A/N: I still, devastatingly, own nothing.

Dinner passed quickly, and the father-daughter pair managed to steer clear of any awkward topic landmines. As Bella washed the plates and glasses, Charlie turned the conversation to plans for the evening.

Well, my truck is out of commission so there's no need to disconnect the battery again.

"I don't think so," Bella answered, thinking of how to pass the time until she could shift.

"Well, I just got to thinking you should call your aunt, let her know how you're doing," Charlie suggested.

"Oh, that's right! I actually thought about that earlier today. I know she wanted an update after I got settled."

Charlie smiled at his daughter and ran a hand through his hair. "Be sure to tell her I say hi, but that I'll be turning in early with this schedule I have going on. If she needs to talk to me about anything, she can call my cell tomorrow."

You mean, so I can tell Aunt Lottie about Jasper, and she can relay the information to you, right? Bella thought with a mental roll of her eyes.

"Yeah, dad, I will."

"Alright. Well, I'm going to watch some TV then head to bed. Have a good night, Bells."

"Night, Dad," Bella answered as she turned back to the sink to finish washing up a stray coffee mug from the morning.

Satisfied that the kitchen was clean once again, Bella headed for her room to avoid disturbing Charlie's show, and to get some privacy. She unplugged her cellphone from the charger and sat down on her bed, making sure she was comfortable, before finally scrolling through her contacts and selecting her aunt.

The phone only rang once before it was picked up.

"Hey, sugar! I've missed you," bubbled the voice on the other end.

"Hey, Aunt Lottie," Bella grinned, happier already, just to hear her voice. "I've been missing you too! How are things back home?"

"Oh, you know, same old. It's not the same without you here, though. How is the new school? You making any new friends?"

Bella sighed softly and tried to think of how to summarize the last week. "Well, I made a few new friends, and a few new enemies, but am actually handling the transition decently."

"I'm glad to hear that, baby! Tell me about these enemies, though. I'm not liking the sound of that."

"Well, my first enemy is this girl, Lauren. She was super mean to me last week, all because this senior boy looked my way. That was annoying. The second is the younger brother of said senior boy – he does not like me."

"Sounds like a roller coaster," her aunt offered sympathetically. "No fights, though?"

Bella paused and hoped it wasn't long enough to raise her aunt's concern. "No fighting in school, like I promised."

"Izzy!" Bella cringed at her aunt's tone. "Don't think I didn't catch that 'in school' bit. I'm glad you haven't had issues at school, though. That three-strikes policy isn't as generous as it sounds."

Bella sighed, "Yeah, I know. Even being late enough times can merit a detention, so I've been careful."

"Good girl. Now, tell me more about this boy you have caught the eye of," Lottie gushed in a proud but protective tone.

"Haha, nice try, but I'm not giving you any more than I've told Charlie. He wants you to call and spill tomorrow, by the way," Bella informed her.

"You know I wouldn't tattle, honey," her aunt replied in a put-out tone.

With acting like that, Aunt Lottie and Jessica would get along just fine, Bella realized with an amused smile.

"Just tell me if you like him too," her aunt encouraged her to dish.

"I don't know yet. I think I do; it's kind of a weird situation, and I may have overheard him and his brother arguing over some girl. So far, we are becoming friends but I'm not willing to put any expectations on it, you know?"

"Oh, I know, Iz. Men are strange creatures, aren't they? Much more complex than most people think."

"Definitely," Bella laughed. You have no idea how complex.

"What is he like? Tell me about him and your other friends!"

"Well, he's kind of tall, blonde hair-"

"I didn't know you had a thing for blondes!" her aunt interjected.

"I don't normally," Bella giggled. "He's the only exception, honestly. Anyways, he has these warm, soulful eyes – you could drown in them. It's a little overwhelming, but at the same time, he's so steady emotionally and laid back when we're together."

"Together? Are you two spending much time together already?"

"Well, I tripped and fell on some ice over the weekend near his house. His dad volunteered him to drive me home and we just kind of got to talking," Bella lied, figuring the cover would be easier to explain.

"Ah, yes, talking." Bella could practically hear the woman's eyes roll. I remember 'talking' fondly," her aunt teased.

"Oh my god, not you too!" the girl laughed in mock exasperation. "You and Charlie are far too suspicious about friendships with boys."

"Uh-huh. Probably because we've been your age before, honey. We both know what teenage boys think about the most," her tone held caution but she didn't warn Bella away from Jasper. "Whatever you choose to do is your choice, but don't let some boy pressure you into doing anything you don't want to do, Sweetheart."

"You know I won't, Lottie."

