All characters from The Vampire Diaries belong to L.J. Smith as well as all characters from Twilight belong to Stephanie Meyer. I own nothing but my version of events.

Chapter 31 Trust

I woke up startled, sitting up in bed looking frantically around me. Just as I did, Jasper burst into my room coming straight toward me and scooping me into his arms as I simultaneously felt a warm hand rubbing my back soothingly.

I was completely disoriented for a few minutes but once I gathered myself I took a look around me and that's when I noticed the room was a complete mess. There were things lying on the floor and a few of them looking completely destroyed. I pulled away from Jasper and asked, "What happened?"

He looked at me in confusion until he followed my line of sight. He sighed and brushed his hair back from his face. "You lost control of your emotions last night Bella. Your shield began pulsing around us and everything in the room took the brunt of it."

I panicked for a second. "Where's Paul?! Did I hurt him?"

"Shhhhh… no. No Darlin' he's ok, he's sleeping in his room. It's still 4 o'clock in the morning."

I was so relieved he was ok, I've never been worried about hurting anyone I cared about with my powers before, until this very moment. I would never forgive myself if I hurt someone I loved.

"Do you want me to get him Bella?" Damon asked, who was quietly sitting next to me in bed rubbing my back with his warm touch.

I turned to look at him and took a hold of his hand. "No, don't. Let him sleep. If you guys say he's ok then I believe you." I sighed in relief. "I'm sorry I scared you guys."

Damon instantly shook his head at me. "No it's my fault. Sometimes I just act before I think, I'm sorry."

I smiled gently at him. "I know you're sorry Damon. I'm not trying to change you. I love the person you are already but I do need you to listen to me when I warn you about danger." I said as I leaned on his shoulder. He nodded at me and I closed my eyes again feeling suddenly sleepy again. I felt Jasper lay me back but as soon as I felt his cold body move away from me I pulled him back to me. I felt like I needed to be surrounded by them both, I wanted Paul too but I didn't want to wake him up just for that. So I consoled myself with feeling both Jasper and Damon lying next to me, maintaining contact with me in some way. I felt my eyes drifting closed and fell back to sleep…. a peaceful sleep this time with Jasper's mojo working its magic on me.

When I next opened my eyes the light coming from the sun was streaming through the windows. I felt both incredibly warm and cold. I leaned up on my elbows and looked around me. The room was still a mess. Damon was still sleeping next to me and Jasper was sitting up in bed on my other side. What made a giggle come out of my mouth was when I saw Paul draped along the bottom of the bed, holding on to my legs. It was a good thing this bed was huge.

I sat up and pulled Jasper to me, kissing him on his lips. "Thank you for staying the whole night."

"No need to thank me." He said sincerely. "I enjoyed snuggling up with you... and two other men." He joked.

I laughed quietly with him. "When did this dude show up?" I asked him as I gently stroked Paul's hair.

"Around 6 o'clock. He wanted to make sure you were okay after I told him how you woke up in the middle of the night. He decided to stick around in case you had another nightmare, though I reassured him that wouldn't happen with my power. He wouldn't budge and said he wanted to stay just in case you somehow managed to shield my powers away from you in your sleep."

I hummed in agreement. "That could happen but I'm glad it didn't… what time is it?" I asked.

"10 a.m."

"Ok not too bad." I said, I tried to get up but I couldn't with both Paul and Damon hanging onto me. I looked pleadingly at Jasper and he chuckled at my predicament. He held onto me firmly and helped me wiggle out and placed me on my feet next to the bed. "I'm gonna shower. I feel like I need to wash away yesterday's mood."

I mended the broken items around me and returned the furniture and everything in the room back to its rightful place as I bent down to kiss him in thanks but Jasper held onto my face as he quietly kissed me.

It felt so comforting to feel our connection again. "Join me?" I asked him.

He smiled up at me and stood up, picking me up as he carried me into the bathroom. He placed me on the counter and I watched him turn on the water, setting it to the right temperature. I could see he'd memorized the setting from my shower yesterday. He walked back towards me and I immediately reached for him and pulled him into a hug. I nuzzled my face into his neck and breathed in his sweet vampire scent. I felt so tired and slightly emotional still and I didn't know how to handle it. Sensing my emotional distress Jasper sent me calming vibes, I hugged him tighter in thanks.

