I stayed awake for two hours as Carlisle asked. I was surprised when there was a knock on the window as I got back into bed. The window had been left open and Jasper crouched in front of me for a second before he straightened.

A stranger's face peeked in the open window. I stiffened but Jasper calmed considerably. "Peter, Char, ya'll come on in."

"I never knew you had a southern accent," I told Jasper while the lithe blond man pulled himself in my window and was followed by an elfin-featured brunette.

He just smiled at me. I stood slowly beside Jasper and he introduced me. "Darlin' this is my brother Peter and his mate Char."

I stepped forward and hugged Peter tightly, followed by Char. "Thank you for waking me up. I can't believe he fed off me without my permission. I don't mean to be rude but I'm still a little shaky. Do you mind if we sit down on my bed to talk?"

"Sorry, little bit, I guess the transfusion didn't put you back to one hundred percent?" Peter asked.

"I'm still a little shaky on my feet but other than that I'm fine," I said sitting cross-legged on the bed. Peter watched my movements carefully as if he was trying to see the truth in my words.

"How did you know about me?" I asked Peter as Jasper sat down beside me.

"Well sweet pea, it's my gift. I just know stuff sometimes and I saw that you wouldn't make it without a little help. We were still in Seattle when you needed a wake up call so I texted you instead." Peter explained. "I have a friend who's good at hacking computers and getting information. I got your cellphone number from him."

"Please thank him for me when you speak to him next," I said.

Jasper

We talked with Bella while she fell back asleep. When Bella was mumbling softly in her sleep I said, "Alright Peter, fill me in on the rest. I know you only usually see decisions that are important to the three of us. Bella's important to me but I hadn't spent more than a minute alone in her company before tonight."

"Ah, Jasper, that little darlin' there is the one you've been searching for all these years. She's yours. Your mate. Your other half. She's to you what Char is to me or she will be. You didn't realize it 'cause she was with the boy and you were focused on Alice."

"How? Are you sure Peter?"

"I'm sure, Jasper. It's the reason you're so determined to protect her, even from your 'family' and you'll need to protect her. It's going to be difficult. Your Alice has been allowing Edward to feed. You notice she's nowhere around to protect Bella. The only ones clueless about what Edward has been doing are Esme, Emmett, and possibly Rose. You should call Em and let him know what's going on before you go to the family meeting."

"I need to take all this in. This wasn't what I was expecting you to say. I don't even know what I'm thinking."

"You're projecting Jasper and you're waking up Bella. Breathe and calm down."

"Sorry Peter, This is a lot of information all at once and I can't keep it from her," I explained.

"I reckon that Edward and Alice kept enough from her that she'll be cautious for a while. Just be patient Jasper, it'll all work out okay." Peter advised.

"You know that with your gift?" I asked hesitantly.

"Nope, but I'm betting on the little lady being alright in the end," Peter smirked.

I figured I'd better get the ball rolling. I texted Emmett, "Bring Rose and come to Bella's. Be quiet. She's sleeping."

"She looks like an Angel, Major," Char was watching Bella sleep.

"Will you stay up here with her while Peter and I go down to talk to Emmett? He's not going to be able to keep quiet when he hears what's been happening." I asked.

"Sure, Major, no one will get past me to your girl," Char said, grinning.

Peter and I jumped out of Bella's window and waited in silence for Emmett. He came out of the trees with Rose at his back looking cautiously between me and Peter.

"What's happening?" Emmett asked. His voice was quiet, for Emmett.

"Bella caught Edward feeding on her tonight. Carlisle had to give her a couple of bags of blood to get her through it. We're having a family meeting tomorrow. Bella's going to call it. Alice has been allowing this to go on and probably encouraged it. On top of all that, Peter says Bella is mine and with his gift, he would know."

"Shit man, when it rains it pours." Emmett boomed.

"Shh, Bella is sleeping. But yeah. She's pretty shaken up and she's still shaky from blood loss. I've got Char watching her right now but I was hoping I could count on you two helping me out tomorrow. Bella needs protection from Edward and Alice. Maybe from Carlisle and Esme too. You know how they get when Edward is involved.

"I'm in," Emmett declared.

"And you Rose," Jasper asked.

"I may not particularly like her but she doesn't deserve to be Edward's blood bag. I'll help you watch out for her tomorrow. Are you sure she's yours, Jasper?"