"Yeah, I know. Anyways, your other friends– are they all boys too, or what?"

Bella giggled and explained, "No, my two other friends are both girls; Angela and Jessica. They were the first people to be nice to me and sit with me at lunch. They even stuck with me after the Lauren thing."

"That's how you know they're real friends. Risking becoming social pariahs for the new girl; Lauren must be a treat," she answered sarcastically.

"A real sweetheart," Bella agreed in a tone that implied sweetheart was code for bitch. "I think the girls and I, and a few other people from our class are going to the beach this weekend for a bonfire. There's this kid that lives out there – I used to hang out with him when I was younger and Charlie is friends with his dad. He invited me to a thing and instructed to bring friends and marshmallows."

"Well, that sounds like fun! Are you going to invite your new man friend?"

Bella thought for a moment, "Maybe. I'm not sure, actually. I'll think about asking him, but he might want some space." She chewed her lip at the thought.

"There's no harm in giving people space - he might not even like the beach. It's pretty cold there now, isn't it? You might wind up rained in," her aunt noted.

"That's a good point," Bella chuckled. "Guess I'll just have to see what the weather is, come Saturday morning."

"Sounds like you're going to have a busy social life in Forks," Lottie observed happily. "Don't forget to take care of yourself, though, honey."

"I know, Lottie. I won't," Bella answered, feeling sad that Lottie's concern for her was justified. She played with the lace on her comforter for a moment. "I promise, things are going better. I haven't forgotten to eat, I'm getting enough sleep for the most part, I'm showering, and remembering to brush my teeth. I've even been doing my homework."

"Good, honey, I'm glad to hear it. We worry about you still, you know?"

"I know. Really, though, you can ask Charlie tomorrow – I'm doing better."

"I trust that if you weren't okay, you're at a point where you'd tell me. I'm glad things are going better for you up there, sweetie."

"Me too," Bella sighed. "I'm sorry I made things so hard for you and-" a knock sounded on Bella's door. "Sorry, Lottie, I think Charlie is heading to bed and I don't want to keep him up being too loud. Can I call you next Sunday, maybe? I can tell you how the bonfire went!"

"Sounds good, Iz. I'm just a call away if you need me before then. Love you, sweetpea."

"Love you too!"

Bella ended the call and got up from bed to answer her door. As suspected, it was Charlie. "Hey, Dad, what's up?"

"Just headed to bed and wanted to make sure you were okay. Did I hear you telling Lottie you'd be going to the bonfire?"

"Yeah, as long as it isn't too wet," Bella laughed.

"Well, I know if it is, Billy is okay with Jacob having his friends over in the garage. They have a fire pit out the back and it's semi-covered."

"Oh, that's neat! I asked Jessica and Angela and I think they're going to ask Mike Newton and Eric Yorkie. You know them?"

"Sure do. The Newton boy's parents own the camping store in town, and Eric's dad is a volunteer firefighter. Good kids, from what I've heard."

"Do you just know everyone and everything?" Bella asked her with a smirk and raised brow.

"Pretty much. Comes with the territory, Bells. Anyways, I'm heading for bed, but just wanted to let you know your truck was towed about 15 minutes ago, so that's one less thing to worry about."

"Oh, good!" Bella answered excitedly. "I can't wait until I can drive again. Not that there's anywhere fun to go, but you know."

"Independence. I get it," Charlie answered with a wry smile, clearly reminiscing about his high school days.

"You'd better get to bed, dad. Sleep well and don't work too hard tomorrow! I'll have dinner ready when you get home," Bella pushed on, hoping to avoid starting Charlie on the topic of his first car. Forever lamenting its loss, Charlie could talk at length about his '67 Impala.

He nodded in reply, "Sounds great, honey. Don't stay up late and, have a good day tomorrow, too."

Bella grabbed a pair of leggings from her dresser and a long blue shirt from her closet, rolled them up, and set them in a small, waterproof toiletries bag. It had come with a camping duffle that Charlie bought for her a few summers ago when she expressed an interest in the outdoors. If she managed to carry it, clenched in her teeth, from here to the meadow, she would have clothing ready if she needed to shift back.

Excited and pleased with her preparedness, Bella propped her window wide open and held the bag with her teeth, hoping that as she shifted into a hawk, her grip would hold. Luckily, it did, and the girl set off for the meadow where her new friends would be waiting.

Sweeping low over the trees near the clearing, she scanned for a place to store her bag and noted a tree with a hollow in it. Smelling long abandoned, she nudged it safely inside and resumed her favorite form. As the mountain lion approached the edge, she noted one dark head of hair, and two blondes. Before her stood Jasper, Emmett and, to Bella's surprise, Rosalie.