I leaned away from him and pulled my shirt up over my head and unclasped my bra. He watched me as I moved, he had a hungry look in his eyes but I could tell he was trying to hold it in because of what I was going through. I suddenly felt like I needed to release the tension out of my body and it was the only way I thought of doing it. I spelled the inside bathroom preventing anyone from opening the door and blocking any sound from coming out. I had a feeling I was going to be loud. I sent Jasper how I was feeling and he looked into my eyes for reassurance, once he found what he was looking for he pulled me off of the counter and turned me to look into the mirror at our own reflections.

He took his clothes off as I watched him, "I need you to tell me if I'm hurting you. Do you understand?"

"Yes." I quickly answered.

He stood behind me completely naked and took hold of the sides of my panties, kneeling down behind me to slide them down my legs. The next thing I knew my chest was lying flat on the counter in front of me and Jasper had picked up my lower half and placed my knees on top of his shoulders. I felt his tongue slide into my folds and my breath got stuck in my throat in surprise at his quick movements.

He grabbed onto my ass cheeks and squeezed them with his hands, moving my body to match the movements of his tongue. I leaned down onto my forearms on the counter and looked up into the mirror. My ass was high up in the air and I could see Jasper's hands on my ass moving me at his will and the top of his blonde head bobbing up and down behind me. The erotic sight reflected in the mirror and the feel of his tongue on my clit pulled out a loud moan from me. I'd never been in this position before as someone ate me from behind and it filled me with so much pleasure.

"Jasper." I whined trying to move with him as he moved his tongue from my clit and all the way up to my opening until he slid his tongue inside and fucked me with his tongue. I could see his eyes now watching me from behind and we made eye contact in the reflection of the mirror. Fuck me, and here I thought the last sight was rendering me useless but this right here… I couldn't find the words to express it. I also couldn't help the noises that came out of my mouth. I whined and I moaned, I begged him not to stop and I told him to go faster. I wanted everything and anything he could give me.

A keening noise left my mouth and he slid his tongue lower back down to my clit and then I felt his nose poking inside of me. Holy shit! Was my last thought as I lost myself in pleasure. I never realized the advantages of cold vampires lacking the need to breathe. Now I did, who knew he could use his nose to fuck me too. I felt my orgasm coming fast and when I felt him slap my ass I tightly shut my eyes as I screamed out my release. My brain was full of mush and I didn't know who the hell I was at the moment.

I felt him stand up behind me and slide his cock into me as he lifted me off of the counter. My back was now tightly pressed onto his chest being held there by his hand on my neck, he tilted my head to the side as he rubbed his face into my neck spreading my own essence onto my skin. He nibbled and he sucked as he fucked me from behind. I grasped his right hand that was holding my hips in place as my pelvis was pressed up against the counter, I placed my left hand flat on the counter in a vain attempt to gain some leverage. "Harder Jasper, please." I begged him. He was being too gentle, too scared to hurt me but that was not what I needed at the moment. "I'll tell you when to stop but please go faster." I whined.

He looked at me from behind my hair and whispered in my ear. "Don't let me hurt you."

I nodded and turned my head to the side to look directly into his eyes and not just at his reflection in the mirror. I kissed him, thrusting my tongue into his mouth and tasting myself in his mouth and moaned, "I trust you Jasper." I released his mouth and then turned back into the mirror. He had a determined look on his face as he started to pick up his pace.

He was keeping control and I was proud of him. Feeling my pride he smiled at me and went faster. "Keep going." I encouraged, "Fuck Jazz keep going." I whined out, he was getting so close to the speed that I needed but I wanted instant gratification. Once he started slamming into me I yelled in pleasure, "Right there! Fuck yes! Right there Jasper!" I moaned out. He felt so good and my moans were coming out louder and louder until I was basically screaming. I was so thankful I had powers at this moment because I'm sure if someone heard me right now they would think he was killing me.

Jasper was moaning into my ear, "So good Bella…. You feel so good." He said breathlessly. How I managed to make a vampire who didn't need to breathe pant into my ear surprised me every time. "Look how good we look." He moaned out.