"Peter says so and he never says anything he doesn't know to be one hundred percent true. Still, I haven't felt the pull myself yet, so it isn't written in stone, I do feel compelled to protect her as I always have though." I explained.

"If she got far enough away from Edward she could have a human life Jasper, don't take that chance away from her." Rose insisted.

"If you think that little darlin' up there is still capable of having a normal human life, you haven't had your eyes open Rose. She's destined for our world. That girl'll never fit in the human world again." Peter said forcefully.

"Maybe," Rose said wistfully.

"We've got to get back to the house before we're missed. As it is they think we went out hunting. I suppose we could hunt on our way home to make it true. You watch over my little sister for me. I've got your back tomorrow." Emmett said as they started walking toward the trees.

Before we went back to Bella's room I made one more phone call. "Jenks, this is Jasper Whitlock. I need divorce papers drawn up for Alice and me. I also need a full set of identification including a new history and high school diploma made for Miss Isabella Marie Swan. Give her a different name and don't reveal it to anyone. Give her a bank account with thirty thousand to start three thousand added per month. I need it all done by tomorrow at one PM. My associate Peter Whitlock will be picking everything up."

"Y-yes Mr. Jasper," The poor man stuttered as I hung up. He was used to after-hours calls and rush jobs from me. It would be done. It would be top-quality work too, but it was gonna cost me dearly.

"Char and I fed on our way in Jasper. So we're good for a little while. You need to be at your strongest tomorrow so why don't you go feed while Char and I watch the little darlin'?" Peter said and I could see the sense in it. For a moment I considered the option of human blood. It would make me the strongest, but I just couldn't do it and I didn't think things were that dire yet. It may come down to it but we weren't there yet.

I hunted quickly, keeping in mind that Bella might wake but I lucked out and snagged a mountain lion. I caught a deer on the way back to Bella's house and jumped back up through the window. Taking in the emotional tenor of the room I could feel Bella's tension even in her sleep and Peter's relief.

"She keeps calling out in her sleep for Edward to stop. I didn't want to wake her up and her find you not here. I'm glad you're back brother." Peter said quietly.

I sat down on Bella's bed next to her and sent her into a deep and hopefully dreamless sleep. Her body needed the rest. I was worried about how she would take all the new information in her life. I was worried about how she would react to the family. I was worried about how she would react to Edward tomorrow. What if she forgave him?

"Projecting again, Major," Char said.

"Sorry. I've missed you two. We should visit more often," I said.

"Now that the little pixie won't be able to keep us apart I think that it will be a lot easier," Peter said lightly.

I thought back on the past fifty years. It was true that Alice didn't like Peter or Char particularly well. And it was uncanny how many times I'd start to think about a visit with them and Alice would decide she wanted to do something else. I'd gone on trips all over the world with her, mostly shopping trips. If Bella accepted me I didn't see that being a problem. She valued friends and family and so far she hadn't shown any discrimination because they were human drinkers once I assured her she would be safe.

Bella began to moan in her sleep and shift. "No Edward," she mumbled.

I had let up on the amount of lethargy I was sending her while I was thinking. Instead of sending her back to sleep, I woke her gently. "Bella," I said, "You're having a nightmare."

Bella's eyes flashed open and she sat up quickly, then laid back down. "Head rush," she muttered.

"What have I missed?" she asked quietly.

Peter said he was going to run a perimeter. Char joined him.

"I talked to Emmett and Rose. They're going to help me guard you tomorrow during the family meeting. Peter thinks that Alice, Esme, and Carlisle all knew Edward was feeding off of you."

Bella interrupted, "Alice, oh I'm sorry Jasper. That must be so much of a letdown. I thought she was my friend. Carlisle and Esme too? What's going to happen now? Will I be left alone again?"

Bella was getting panicked so I sent her a little calm. She stopped talking and took a few deep breaths. "Thank you Jasper, and not just for calming me down. You know, ever since I started hanging out with the Cullens you've always been my protector. You've always been there for me when I needed you, whether it was calming me down or helping me sleep or protecting me from a ruthless tracker."

"There might be a reason for that, but Peter was the one to point it out to me, so I'll understand if you have trouble believing it right away," Jasper said.

"And what's that Jasper?" Bella asked.

"He thinks you're my mate. At first, I was hesitant because surely we would know, but it occurred to me that I've never touched your skin or tasted your blood, both would give us a clue. In addition, you were always focused on Edward and I was always focused on Alice."