"Hey, Bella!" Emmett boomed and charged her excitedly. Laughing internally at his forward approach, she dodged him easily, and ran towards Jasper. Nudging his leg in greeting, she turned to look up at Rosalie for an explanation.

"Rose wanted to hang out, too, if you're okay with that," Jasper explained.

Bella purred and bowed slightly to Rosalie, indicating that she was indeed, okay with the addition and that she wanted to play. With that, the two were dashing around while Emmett and Jasper watched, laughter in their eyes.

The two didn't play as roughly as Jasper and Bella had, something Bella thought was nice of Rosalie. They mostly raced through the woods, looping around, and swishing soundlessly through the trees. After a few laps, however, Bella started feeling the strain in her left front paw and arm.

Guess I need another night to really recuperate, Bella realized.

The shifter slowed her pace and started heading left to reenter the clearing. Rosalie looked confused and hurt for a moment, so Bella sat and lifted her paw, before whining, as an attempt to convey what was wrong.

Rosalie had no sooner let out an "Oh, sorry," before Jasper was in front of them, concern in his eyes, and a growl building in his throat, looking for a threat.

Before he could misunderstand, Bella nudged his thigh, and huffed in frustration. She raised her paw and whined again, reminding him that she had been previously injured and that Rosalie hadn't hurt her in any way, nor was there any danger.

Jasper immediately stopped and faced his sister again, who was observing the scene unfold with a raised brow, and a quirked grin. "Sorry, Rosalie. Just feeling defensive after last night," Jasper offered as an explanation.

"I'm sure that's it," Rosalie agreed, a little too innocently. "Why don't you and Emmett spar, show Bella how vampires play, while us girls chit chat."

Jasper looked skeptically at his sister but did as she suggested. Rosalie and Bella found a fallen log at one end of the clearing; the silvery blonde vampire sat atop it, while the sore shifter leaned against it. The two sat in a companionable silence and watched on as Jasper took a reserved approach, and let Emmett run attack after attack, before finally catching the hulking mass of vampire by surprise, flipping the dark-haired man on his back.

Satisfied the boys were occupied, Rosalie tilted her face to study Bella, and so quietly, the shifter was sure the two other vampires in the meadow could not hear them, whispered, "So, Bella, tell me: do you like my brother?" If not for her enhanced hearing, she would not have heard her.

Well, that was direct.

Heart-rate increasing with minor embarrassment and trepidation over being questioned so bluntly, she nodded her head slowly. The silence resumed, as both Jasper and Emmett continued their game, though clearly curious as to what the girls were discussing so quietly.

If a mountain lion could fidget, that's what I'm doing, Bella thought with an awkward internal laugh. She looked back to Rosalie and waited for the girl to express some kind of opinion about this development.

Rosalie glanced back to meet Bella's questioning gaze and added, "While it makes me nervous to think he could get hurt, I think that you are good for him. He's been alone for too long– relying on only the company of our family for too long."

Bella must have looked even more confused, so Rosalie softly explained, "Jasper has friends of his own, to be sure, however, his two closest haven't seen him since the late 90s. When you're a vampire, time passes differently and you don't really notice when it's time to branch out again. He's a good man and deserves happiness in his life."

Bella bobbed her head in acknowledgment, glad to understand the girl's position.

After another building silence, Rosalie asked her, in a more normal tone, "So, can you become any animal?"

Bella shifted into a long-haired black house cat and leaped up onto the log next to the vampire. Rosalie broke into a full smile, exposing dimples in her cheeks. "I had a cat that looked something like that," she explained, gesturing to Bella. "I don't remember much from my human life, but I remember her. She was named Mira. You're a little too big, and she had a blaze of white fur on her chest, but everything else is the same.

The paired turned their attention back to the boys, who, as time went on, had grown more heated in their battle. Shouts of, "You're cheating," and "Tactical application isn't cheating, Emmett," reached the girls. Rosalie giggled at her mate and brother before continuing to Bella, "After I was changed...I had some things to take care of," she trailed off, focusing on her mate once more.

"When that was done," I visited my parent's home one night, very briefly. I had to make sure my sister was doing okay. Luckily, she was sleeping when I peeked in, with Mira curled up at her feet. When the cat saw me, her hackles rose up in agitation, and I realized that as a vampire, no animal would ever want to come near me again. I know you're not actually a pet, but it's nice to be close to a cat again."

Bella thought about her story and felt saddened at what must have been a great loss for the girl. It seemed like there was much Rosalie hadn't told her, and she could feel the pain behind her words. Hesitantly, Bella stepped closer to the vampire and nudged her hand softly.

