The car ride was silent. Tanya had taken me to school as I was too tired to drive myself. I decided to stay home and sleep while they trained. There was really no reason to be there. Tanya agreed and decided to stay with me.

We were currently on our way back to my house, so I could talk to Alice. I had also invited Jasper so Alice didn't feel like we were ganging up on her.

Charlie was following a lead on Riley Biers and wouldn't be back until late tonight or sometime tomorrow. The others were convinced Riley was dead. I wasn't sure but I didn't think Charlie was going to find him, alive or dead.

"Are you okay?" Tanya asked, getting my attention.

"Fine, why?" I asked.

"We've been sitting in the driveway for five minutes now and you haven't moved," Tanya answered. "Something wrong?"

"I was thinking about Charlie," I said honestly.

"He's okay," Tanya promised. "Carmen and Eleazar are in Seattle right now."

"I know," I said. I trusted them to keep Charlie save. They took his safety as seriously as they took my own. "I wish he could find something so he could stop searching."

"We're doing everything we can to find the boy."

I glanced at her. "What aren't you saying?"

"Jasper thinks someone may have turned him," Tanya confessed. "It would explain why we can't find his body, or any sign of him."

"Why would someone turn him though?" I asked confused. "He's just a small town boy from…" I could feel the blood draining from my face as I realized what was going on. "He's from Forks. Victoria…she wanted someone who knew the area."

"So it would seem," Tanya said.

We got out of the car. As soon as I opened the door it was slammed shut. I looked at Tanya and was surprised by what I saw: flared nostrils, lip curled back and black eyes glaring at the door.

"Get in the car," Tanya instructed.

I wanted to argue, to tell her she sounded like Edward, but I couldn't. The look in her eyes, the look of fear, stopped me. I did what she asked and got back in the car.

Kate, Irina, Alice and Jasper showed up seconds later. Kate climbed into the car with me, while the others went straight to Tanya. I watched as the four disappeared in my house.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Figures she didn't tell you," Kate muttered to herself. "Tanya smelled a vampire in your house. Alice saw it and we all came running."

"Alice saw the vampire?" Why hadn't she said anything before?

"No," Kate said, leaning forward in her seat. "She saw the aftermath. Whoever this vampire is, they knew about Alice's gift."

"You don't know who it is," I realized.

"No, we don't," Kate admitted. "It's not Victoria but it's possible this is a newborn or a newer vampire. Someone we haven't seen before." Tanya came out of the house. "Come on."

I went straight to Tanya. Her eyes were still dark and I wasn't sure they would fade back to gold anytime soon. "Whoever it is, is long gone," Tanya said pulling me close to her body. "I'm sorry Bella. I didn't mean to act the way I did. I was terrified the vampire was still in here. It's no excuse. I know that. I'm sorry."

I kissed her cheek. "You don't have to keep apologizing. I was mad at first, because you sounded like Edward," she growled, "when he never told me anything and claimed he was protecting me. I'm a big kid Tanya. You don't need to protect me. I can handle the truth."

"Okay," Tanya agreed. "I know Kate already filled you in on the unknown vampire. We searched your house. No sign of him, but his scent is strongest in your room. Jasper suggested you check your room and see if anything is missing."

I followed Tanya to my room. Alice, Jasper and Irina were already there sitting and waiting. I quickly searched through my things. I was ready to tell them nothing was missing when it came to me.

"My red shirt," I told them.

Tanya growled and looked ready to punch something. "Go cool off," Irina told her. Tanya looked ready to protest. "Go. Or I will have Kate drag you out. We will stay with Bella."

Tanya looked at me. I nodded in encouragement and she disappeared out my window. Kate practically dragged me to my bed.

"I don't get it. Why would an unknown vampire want my shirt?" I asked confused.

"Your scent Bella," Jasper said. He was tense and I don't think it was because he was in the same room as me. It didn't take long for me to figure it out. He was reacting to the tension in the room. Tension coming from every single vampire. "Whoever stole your shift has your scent, most likely to give it to the other newborns. So, they can find you."

"Jasper, you don't have to stay," I said softly. "I'm sure it's hard for you with all this tension."

"I'm fine Bella. Thank you," he said smiling at me. I could see why the girls at school had liked him so much.

I leaned against Irina. It was the closest I could get to being in Tanya's arms. "What happened?" I asked the sisters.

"She's angry," Kate answered. "It's one thing for a psychotic vampire to want revenge for their dead mate. But this is different. Now we know the newborn army is targeting you. She's not coping well."

"Well, all I can say is I would hate to be Victoria," Irina inputted. "If Tanya ever gets ahold of her. It's not going to be pretty."

Jasper grinned. I shivered. He actually looked like a vampire. "Sorry Bella," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"I'm fine," I promised. "When is Tanya coming back?"

"I'm here," Tanya said, as if she was standing in my room the entire time.