I opened my eyes and looked up at the mirror again. He was pounding so hard into me that his forwards thrusts were making my tits bounce up and down with the force. He was looking at me with such intensity that it threw me over the edge as I screamed his name in my release. I felt him stiffen behind me and he growled into my ear as he came. His cold cum hitting my insides and sliding down my legs. The contrast of the heat from the friction we had created and the coldness of his semen inside of me felt incredible. His thrust became slower each time until he stopped completely. We were both still breathing heavily and I turned my head to the side to kiss him again.

I released his lips and then bumped his nose with my own and smiled up at him. "Thank you." I said. "I really needed that."

He chuckled behind me as his hands caressed my breasts. He was still inside of me and his hips were still pressing me lightly into the bathroom counter. "My pleasure Darlin' " He said as he winked at me. I leaned back onto his chest and closed my eyes for a while, letting his cold skin cool my heated flesh.

"Shower now?" He asked me.

I nodded my head and he pulled out of me slowly. He grabbed a hold of my hand and pulled me into the shower. I loved it when he washed me, he was a lot more gentle in his vampire body. It was kind of funny but I understood his need to be extra cautious. Though how he just pleasured me and then fucked me proved he knew exactly how to handle my human body even in his vampire form. I helped him wash himself and then he grabbed the two towels he'd hung up near us and used them to dry me and then dry himself.

"Are they still in my room?" I asked Jasper.

"Yes but they're in the seating area so they won't be able to see you" He said laughing at me. "You could walk out of here completely naked and you'd be fine." He teased.

I stuck my tongue out at him and left the bathroom quickly making my way to the walk-in closet filled with clothes for me and Jasper that Felix had provided for us the morning after our arrival. Jasper picked out my clothes for me and I let him, he chose to go with a sundress and wedges. I shook my head at his choice, not really my style but complied anyway as I put it on. He also changed his clothes and we both walked out together, heading to the living space and finding Paul and Damon sitting there talking. I made my way over to the couch and sat in between them. Paul pulled me into his side and leaned his head on my still wet hair while Damon just held my hand.

"Feel better?" He asked me as he scratched my scalp with his fingers.

"Mmm-hmm." I simply said.

"You should you little minx! I'm sure Jasper helped you out with that… and not just with his emotional mojo." He teased as he ruffled my hair.

I laughed and pulled away from him, pushing his shoulder at his teasing. I heard both Jasper and Damon chuckling at me.

"Whatever." I finally said.

"We brought you food." Damon said, pulling my attention to him.

"Thank you." I said as I kissed his cheek and got up to the side table where my silver tray of food lay, convered with a lid. I uncovered it and found all kinds of breakfast foods. Paul knew when I was emotionally unstable I loved to eat a little bit of everything. I turned to look at him and he winked at me. "So what's on the agenda for today?" I asked them.

"I'm going over to watch the guards training." Jasper said as he sat in the seat in front of me.

"I think I'll join Jasper for a bit and then maybe wander around if I find anything else interesting." Paul added.

"And I'll stick with one of the guys today." Damon quietly said.

I stopped eating to turn and take a look at him. "You don't have to Damon." I said frowning at him, "I trust you."

He smiled at me but shook his head. "I know but I still think I should be near one of the guys just for your own peace of mind."

"I trust you Damon." I repeated. "I know yesterday was rough but I think we've both learned a bit more about each other because of it, and if you're worried about retaliation don't be. No one will hurt you Damon. Everyone in this castle got a good look at my powers and no one will dare to defy me or touch any one of you." I reassured him, hoping he wasn't doing it because he was scared or anything.

"Oh I'm sure about that," Damon chuckled at me "but I don't have any plans and I'm good." He insisted, shrugging his shoulders.

I nodded at him and returned to my food, not wanting to push his boundaries.

We all separated once I finished eating and I made my way to the greenhouse where I talked with Marcus yesterday, hoping he'd be there.

I was passing through a dark hallway when I heard a string of music coming out of a closed wooden door. I wanted to knock but I didn't want to disrupt the beautiful melody so I opened the door knowing whatever vampire was inside would know I was here and if they didn't want me there I'm sure they'd kick me out.

I found a grand piano and a pale white blonde set of hair with a lean body playing over the keys, his fingers moving delicately over the ornate piano. Every time I met him he surprised me with his talents. I leaned on the wall next to the wooden door and waited for the music to end hoping he wouldn't abruptly end his song because of me.

