you saying now, it sounds like you've worked things out with Bella?"

"Yeah, Mom. Yeah, we have. I'm sorry; I was going to tell you soon."

"I'm so happy for you," she breathed. "I know how much she's meant to you for a long time now, Edward. Don't apologize for keeping it to yourself for a bit. You deserve your privacy, and after everything that's happened, I realize she may not be anxious to meet a few of us, and you may not be anxious to expose her to us."

More silence.

"Let me know, if you can, about today. Either way, I'll prepare a plate for you."

"Thanks, Mom."

"I love you, Edward."

"Love you too, Mom. Now, put my nephew on. Let me say hi to him."

"He'd love that, Edward. JJ! JJ, Uncle Edward's on the phone!"

OOOOO

I called Bella again an hour later, and then an hour after that, yet she continued insisting she didn't need me to come up to Forks. The third time I called, I sat at my desk, while her dad, Charlie was in the living room with her. When I tried, once again, to make my argument and even admitted I was searching flights, Charlie took a seat next to his daughter and introduced himself gruffly.

"Edward, I'm Charlie, Bella's dad."

"Good to meet you, sir."

"Yeah, yeah. Look here, Edward, I'll be honest; I'm none too happy about what happened today, and I can't help thinking your relationship with Bella is just gonna keep bringing these characters back into her life."

"Dad!" Bella chided.

"Sir, I'm unbelievably sorry that bastard appeared at your door, and I can't help agreeing with you," I said honestly.

"Edward, you don't have to apologize to my-"

"And that's why, sir, I'm trying to convince Bella to allow me to come to Forks and...speak with Jasper, once and for all, so that he never tries this again."

"I don't know about speaking to him," Charlie said, rubbing his jaw hard with the palm of his hand. "I rather think he needs an ass-whooping."

"Dad!"

"That would've been my preference, sir."

"Edward!"

"Really now?" Charlie nodded slowly. "Even though he's your sister's boyfriend and father to your nephew?"

"He's shitty at both of those, sir. I have no respect for the man. And though my sister and I don't see eye to eye at all, my nephew...my nephew deserves better."

All the while, Charlie studied me through the laptop screen. "Unfortunately, an ass-whooping likely wouldn't help with making him a better father to your nephew..."

"Exactly," Bella agreed quietly.

"But it might at least keep him away from Bella. What time do you think you can be here, son?"

"Dad! You're just getting him all the more worked up!"

"As if I shouldn't? As if he shouldn't be all worked up at this?"

"Your father's one hundred percent correct, Bella, and I should fucking- I'm sorry, sir, for my language."

"That's fine, son. That little motherfucker brings out the same in me."

What followed was an admittedly unfair - and unexpected - team-up between Charlie and me against Bella, which she shut down quickly by kicking him out of the livingroom and banishing him to the kitchen to check on their turkey. I was left with the gratification that at the very least, Charlie seemed to accept that his daughter was the most important being in my life, and he was no longer quite so wary of our relationship.

After Bella and I were left alone, I raked a hand through my hair and gripped it tightly.

"What am I supposed to do, Bella? Nothing?"

"Yeah. That's exactly what you're supposed to do. Let it go."

"That mother…fucker went looking for you all the fucking way up there. He boarded a goddamn six-hour flight, and- how long's the drive from Seattle to Forks?"

"A couple of hours or so."

"Took a two-hour fucking drive to come see you and…and to ask you to take him back. And you're asking me to do absolutely nothing about it."

"Edward, listen to me," she said softly. "You're reading way too much into it. Jasper is fickle and capricious, and the entire thing was a whim."

"A whim?" I echoed flatly. "He'd do all that for a whim. I'm sorry, but I don't see it."

"You don't see it because you're not that type of man, and because you weren't married to him for seven years."

She went on to describe an immature, self-centered young boy who'd apparently grown into an immature, self-centered young man and so far, remained that way. The picture she painted reminded me of my sister.

"Trust me," she said, "to let you know when I can handle a situation on my own, and when I need you to step out with me, when I need your support."

I smiled weakly. "When you need help slaying the dragons?"

She offered me a magnanimous smile in return. "Edward, as much as I would love having you here with me, we both have responsibilities to take care of right now."

Sweeping my eyes away from her and toward the industrial windows, I sighed.

"It snowed here today. Before all this shit happened, I bought us a Christmas tree. I was going to buy some decorations, then show it all to you so that we could decorate it together, even if it was through a screen."

"Edward, that sounds beautiful."