I climbed off the bed and threw my arms around her. "Are you okay?" I asked, kissing her cheek.

"I'm okay," Tanya told me. "I lost my temper. It won't happen again." She turned to the others. "What are we doing?"

"I'm watching Bella's future," Alice said before anyone else could speak. "I'm also watching Victoria's decisions but I'm not getting anything from her. She learned how to get around my visions. I don't think I will see anything until she's ready."

"Peter and Charlotte will be here tomorrow," Jasper added. "I've filled them in on this latest development and they're worried about Bella."

"We knew she had newborns on her side," Kate reminded Tanya. "This doesn't change anything."

"This changes everything," Tanya snarled. "We knew Victoria was targeting Bella. We didn't know that was the purpose of the newborns."

I guess I was the only one who thought that they were after me. "It was a logical conclusion Tanya," Irina pointed out. "It was either that or the newborns were to distract us. Perhaps it's a bit of both."

"Tanya stop," I said before she could snap at Irina too. "I'm right here. Right next to you. Calm down."

"I'm sorry Irina," Tanya apologized.

"I understand your frustrations sister," Irina said. "We would be just as frustrated if it were our mate."

"I will check in with Carmen and Eleazar," Kate added. "We will find the newborns and Victoria."

Kate and Irina disappeared out the window, leaving me and Tanya with Alice and Jasper. "You said you wanted to talk," Alice reminded me.

Jasper and Tanya huddled together to discuss strategy. It was their way of giving us some privacy. "I know you heard me talking to Tanya last night," I began. She nodded but didn't say anything. "I don't know if I forgive you. I want to but I can't handle it if you leave again. You, Edward, your entire family. You all broke me."

"I know Bella," Alice said sadly. "When we agreed to leave… I promised not to look for your future. If I had, I would have seen all of this. I never would have left if I had known what it would do to you."

"It's not all bad," I told her. Alice looked at me confused. "If you hadn't left, I wouldn't have met Tanya. I would still be depressed over Edward, over a love that wasn't true."

"I wish I could say I planned it that way," Alice said. "I'm glad you got something out of this. I'm not leaving again even if you want me to go. I'll still be close by, just in case."

"I don't want you to go Alice," I said honestly. I held my arms out and she practically threw herself into them.

"I'll do everything I can to make it up to you Bella," she promised. "Starting with Victoria."

Jasper and Tanya abandoned their… probably fake conversation. "Alice, darling, time to let Bella go," Jasper said gently prying Alice from me.

Alice released me and I gasped for breath. I hadn't realized how tight Alice's grip had been. Seconds after Alice's arms were removed, I found myself in a much more comfortable set of arms.

"Are you okay?" Tanya whispered in my ear.

"Do you ever get tired of asking that?" I countered. I didn't wait for her to answer. "I'm fine. Her grip was a little stronger than I remembered."

"Bella," Jasper began.

"I was never mad at you Jasper," I told him. I slowly walked over to him and wrapped my arms around him. He stiffened at the touch. I tried to move away, so he wasn't forced to be more uncomfortable than he already was, but he tightened his grip.

"Thanks Bella," he whispered in my ear. He released me.

"Alice, can you… I mean… could you…"

"Charlie is fine Bella," Alice promised. "He will be home at 8:12pm. I would suggest cooking something extra nice for dinner. He's a bit stressed."

I nodded. "I should go to the store then."

"I can go with you," Jasper offered. I looked between him and Tanya. Was there something going on that I wasn't aware of?

"She needs to hunt," Alice explained. "And she won't go unless you force her."

Tanya glared at Alice. "Stay out of it, Alice."

I frowned. "Is that true Tanya?" I studied her face. Her eyes were dark and had been since we got back to my house. I touched the dark circles under her eyes. It made her seem more human but I didn't like it. She seemed weaker. "Go hunt."

Tanya growled at Alice. I looked to Jasper but he didn't seem concerned. "She's not angry at you," Jasper muttered. "Or even Alice."

Jasper must have been doing something to Tanya because the growling stopped and she took a deep breath. She kissed my forehead and smelled my hair. "If anything happens to her…"

"You and I both know I am the safest person for her to be with," Jasper said crossing his arms over his chest. "You may be older but I know how to fight. I was made to fight."

"What…"

Jasper held up his hand. "I will tell you later," he promised.

I nodded. "I'll be fine Tanya. I trust Jasper. Besides, he's kept me safe before." I kissed her cheek. "Go hunt."

"Come on Tanya," Alice said tugging on Tanya's sleeve. "If we go now, you will be back before Bella goes to sleep." Tanya still didn't move. "Tanya, she's fine with Jasper. He's right. He is the safest person for her to be with."

Tanya kissed my forehead and they disappeared.

"Are you ready to go?" Jasper asked. He tossed a jacket at me.