Luckily he didn't and once the last note of the song lingered in the air he turned to look at me, arching a brow in my direction.

I smiled at the action. "Sorry but I couldn't help myself. You play so beautifully. You can kick me out now if you'd like." I told him, letting him know he had an option but also telling him I didn't want to leave.

He shook his head and tilted his head to the side. Silently telling me to join him on the bench he was sitting on. Once I sat he looked down at me, "Do you play?" Caius asked me, speaking for the first time.

I shook my head. "No, though I've always wanted to… well this and the drums." I said, shrugging my shoulders.

"I can teach you." He offered.

I looked up at him in surprise and nodded my head enthusiastically. The tiniest of smiles creeped up into his face and he nodded at me.

And so for the next hour or so he guided me through a simple song. He was surprisingly a really good teacher, really patient and encouraging whenever I missed a note. After some time I stretched out my arms out in front of me and shook them feeling a cramp on my fingers and soreness on my arms, earning a cough from Caius as he tried to disguise his chuckle with a cough. Dummy, as if vampires needed to cough.

"That's it for today then. You're a fast learner Bella." He complimented me.

"Really?" I asked brightly.

He nodded his head at me.

"Awesome!" I exclaimed, earning a groan from him. "Sorry, the acoustics in this room are impeccable." I whispered to him.

This time he couldn't hold in his chuckle and it came out fully. I smiled at his reaction. "How are you feeling?" He finally asked me.

I frowned at him, "Fine, why?"

"We wanted to speak with you this morning but Paul informed us you were unavailable. Said you weren't feeling well?" He asked me.

"Uh, yeah. I'm sorry I didn't make it, we can have a meeting now if you guys are free." I said apologetically.

He nodded looking at me, "I'll schedule one in an hour's time."

"Excellent." I said as I stood up from the bench. "Thank you for the lesson. Maybe we can do it again sometime?" I asked tentatively. He nodded at me and I smiled at him. "Perfect. I'm going to head out now, I was actually on my way to the greenhouse hoping to find Marcus there."

He stood up with me and walked with me to the door. "He should be there at this time, tell him to lead you to the meeting room in an hour." He instructed me.

I nodded at him as he disappeared from my sight. I chuckled at his awkward departure and made my way to the tower. Once I reached it I decided to cheat and use my shield to float up there. There were way too many fucking stairs, No way was I going to climb those!

I quickly reached the top and opened the door to the greenhouse, making my way to Marcus' favorite bench. I found him sitting there reading a book which he closed instantly as he looked up at me with a smile.

"I see you've spoken with Caius." He said brightly.

How the hell did he know that?

He chuckled at the look on my face and explained my unspoken question. "Your bond with Caius is a little more solid today. He's opening up to you, I'm glad. He needs someone like you in his life…" He looked away from me and into the pond in front of him "we all do actually."

I silently walked to the bench and sat next to him, I dared to be bold and took hold of his hand. He turned to look at me in shock but quickly wrapped his own fingers around my own. "It's a good thing I'm here then." I said quietly.

"How are you feeling after what happened with Damon?" He asked me.

Seriously, how the hell did he know what was going on with me. He was like an old wise man pictured in fairytale books, except he didn't look old. He was in his early thirties, incredibly handsome, especially when his face became animated.

"I saw your bond with Damon shake."

I frowned at his words. "What does that mean?" I asked him.

"It means the bond is going through conflict, it shakes because you were both wavering as you were trying to find a balance between your two souls. It could lead to two different things. One: your bond completely breaks because the issue remains unresolved and it's unable to find a common ground between the two beings. Or two: You both find a resolution to the conflict and your bond strengthens as you join together and accept one another for who you are." At my worried expression he lightly squeezed my hand. "Do not worry Little One, your bond is stronger than it was when you arrived but even though you have found a common ground it does not mean that you do not feel the pain of the after effects."

I nodded in understanding. "You're right. It did strengthen our bond but I'm still a little shook up. I saw three of the most important men in my life being attacked and I panicked. I was terrified, but as always I hid my emotions behind my anger. I hate to show any weakness."

"Hmmm…" Marcus hummed. "I would like to say that you shouldn't do that but being surrounded by vampires and you being human, I'm afraid I have to encourage you to not show your weaknesses. You handled them well you know. No one will ever dare to defy you, they forcefully respected you before because of Aro's orders but now they both fear you and respect you. It is a great thing to accomplish in a place like this."

