I was frozen in place. Two human drinkers were here, most likely to kill me. I wanted to run but there was nowhere to go. They would catch me in an instant. I opened my mouth to scream for Jasper but before I could a cold hand was placed over my mouth.

"It's me Bella," Jasper whispered in my ear. I instantly relaxed.

"Peter, you asshole," the woman said smacking the back of the man's head. "Jasper warned us she had bad experiences with human drinkers." The woman turned her attention to me and smiled warmly. "I'm Charlotte. It's good to finally meet you Bella."

Peter. Charlotte. These were Jasper's friends. The ones that fed on humans. They never had any intention of hurting me. Apparently, Peter was playing a joke. One that was not actually funny.

"Peter," Jasper said with a sigh. "You know she is mated to Tanya Denali. If she was here, she would rip you to pieces. Hell, she might do it anyway."

"Sorry Bella," Peter said sheepishly. "It's nice to meet you."

"Peter, shut up and put the groceries in the truck," Jasper ordered. While Peter loaded up my truck, Jasper turned his attention to Charlotte. "I thought you guys were coming tomorrow."

"Alice called and told us about the newborns," Charlotte explained. "She also told us about Tanya's reaction and how she is destroying animal life in the areas surrounding Forks. We thought it was best to get here sooner."

Jasper nodded in approval. "Good. With you both here we can move forward." Move forward. That meant they were actually going to confront these vampires. I didn't like it. "Don't worry Bella. With nine vampires and the wolves we will be fine. Come on. We need to get you back. You can follow Bella's scent back to her house. I need you two to patrol until Tanya returns."

"Sure thing Major," Peter agreed.

Jasper held out his hand and I handed the keys over. He opened the passenger door for me. Once I was inside, he went to the driver's side. "Your emotions are all over the place," he said as we left the parking lot.

"Those are your friends?" I asked ignoring his statement.

"Yes, they are," Jasper confirmed. "Peter's a bit like Emmett. He thinks he's funny. But I can say for certain I wouldn't be alive without those two. They are no threat to you Bella, if that's what you're worried about."

"Why did Peter call you Major?" I questioned.

Jasper chuckled. "I wondered if you were going to catch that. When I was human, I was the youngest Major in the Confederate Army." My jaw dropped. I had no idea how old he was. "I found a woman, Maria, I thought she needed help. She turned me. It turned out she was creating an army of newborns. I was her right hand. I created newborns and once their newborn phase was over, I disposed of them. Peter and Charlotte were two of the vampires I turned. But when I came time, I couldn't kill them, so I let them escape."

"That's why Tanya put you in charge," I realized. "I wondered, Tanya was so focused on doing everything herself. Then you showed up and she let you run everything. It was strange."

Jasper laughed. "Yes, she is well aware of my history. She may like being in charge but she knows I am our best chance at beating the newborns."

Jasper pulled into the driveway. "You fed on humans then, didn't you?"

"I did," he confirmed. "It wasn't until I met Alice that I learned there was another way. It is also why my control is so weak compared to the others. I spent a little over a century feeding when I wanted, on whoever I wanted."

"You're too hard on yourself," I told him. "You spent a century feeding on humans and only half that time trying to overcome that. No one should expect you to be perfect. I'm sure even Tanya, Kate and Irina slip up from time to time."

"Well that's not entirely true," Jasper said with a laugh. "I don't think they've slipped in hundreds of years."

"Why didn't Tanya lose control when she had human blood?" I wanted to know.

"It's hard to say for sure," he said as she pulled into my driveway. "I think it's a mixture of practice, the fact that she didn't have much blood and her focus on you that helped her stay in control." He turned to face me. "She can't hurt you Bella. Even in the worst blood lust, she could never hurt you. Come on, I'll help you cook." I stared at him. "I can follow directions."

Jasper dumped the groceries onto the table. It seemed, like humans, vampires did not enjoy making more than one trip to the car for groceries. "Thanks," I told him.

"What do you need me to do?" he questioned.

"Um, what can you do?" I asked him.

Jasper laughed. "I know the basics Bella," he answered. "Just don't expect me to taste anything."

I laughed along with him. "Alright. Turn the oven on. You can make the brownies."

"Yes, Chef Swan," Jasper said saluting me. He paused halfway through making the brownies. "Have you ever thought about what you want to do in the future?"

I dropped the knife I was holding. "I haven't really thought about it in a while," I admitted. "When I was with Edward all I wanted was to be a vampire. Now, I still want to be a vampire but I don't know… Maybe I want to go to school and have a career."

"We could help with that," Jasper offered. I turned to look at him. "We've attended most of the Ivy League schools. We could help you prepare for the exams. That mixed with some donations with guarantee you entrance."

"I don't want to rely on you guys to get me into school," I told him. It was a tempting offer but if I couldn't do it on my own then what was the point.