I rubbed my jaw hard, much as her father had done earlier - the universal male sign of distress. "I wanted to be responsible for your good mood...Bella, even though I know that's not how it works."

"It's okay. Lots of times, you are - even though that's not technically how it's supposed to work."

I chuckled. "Bella, after you told me what happened this morning, I got on the phone with my father because I had to know if he'd done something stupid. Sure enough, he admitted that after you visited him, he suspected you and I were seeing one another again. So, he took it upon himself to quietly warn Jasper to keep his distance from you should I ever bring you around."

Bella smirked. "And Jasper did the exact opposite."

"God, Bella, I'm so sorry." I rubbed my forehead now. "It's like no matter what I do, I can't keep them away from you."

"It's not your fault, Edward."

"Except it kind of is, when I swore to you once that I'd never let them hurt you again. Yet by falling in love with you, I made it practically unavoidable."

"By my falling in love with you, I've caused an even bigger rift between you and your family."

"You've got to stop that, Bella. I don't want you blaming yourself, when my relationship with them was already rocky."

"Then you need to stop blaming yourself when I have to deal with them. Edward, maybe we should just…"

"What?" A sliver of ice ran up my spine. "What, Bella? Remember what we said. All honesty now, even if we have to share over phone and laptop screens."

"Maybe we should both stop pretending and acknowledge that, if you and I are going to have a future together, then at one point or another, we're all going to be at the same place at the same time, and I should just prepare myself for the eventuality."

I swallowed hard.

"Babe, what is it? I know it's just more than this situation with Jasper."

I offered her a wistful smile. "You know me well, Bella."

"I do." She grinned softly and sat up prim and proper. "So, tell me."

"Bella, I fucked up today." The rest poured out without pause. "I said things to Alice, and while I should be ashamed, I'm not; I'm only sorry for one thing I said, which was an implication that JJ was a mistake, and I didn't mean it, but how could I not mean that and yet..."

"And yet...?" Bella prompted after half a minute or so.

When I replied, all that anger welling inside me since early afternoon returned. "She just pushes my buttons, you know? She's a trigger, like you say Jasper used to be for you. And she kept pushing and pushing, and I told her she didn't deserve JJ; that she should've never procreated. And I know it was fucked up, and I know mentioning it to you is also fucked up- fucked up and selfish because it's not something-"

"Edward," she interrupted.

I drew in a long breath.

"Edward, do you want to hear something?"

"From you? Always."

"I lived most of my adult life coping for other people." Her eyes flashed toward her father's kitchen before returning to the laptop screen. "My mom had an affair and left my dad," she whispered quietly, "yet my dad never vented - not once. Not to this day. And I never vented about it either. Jasper's parents had a hard time getting pregnant, so when Jasper was born, he became their god. Jasper grew up believing he was some sort of demi-god, a golden boy...and I treated him like the golden boy he believed himself to be. For months after That Day, I'd close my eyes and see him and your sister through that window, having sex, and I was still willing to forgive him. Because other than that destructive outburst in the lobby, I'd never learned how to vent. So, I kept it all inside, and it became a destructive force within rather than without. I thought that was better, but it's not. Today, I vented inwardly and outwardly, and it was...liberating," she grinned, "and empowering."

"Bella," I breathed, "I'm so damn glad, baby. I really am. And...and fine; I'll stop talking about going over there and kicking Jasper's ass. You slay your own dragons, and you'll let me know when you need me to help you wield that sword."

"Yay." She threw a fist pump in the air, and we both chuckled. But then, we both quickly sobered.

"But Bella, I vented today, yet instead of feeling relieved, I feel like shit."

"I know," she murmured. "I can tell. Edward, you're so focused on how our relationship and my proximity to your family might affect my mental well-being that you're not seeing...you're not seeing what it's doing to yours, babe."

"I'm fine."

"But you just said you're not," she chuckled mirthlessly. "Edward, I'm not an expert, but I'll listen to you for hours and hours and hours, and I'll give you all my honest thoughts. And I think...the reason today was so difficult for you is because despite your venting, there are still things you haven't admitted to yourself or to others. And until you do, not only will the venting do no good," her brows furrowed, "but I'm worried your frustration will manifest itself in other ways."

Shaking my head, I offered her a reassuring smile. The last thing I needed now was her needlessly worrying about me.

"Honestly, Bella. I'm fine. Alice and Jasper riled me up, and I miss you, but..." I waved a hand dismissively, "I'm fine."

She watched me warily, unconvinced. "Edward..."

I clapped my hands together and stood. "All right. Want to take a look at our Christmas tree?"

A/N: Thoughts?

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