"I guess that's good to hear." I said, somewhere along our conversation I had involuntarily leaned my head on his shoulder.

"You are a special woman Bella." Marcus said. "My lovely Didyme would have absolutely adored you." He whispered to me.

"Tell me about her?" I asked quietly. I waited for him to speak but he remained silent. I thought I had overstepped my boundaries when I asked and was starting to regret it when I heard his gentle voice.

"She was absolutely beautiful. The most amazing creature I had even seen. She was tender and loving, always helping those in need. I had met her as a human while on a mission in Greece. She was near a vampire battle zone and she got too close helping someone lying on the street. As soon as I caught sight of her I knew she was my soulmate and I could not let her die. I protected her from our enemies, she watched me kill them right in front of her. I didn't want the rest of my guard to find her or her life would have been condemned to serve the Volturi guard and I didn't want that for her, so I told her to run and never look back. She did what I asked and ran back into the city but after that day I could not erase the picture of her face out of my mind. I got so distracted that I couldn't perform my kingly duties and Aro sent me on my way to get myself together. I knew exactly where I needed to be and I followed our faint mate bond that led me straight to her. I found her feeding the needy again, I smiled as I watched her and then followed her home once she was done. I watched her for weeks after that, trying every day to deny our bond but I couldn't. She consumed every part of my being. Until one day I followed her into a field full of flowers and she spoke up into the sky. 'I know you are there.' she said. 'Please let me see you.' I knew she was speaking to me, it was like her soul was calling my own. I could not deny her request and I appeared before her, she reached up to cup my face and I closed my eyes as I leaned into her touch. 'I have been so lonely since you have left. Please do not let me continue to drown in loneliness.' She pleaded with me and I knew in that moment I could never live a second of my life without her." The sorrow in his voice tore at my heart. He lifted my head from his shoulder and he wiped my tears with his thumb. "Do not cry for me, Dear One. I miss her every second of the day but it keeps her memories alive in my mind. It is because of her that I continue to stay alive and I treasure the centuries I have lived with her by my side. I may not have her in my arms now but I know she still lives within me, forever."

I tried to stop crying, I really did, but I couldn't stop my tears from falling. I threw myself into his arms and hugged him fiercely wanting with every cell in my body to heal his broken heart.

He hugged me back and then I felt him release a long breath. He gently pulled away from me looking at me in wonder. "What did you just do?" he asked me.

"What?" I asked him in confusion.

"You just did something to me Bella, when you hugged me I felt…. I have no words to describe it but the crushing pain in my heart suddenly disappeared. It feels like you… healed my broken heart." He said with a fond smile.

"I did?" I asked him. I guess I've barely tapped into my powers, I certainly didn't know I could do that. I'd have to do some research in my ancestor's journals when I went back home.

"Thank you Bella." He said in gratitude. "You are a true gift to our world."

I smiled at him and nodded, still surprised at this new development but frowned at Marcus' face as he looked off in question. "Why are my brothers angrily requesting for our presence?" He asked me.

My eyes widened and I slapped my hand over my face. "Oh crap! I forgot we were supposed to meet with your brothers for a meeting." I bit my lip as I asked my next question. "Is Caius really mad?" I really hoped I didn't ruin his opinion of me as my human brain completely forgot about it.

Marcus chuckled at the look on my face, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "No, he's just a little annoyed but we should head out as quickly as possible. Do you mind if I carry you?" He asked.

"Not at all, let's go!" I exclaimed as he picked me up and ran, reaching the meeting room door in less than a minute. I was so jealous at his speed, it would have taken me forever to get here on my own. Although at the moment I just remembered I had teleported yesterday, I was secretly excited. Too bad I wouldn't be able to practice it till I got home.

He opened the door for me and I entered, immediately apologizing for my lateness. "I am so sorry I'm late. I lost track of time and I forgot to tell Marcus."

"Bella are you alright?" Aro asked me.

"What? Yes, why?" I asked confused, wondering why he asked me that. Then I looked at his face and then at Caius' and they both looked concerned about me.

"Have you been crying, Dear Bella?" Aro asked instead.