"There's nothing wrong with getting some help," Jasper said. "But if you want to do it on your own, I can respect that. That doesn't mean I won't help you prepare, once you figure out where you want to go."

Where I wanted to go. There was the biggest problem. Where did I want to go? A year ago I would have said it didn't matter, as long as I was with Edward. Now… now things were different. Tanya and her family lived in Alaska. That wouldn't be my first choice to live. It was far too cold there for my liking. But it was cloudy, exactly what they needed.

"Tanya would follow you anywhere," Jasper said. "They may live in Alaska but it doesn't mean they have to stay there. Don't chose Alaska just because you think that's what she wants. Choose what you want."

"Thanks Jasper," I said before returning to what I was doing.

While I made dinner, Jasper finished making the brownies. Every once in a while, I would check to make sure he didn't mess it up but it turned out he followed directions well. "Brownies are in the oven," he announced.

"Great. I have the steaks marinating." I gestured toward the bags with the steaks in them. "Once the brownies are done, I can get the potatoes in the oven." I looked around the room. "Are they not coming inside?"

"No, they are patrolling," Jasper said. He cocked his head to the side. "They will come in if you want, but they don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"They don't make me uncomfortable," I protested.

Jasper shook his head. "You may believe that. But I can feel your emotions. You're scared of them."

"It's not them," I said slowly. "It's the eyes. The red. They remind me of James… and Victoria."

Jasper nodded in understanding. "Your experience with vampires hasn't been the best. There's nothing wrong with being scared. Honestly when we first saw you, I thought there was something wrong with you because you weren't scared of us." I laughed. He wasn't the first to say that about me. "My point is, not all vampires are the same. Most of them are bad. But some of them are actually good, like Peter and Charlotte."

"Why do they feed on humans then?" I questioned. I dropped the dish towel. The dishes could wait.

"Human blood makes us stronger," Jasper said slowly. "They were weak for so long, thanks to Maria. They don't want to feel like that again. If it wasn't for my gift I would probably still feed on humans. But I don't, because I feel their pain." He sat down at the table. "They only feed on murderers and rapists."

"So it's better to feed on human blood," I muttered. "And with the newborns…"

"Bella no," Jasper said. "I know what you're thinking."

I looked down. I felt guilty for what I was thinking. I wanted to convince them to drink human blood, so they have better chance of surviving. It was terrible thing to think. I was willing to sacrifice innocent people in order to protect Tanya and her family.

"I… I'm sorry," I muttered.

Jasper pulled me into his arms. "Don't feel bad Bella. If I were in your shoes and it was Alice, I would be thinking the same thing. But it would be wrong. No matter how much we want to protect them, this lifestyle is their choice. We can't change that and we shouldn't try."

I leaned against his shoulder. He was almost as comfortable as Tanya. "You're right," I muttered.

Once the cooking was done Jasper cleaned up the kitchen while I ate. The extra plate for Charlie was covered in foil and placed in the microwave. I left a note on the counter so he would know there was food. Jasper promised to make sure Charlie saw the note.

"So, what's next?" Jasper asked sitting in the chair across for me.

I shrugged. "You did everything else I needed to do," I told him.

He leaned back. "Well, we could spend some time with Peter and Charlotte, or just Charlotte if you prefer," he suggested. I hesitated. I wasn't sure how I felt about seeing them again. "Or not. They won't be offended if you don't want to see them."

"No, it's fine," I said. "Can we start with Charlotte though?" Charlotte reminded me a bit of Irina. That seemed much easier to deal with than Peter.

"Of course, Bella," he said. His lips moved again but no words came out. Seconds later there was a knock on the door.

Jasper followed me to the front door. I already knew it was Charlotte but I was still surprised to see the red eyes staring at me when the door opened.

"Hello Bella," Charlotte greeted with a grin. She turned her attention to Jasper. "Major."

"Charlotte," he said with a nod.

"Come inside," I said stepping aside to let her in.

"Thanks for letting me come Bella," Charlotte said. "I'm sorry about Peter. I told him not to do it but he was convinced it would be funny. He doesn't seem to understand that just because you're okay with vampires doesn't mean you don't get scared."

"Thank you," I said unsure what to say. "Do you want…" I blushed. "Um, never mind."

I glanced at Jasper and he was smiling slightly. "Relax Bella, you're overthinking everything."

Jasper and Charlotte followed me to my room. Charlotte sat at the desk while Jasper sat at the edge of the bed. "So Bella, how on Earth did you get mixed up with vampires?" Charlotte asked.

I blushed. "I um… dated Jasper's brother, Edward," I began.

Charlotte looked at Jasper. "Where is he? If he started this mess why is he not helping?"

"He left," I told her. "Months ago, and he hasn't come back. He said he would never come back."

"Sounds like we need to have a talk with Carlisle," Charlotte said with a sigh. "Letting a human know about us and then abandoning her…" she shook her head. "If Edward had just dealt with this vampire when he killed her mate none of this would have happened."