Rosalie stared at her for a moment before extending her fingers, allowing the cat to rub her face along them. Scratching Bella's cheek gently, she elicited a purr from the shifter.

Emmett muttered something Bella didn't quite catch about Jasper wanting to be the one to make Bella purr, before the sound of the large man getting knocked to the ground sounded again. Whooping in laughter, the dark-haired vampire jumped up and ran towards Bella and Rosalie, sending dirt flying up into the air in the process.

"Come on, Rosie, let's go hunt!"

Subtle, Bella thought sarcastically, as Rosalie spoke the word aloud. "Subtle, Em– but I could use it." She turned to the cat and gave her a parting chin scratch, whispered "Thank you, Bella," then took off after her mate.

Bella transformed into a mountain lion once more and rolled her shoulders, stretching her neck.

"Stiff?" Jasper asked, followed by the sound of an echoing chuckle from the trees. The blonde vampire rolled his eyes in response and sighed. "I assume from taking a small form for that long? You had mentioned that you had shifted into smaller creatures and not felt good the next day."

Bella nodded then tipped her face towards his watch. "It is 10 o'clock," he informed her. "Do you need to be getting back?"

Bella shook her head back and forth to indicate she didn't. Struck by an idea, she motioned Jasper to sit on the log. He looked inquisitively at her for a moment, so she added on the universal "stay" command with her paw. With a chuckle, Jasper sat and said, "I'll stay."'

Bella darted back through the trees, turning once to make sure he had stayed where she asked him to. Finding the tree she sought, shifter became naked human. Reaching into the hollow, she pulled her bag free and unzipped it, changing into the clothing quickly, lest curiosity bring Jasper to her.

A few moments later, the girl entered the clearing carefully, to avoid breaking her skin on branches. Lack of scent or not, it's probably better to avoid bleeding in front of a vampire. She walked quietly, taking care to not gather his notice.

What if this is awkward, she thought nervously. What if he finds it hard to switch from talking to an animal to talking to me?

She shyly took a seat next to Jasper and waited for his reaction. He jumped slightly before beaming at her. "I must say, you startled me, Miss Swan. A very rare thing. You sounded different coming back, but I imagined you had become something else."

"Just me," Bella offered in response. "I thought maybe changing back into a form where I'm not putting pressure on my arm might be best."

"Smart," Jasper replied with a nod. "It was very nice what you did for Rosalie," he added, catching her eyes with his own.

"It wasn't a big deal," Bella murmured, looking down at her feet. Her skin was glowing white in the moonlight against the grass. The girl extended her hand towards Jasper's, "Look, in the moonlight, we almost match."

He grinned in response, and took her hand in his to examine it. "Almost. You're nearly as light, but have a little more pink, to my eyes."

Heart beating more quickly as he touched her, she held his hand closer to her face. "I think I see what you're talking about. You're more silver." Bella lowered his hand back to the log with her own; neither let go of their grip on the other.

Slowly, her heart began to resume its normal pace, though it felt stronger than it typically did, pulsing in her neck. "Bella," Jasper whispered quietly to gain her attention.

Just like that, her traitorous pulse betrayed her, picking up speed again. "Yes, Jasper?"

"I don't want to make this awkward or anything," he started.

Her heart sank down into her stomach in response, beating erratically. Oh, god. This is the part where he tells me that we can't be friends anymore, due to my obvious attraction.

Jasper took a settling breath and waited a few moments before he pressed on, "Are you afraid of me?"

Startled, the girl squeezed his hand and turned to face him. "No! Not at all! Why would you think that?"

He furrowed his brow and frowned. "Your heart-rate increases sometimes and I wonder if I'm making you afraid or doing things you don't like. I'm sorry if that's the case."

Shit. Bella blushed and tried to conceal that fact with a smile that was too large to be natural. "You definitely don't scare me, Jasper." She couldn't look at him as the embarrassment washed over her.

Thank goodness he can't feel my emotions, Bella almost laughed with relief.

Too aware of their hands still holding each other, she let go, causing Jasper to freeze, clearly hurt. She stood, pacing in front of him. "I'm not afraid of you, Jasper." Bella ran her hands through her hair. "This is very frustrating."

"What is frustrating?"

"This," she gestured between them. "I'm normally not this blunt but I don't see us making it beyond this conversation otherwise."

Jasper looked even more confused, "I'm not sure I follow?"

"Well, for starters, you are at a disadvantage, unable to read my feelings, and let me assure you, you are misinterpreting things right now," Bella explained. "Again, I am not afraid of you."