"Oh yeah, a little. It's just that Marcus was telling me about Didyme. It was such a beautiful story." I explained. They both nodded in understanding and looked behind me. Their eyes widened as their gazes landed on Marcus.

"You look… happy." Aro commented.

"I am. All thanks to Bella." Marcus confirmed.

They both frowned at Marcus' words. "What do you mean brother?" Caius asked.

"She healed me from the pain of losing Didyme. I still feel her as a part of me but the pain that accompanied my soul at her loss has disappeared. I feel… free now." He said.

Aro frowned at me, "Is that part of your shield?"

I shook my head deciding I'd have to tell them about what I really was. So I purposefully strode over and plopped myself onto an empty arm chair in front of them, finally registering we weren't in the meeting room I had met them in previously. This room looked more informal and I reveled in the fact that they didn't feel the need to put up a front with me anymore.

"There's something I have not been completely honest with you all." I admitted as Marcus took a seat in the armchair next to me. "You see, I'm not just a human with a shield… I'm actually a witch, the last one of my kind in existence."

"What do you mean?" Caius asked me seriously.

I sighed internally hoping I hadn't once again ruined the progress I'd made by hiding this from them, I was hoping they would understand once they received an explanation.

Once I finished explaining how my power developed and how I discovered I was a witch a couple of months ago. They didn't look upset anymore and understood why I had kept it from them. They knew they weren't always viewed in the best light by other vampires and that their guards appearing so awfully in my home did not inspire the trust they had hoped to initially create.

I was happy they had understood and didn't blame me for keeping that away from them. "So what's the meeting about?" I asked.

"We wanted to discuss the incident that occurred yesterday. We were all worried about you and the rest of your companions, are you all alright?" Aro asked.

"Oh yes we're all okay, I actually wanted to apologize on Damon's behalf. His behavior was childish yesterday and he should have known better than to behave like that in a place where we were welcomed as guests. I've spoken to him and he will be apologizing to Jane the next time they meet."

Aro waved me off as I finished speaking. "Oh please, the castle needs a bit of comedy around here. We all actually enjoyed it, though we couldn't really show that amongst our guards. Damon does not need to apologize and neither do you. If anything Jane needs to apologize for taking it upon herself to enact a punishment she was not ordered to do by us, her masters. I'm afraid I have let Jane and her twin brother, Alec, believe they have power over this castle. They are two of my strongest guards because of their powers but we could easily function without them, they have forgotten their place and I have to take full responsibility for that."

I nodded at him in understanding. It was hard to be a leader sometimes, to find the perfect balance between being fair while also holding the undying respect of those under your guidance. I didn't envy his position.

"I see you understand my dilemma, being a leader such as myself." Aro said.

I frowned at his words. "I'm not a leader." I contradicted him.

Aro smiled at me fondly. "You are wrong, Dear Bella. I have observed you through the eyes of my guard in Mystic Falls and here in Volterra. You are indeed a true leader."

I shook my head in denial. "I'm really not and our dynamic is different. I'm part of my pack and Sam is our Alpha. My friends in Mystic Falls are just that, my friends."

He shook his head as I spoke. "You are mistaken, Dear One. Your dynamics might differ from ours but that does not mean you do not lead. They listen to you, they follow you, and most importantly they respect you. You know that ultimately if there were a decision needed to be made, your word would be the final verdict."

I thought carefully over his words, he was kind of right. When we discussed my visit to Volterra no one agreed with me, they knew I'd listen to their advice but in the end I would do what I felt was right. The only thing I asked was who would volunteer to come with me and even then I had the final decision on who would. I never wanted to lead anyone but somehow... in my own way I had managed to do exactly that. It was kind of eye opening but mostly terrifying, I didn't want my decisions to affect other people's lives. What if I made a wrong decision? Would they follow me blindly because I said so?

"You are thinking too much of this Little One." Marcus said as he grasped my hand. "Do not fear your position. You are a wonderful leader with a kind and gentle soul, you would never lead your family and friends astray. They all love and respect you, they trust you completely and know you would never willingly hurt them. You've been given a big responsibility but do not shy away from it. You are strong enough to handle the position you've been given, blessed by those you love. Do not waver in your commitment to keep your friends and family safe, it is what inspires you to make the right decisions for you and them."

Well fuck, that was deep and I was so unprepared for this conversation.