"I know." He looked to me. "You will never know how sorry I am for going against my instinct to end Victoria."

I scooted over so I could hug him. "I don't blame you. I never blamed you. I saw you that day when you and Alice took me to Phoenix. You wanted to hunt her too."

"I did, but I let Carlisle talk me out of it. He convinced me to give her a chance and I will regret that for the rest of my existence," Jasper said sadly. He squeezed my arm.

"I can see it now," Charlotte said. I jumped at the sound of her voice. I had almost forgotten about her. "I wondered how Tanya could be mated to a human. I have nothing against humans, but it's strange for a vampire to be mated to one. But now, now I see it. You're caring and you seem unaffected by your closeness to vampires."

I shrugged. Being close to vampires didn't bother me, unlike most people. The only thing that bothered me was the vampires that tried to kill me. I yawned. It was a busy day, meeting new vampires, vampires that didn't want to kill me for a change.

"You should sleep Bella," Jasper said standing up. "Tanya will be by soon."

"It's still early," I protested. "I want to see Charlie when he gets home." I checked the time. It was 8:00pm. If Alice was right, and she usually was, Charlie would be home in twelve minutes.

Jasper nodded. "Alright." He turned to Charlotte. "Can you run the perimeter? I want an update before Charlie returns."

"Yes Major," Charlotte agreed before disappearing out of the window.

"I'm going to get ready to for bed, while I wait for Charlie," I told him.

Jasper laid on my bed and closed his eyes. "I'll wait here for you," he said. "I know what you're thinking, and no, I'm not leaving. Not until Tanya returns. I will not leave you unprotected."

I didn't say anything. There was no point in arguing with him. I had tried and it never worked. I quickly grabbed my pajamas and went into the bathroom. Normally, when Tanya was here, I would rush through my nightly routine so I could go back to my room. Tonight, however, I took my time. By the time I was rinsing the mouthwash out I could hear the front door open and close.

I ran out of the bathroom and down the stairs, tripping once I hit the bottom step. Charlie caught me before I hit the ground. "Bella," he said surprised. "What's wrong?"

I steadied myself. "Nothing's wrong. I heard you come home. Did you find anything?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

Charlie hung up his hat and jacket. "No, no sign of the Biers boy anywhere. I'm starting to think we won't find him."

As sad as it was, I was happy he was starting to realize that. The sooner he gave up, the better. "I'm sorry. I made dinner. It's in the microwave for you. Do you want me to heat it up?"

Charlie perked up at that. "That would be great Bells. I'm going to take a quick shower."

While Charlie went upstairs to shower, I headed to the kitchen to warm his plate of food. Before I got to the kitchen Jasper was waiting for me. His eyes black. "Wha—"

Jasper pressed a finger to my lips. "I smell a vampire on your father," he whispered in my ear. "I don't know if they are listening, or nearby." My whole body tensed up. "I need to talk to Carmen and Eleazar."

"Go," I urged him.

He shook his head. "I can't leave, not until Tanya returns. But I need Peter. Will you be okay with that?" I nodded. If it meant protecting Charlie then I could deal with Peter. "I'll wait until you're upstairs to call him."

Jasper disappeared and Charlie came down the stairs a minute later. I placed the now warm plate of food on the table along with a glass of milk. "This looks delicious Bells," Charlie commented.

"Thanks," I said embarrassed. "I wanted you to have a good meal when you got home. Is there anything else you need?" Charlie shook his head. "I'm going to head to bed then. Goodnight."

Charlie swallowed a mouthful of food. "Goodnight Bella," he said as I left the room.

Jasper was in the same spot I had originally left him in. Jasper glanced at me and I nodded. "Peter," he called.

There was a slight breeze and Peter appeared on the opposite side of the room from me. "Major, Bella," he greeted. This Peter was different, more serious. It made me nervous.

"You heard," Jasper said. It seemed more for my benefit.

"I did Major. Alice is following up with Carmen and Eleazar," Peter informed us. "If a vampire was near him, he didn't mean Charlie any harm. Otherwise Alice would have seen it."

I frowned. "Why can't she see vampires going near him?"

"She can't see everything," Jasper said patiently. "She's already watching too much. She's bound to miss something. This vampire didn't mean your father harm. That much is certain. Alice would have seen that."

"Perhaps it's a test," Peter said thoughtfully. Jasper and I turned to him.

"Elaborate," Jasper commanded.

"Victoria, she's managed to get around Alice's visions, correct?" Jasper nodded. "Perhaps this is Victoria's way of testing just how far she can go without us knowing." Peter growled and it took all my willpower not to flinch. "The bitch is smart."

Jasper sighed. "Now more than ever we need to find her and end this."

There was another gust of wind and I found myself wrapped in Tanya's arms. I sighed in relief. She glanced at Peter and nodded slightly. "We will go," Peter decided. He turned to me. "You will be safe Bella. I promise."

Jasper and Peter disappeared out the window.