He stared at her in disbelief.

"I like you."

Jasper's mouth dropped open slightly in response, as what she was explaining sank in. A moment later he was beaming so genuinely that Bella practically melted. "My apologies for making this awkward for you, Miss Swan. It seems I should have said something sooner."

Bella blushed in response and looked down again. "Yes, well, that probably would have been awkward too. I guess I can forgive that oversight, Mr. Whitlock."

Chuckling, Jasper stood and took both her hands in his, and gently brought her right to his lips. "Again, my apologies, ma'am." He pressed a gentle kiss to her fingers.

"Jesus-" she whispered softly, world spinning, and heart racing.

"I'm not sure he has much to do with us, darlin'," he winked.

Bella took a step back to gather her breath and collect her thoughts. "That isn't fair," she joked when she opened her eyes. "You dazzling me like that all the time."

"It comes naturally," he replied, with a smirk.

"Sure, sure, you weren't putting the southern charms on at all," Bella joked, then turned serious as she organized her thoughts. "Now, before we get carried away, I do just need to clarify something."

"What's that?" he asked, sounding slightly nervous.

"Well, I hate to admit I eavesdropped, especially when I had apparently gotten away with it, but last week, you had Edward cornered outside of my Biology class. Do you recall that?"

He nodded slowly and let her continue.

"I overheard you two. There was mention of some woman– a singer, Edward called her. The two of you seemed to be arguing as to who would...be with her. Do you-," her voice cut out as her jealously overcame her. "Do you have someone you're interested it? I don't play second fiddle for anyone." The girl started to pace again, agitated by the possibility.

Surprising the girl, Jasper burst into laughter. "No, Bella. You have it all wrong. Let's go sit somewhere comfortable?"

The paired walked through the soft grasses until they came upon the spot where they had previously star gazed together. Sitting down, he patted the ground next to him. Bella sat and wrapped her arms around her knees as she waited for his explanation.

Jasper took a breath and asked, "Remember what I told you yesterday about mates?"

"Not all vampires have them, and it's kind of like a soul mate type thing, right?"

"That's correct. Well, every now and again, there are cases where a vampire comes across a human being that smells so absolutely mouth-watering, it takes an enormous effort for even the most experienced vampire to walk away without killing them instantly."

Bella paused, "That's horrifying, but I'm not sure how it ties in."

"The human's blood is said to call to a specific vampire, they are known as 'singers' in our culture," Jasper continued.

"Wait, so, a there's person in Forks whose blood that calls to Edward? That must be difficult to deal with. Is that why he has such a bad attitude?"

"Not quite. For some inexplicable reason, Edward has tried to convince the family that you are his singer, and that we all need to leave." Bella's mouth opened in shock. "With me being able to read his emotions, I knew that he was lying and exposed him to the family."

"Why would he lie about that?" Bella exploded angrily. "Why would he want you all to leave?"

"I've been asking myself the same questions and I haven't really come up with anything conclusive. It could be possible that between his not being able to hear your thoughts, and my interest in you, which I'm sure he picked up on, he felt threatened, somehow." Jasper sighed before continuing. "Edward is like a child – he wants whatever he can't have, and when he doesn't get his way, he pouts. He crossed the line, though, laying hands on you."

Bella shivered slightly as his face grew tight, eyes darkening into tar pits. Remembering that physical contact seemed to bring Jasper back from the edge of whatever darkness filled him, she laid her hand on his.

"So, to be clear, you two were fighting over me? That's better than having another girl in the mix to contend with."

"How are you so calm after finding out a manipulative vampire lied about having a compulsive urge to slaughter you?"

"I'd rather deal with a delusional sociopath than fight someone else for your attention, I guess" she answered honestly. "It sounds stupid put like that, but it's true. Thinking there was someone else made me irrationally angry," she admitted quietly. "Probably just due to the moon."

He studied her before responding, "Your emotions must get very heightened, if that is the case."

"Yes, though this week has been different from the past couple of months. I think I'm getting thrown off by enjoying myself and having good shifts, combined with the stress of starting a new school. It almost evens the situation out, if not for my spontaneous emotional outbursts."

Jasper thought for a few seconds. "It seems reasonable to assume it's due to circumstances, then. If you feel like you need to talk, though, I'm a good listener."

Bella grinned. "I've noticed. Thanks for the offer, Cowboy."

Jasper's smile reached his eyes as he laid back in the grass and studied the night sky. One hand behind his head, the other extended out as an offer for Bella to rest against, he looked extremely content. The girl sighed happily, relaxing into his loose hold, and together, the two watched as the stars swept across the sky.