"I believe you to be a wonderful leader as well." Caius added at the end.

My eyes snapped up to his and he looked away from me quickly, not wanting to make eye contact. I'm assuming because he was not used to giving compliments as high as this to anyone. I felt Marcus gently squeeze my hand and when I looked up at him he winked at me, I smiled at him and nodded. That's as good as I was going to get from Caius for now, it was actually more than I could have ever imagined.

We spent the rest of our meeting discussing what little traces they had found from the werewolves but nothing notable. After discussing the important stuff we all kind of just hung out, I excused myself later that night when my stomach growled. I had missed dinner and Aro apologized for monopolizing my time, though he really didn't have to. To make it up to me he said he would have the cook send up my meal to my bedroom and I left them all happily making my way to my bedroom.

"How did it go?" Paul asked curiously. "You've been gone all day."

"Uh, extremely well actually." I said as I leaned on the wall to look at them all. "They wanted to apologize for what happened with Jane yesterday."

They all looked at me with shock in their eyes. "They apologized?" Damon asked in surprise.

"Yeah, they said something about Jane and her brother thinking they run the place and they're gonna correct that mistake. She shouldn't have used her power on you because she acted without the consent of the masters and that was a big no-no."

"They must really want you to fight by their side." Jasper commented.

I thought about that for a second and shook my head. "I don't think so. I think they're being sincere, I can feel it." I frowned as I looked at Jasper. "Don't you?" I asked him.

He looked at me for a while, I'm assuming tracing his memory back and analyzing his encounters with them until he finally nodded. "Yes, they have been sincere but I have not been in these meetings with you Bella. They might be doing it on purpose."

"Ok, so come with me tomorrow."

He frowned at me in thought. "Why Bella? I can tell you already trust them."

"Because I trust you more and if you tell me they are being insincere then I'll believe you. I'll refuse to help them and we can go back home." I said honestly.

He looked at me for a lot longer than I expected him to, I didn't know why he was looking at me like that but I didn't change my position or stance. He finally nodded at me in agreement, just as someone knocked and Felix poked his head in.

"Dinner?" He asked, raising the silver tray in his hand.

"Thanks Felix! Come in." I gestured for him to enter.

I sat on the table and quietly ate my food as the guys talked around me. Talking about their fighting techniques and styles, apparently all three had spent most of their day there and they piled questions upon questions for Felix to answer.

I was so exhausted from last night and this morning that I quietly left the room, going into the closet and getting a new pair of pajamas. I made my way to my bedroom and took another shower, a quick one this time. Once done I went back to my bedroom and found Jasper sitting on the edge of my bed looking deep in thought.

"Why do you trust me?" He asked quietly.

I frowned at his question. "Why wouldn't I?"

He didn't answer my question though, remaining silent as he sat there.

Seeing he wouldn't answer me, I answered instead. "Because you've never given me a reason not to… you're honest, you're kind, you're understanding and sympathetic. You are all of those things and so much more, though I still don't know how you're able to be any of those things with the life you've been led on. I trust you Jasper, just like I know you trust me."

He sighed and looked up at me and I saw the vulnerability in his eyes, one I had not seen too often.

"Don't ever doubt yourself Jasper. Don't ever doubt who you are and what you have to offer." I said sincerely as I extended my hand down to his face and brushed his hair back.

I hated that Maria and Carlisle had done this to him. That they made him loose his identity and with it his self-esteem but he didn't see himself the way I did. He was glorious. His ability to survive in the southern vampire wars and then falling prey to another evil being and coming out of that a tenacious man again spoke greatly of his strength and will, not everyone would have the will to stand back up and move on. I knew I would have to keep reassuring him of all that he is, he could have his moments of vulnerability but I would always be there to lift him up.

All I wanted was for him to be happy.

With that in mind I smiled, lifting my leg one at a time to straddle his lap. "Do you trust me Jasper?" I asked him.

"Yes." He said without a thought.

"Good, because I'd really like to prove to you just how much I trust you tonight." I said cheekily as I rubbed myself into his groin.

He smiled once he figured out what I was up to. "Great, because by the end of the night I'm going to trust the fuck out of you."

I laughed at his words as he lifted me off his lap and threw me onto the bed. His body quickly covering my own.

Yeah… I wanted to trust the fuck out of him too.