"Yeah, I just need to grab some cash from downstairs," I said. I immediately regretted those words. Jasper got that look in his eye that I had seen many times on others. "Jasper…"

"Don't argue Bella," he said firmly.

I sighed. There was no arguing with Jasper, especially when he could force me to do what he wanted. Not that I thought Jasper would do that. He was much too polite for that.

I was surprised Jasper didn't say a word about my truck as we drove to the store. I fully expected him to complain the whole drive there.

"Are you worried about people realizing your back?" I asked him.

"Not at all," Jasper replied. "I graduated last year. It wouldn't be too surprising for me to return for a visit. I'm worried about you. They're bound to ask questions. I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"I can handle them," I told him. I pulled into the parking lot and we got out of the truck.

There were a few people that stared at us while we shopped. A glare here and there from Jasper kept anyone from approaching us. It was rather nice. In a small town like Forks it was almost impossible to do any grocery shopping without talking to someone.

"So, what are we making?" Jasper asked as we wandered down the aisles.

"We?" I questioned raising an eyebrow at him.

"You," he amended.

"Steak and potatoes," I answered. "It's Charlie's favorite meal. Figured I would throw in some broccoli and make some brownies."

Jasper nodded in approval. "If I was human, that would sound appetizing."

I rolled my eyes at him. "I'm sorry it's not a bear or a mountain lion."

Jasper laughed. "Elk is actually my preferred animal," he informed me.

I grabbed a pack of steaks that were fairly cheap. Jasper saw it and put my steaks back and grabbed the better-quality ones. "How do you know steak?"

"I read," he answered. "I also know you are picking out cheaper things because I'm paying. Stop being difficult or you will find yourself with a fridge full of expensive foods that you will have to explain to Charlie."

I glared at him. "Damn manipulative vampires," I grumbled.

Jasper smirked. "What else do you need?" he asked.

I tapped my chin. "Brownie mix, ice cream, potatoes and broccoli," I listed.

"I'll grab the brownie mix and ice cream," Jasper offered. "I can meet you at the vegetables."

I stared at Jasper suspiciously. "What are you planning?" I demanded.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jasper said innocently.

"Fine," I sighed. "Two minutes."

I made my way to the vegetables. While I was here, I decided to stock up on food for the week. I'm sure Charlie would appreciate some homecooked meals while he was home. I grabbed a bag of potatoes and dropped them into the cart, as well as two large ones for baked potatoes. I grabbed some asparagus for another night. Next I grabbed broccoli, cauliflower and peppers.

Fruits were added to the basket in an attempt to get Charlie to eat a bit healthier. It was more likely that I would end up eating them but it couldn't hurt to try.

"Bella." I sighed. This was the last person I wanted to talk to. I turned around.

"Hello Jessica." I was relieved to see she was alone. The only thing that could make this worse was Lauren being with her.

"Did I see Jasper Hale?" she asked. At least she got straight to the point. That was the best part of Jessica. She got straight to the point, whether I wanted to hear it or not.

"Probably," I said turning away from Jessica so I could get back to my shopping.

"Did Edward come back?"

"No," I answered. "Just Jasper." There was no reason to bring Alice right now.

"Well at least you have Jasper," Jessica said.

I dropped the potato and turned to face Jessica. "What is that supposed to mean?" I demanded.

She shrugged. "Nothing really, we always wondered how close you were to the Cullens. Now Jasper is back, but there's no Edward. Seems kind of strange. Makes me wonder how close you were to Emmett."

Jasper chose that moment to walk over to us. He dumped the ice cream and brownie mix into the cart. "Jessica," he greeted politely.

Jessica may not have noticed it but I recognized that look in Jasper's eye. It was the angry vampire took. The look that meant Jasper was about to do something.

"Jasper," Jessica said with a fake smile.

Jasper stared at her for a minute. I wasn't sure what he was doing until I heard her whimper. "Jasper stop," I whispered so Jessica wouldn't know he was responsible for whatever she was feeling. Another few seconds passed before the whimpering stopped and Jessica ran away from us. "What did you do to her?"

"Everything you felt, all that pain you had when we were gone, that I know you still feel deep down… I made her feel it all," Jasper said, turning to face me. "For someone as shallow as Jessica, who has never felt real pain, she couldn't handle it."

"You shouldn't have done that," I scolded. "What if she realizes you did it?"

"She won't," Jasper said confidently. "Humans are quick to explain away the unexplainable. You're the only human to see through that."

I grabbed the rest of the items on list and followed Jasper to the register. "I'm going to wait outside," I told him. The last thing I wanted was to see how much money he was wasting for me and Charlie. Jasper nodded and pulled out his wallet.

I leaned against my truck as I waited. I didn't expect this to take long. I felt bad leaving Jasper to do all the work alone but I needed some space. "Hello darlin'," a southern man greeted.

I jumped at the sound of his voice. I turned and was horrified to find two pairs of red eyes staring at me.