A/N: Twilight belongs to Stephanie Meyer, but her characters are fun to play with so I'm making them do my bidding for the foreseeable future. Jasper as the God of War and Peter 'just knowing shit' are ideas that belong to IDreamofEddy.

An enormous thank you to my beta and friend Laurie Whitlock, my pre-reader Shadman, and Shelljayz, my sister, who is a mixture of both.

Thank you again to everyone who has followed, favorited, reviewed or just stopped by for a visit. You all rock and I love you! :)

As I mentioned in the A/N at the bottom of the last chapter, I wrote an outtake for chapter 20. If you haven't read it, here is the link:

www . fanfiction - net / s / 8929858 / 1 / Outtakes - from - Longing. Replace the (-) with a period obviously. You really should read it. I will be posting outtakes periodically from now on in all points of view. They should be fun for the most part and will enrich the story as a whole. :) I will be posting one that will take place between chapter 20 and this chapter soon if not simultaneously. I suppose I can also ask if you would rather I just post the outtakes here instead of separately because they really are filled with pertinent information. I just can't add them to chapters for many reasons, so I would appreciate your thoughts on the matter.

One more thing before we move on to the good stuff. This is for the people who are seriously questioning why Jasper hasn't yet figured out that Bella is his mate. My response is to keep in mind that he has never thought of himself in the context of having a mate aside from noting that he doesn't want one. He's been around mated couples for a long time but because of his frame of mind, even though he's familiar with the signs, his mind isn't automatically going to go there. He'll figure it out when he's ready to. I'll tell you this. His continued confusion is a way of him protecting himself. How he became the God of War really does have a lot to do with why he hasn't figured it out yet and that whole thing was very traumatic. If he figures out what Bella is to him too soon, things will not go well for either of them. Also, read the second outtake, that will explain some things too. Be patient my dears!

And on to the good stuff!

Chapter 21

oOo

September 2080

Two Weeks Later ... 8:30 am

It was nearing the end of his shift and Carlisle had just finished his rounds in the hospital proper. The emergency room had been pretty quiet that morning but then, this was Forks. There were emergencies, of course, but there were quiet times too - a rarity in a more metropolitan hospital, but that was one of the things Carlisle liked about Forks General. Sure he could do more good in a larger, busier hospital. It would be easier to get lost in the background with so many other people and talented physicians too but in a small town like Forks there was less of a reminder of the mortality of humans and of the world in general. He could never forget the truth of it. He just didn't like to be reminded.

Sometimes Carlisle wished he didn't care so much. Then he wouldn't hurt so badly when he lost a patient, which was the current source of his melancholy. He had taken the loss of this particular patient exceptionally hard and his family was concerned. They had never known him to withdraw in this way and it truly had been a long time; long before they had come into his life. He was just glad he had so effectively been able to keep Edward out of his head. He loved his oldest son, but he needed to be alone in his grief, and if Edward saw the source of it he no doubt would share it with the others. It was best he kept this to himself. It was bad enough that Jasper was inadvertently sharing in it. His son would have helped to ease Carlisle's heartache if he'd asked, but he didn't ask. As miserable as he was, this was pain he needed to feel.

Needless to say, Carlisle was glad he was finished with his rounds. He wanted the solitude of his office. As he passed through the double doors that lead to the long hallway where his office was located, his nose picked up a scent that caught him by surprise. He picked up his pace, noting just how difficult it was for him not to race down the hall at vampire speed and just barely restraining himself from doing so.

As he reached the door, he took a deep breath that he didn't need for the purpose of oxygen but did so that he could center himself. He was feeling many things in that moment: nervousness, joy, confusion, relief, anger and so many other emotions he wasn't sure what to do with them all. He did know he had to walk into his office, he wanted to, he just wasn't sure what would happen once he did. That was life though, he supposed - never truly knowing what would happen next. Unless, of course, you had an Alice. He wouldn't trade Alice for the world but sometimes he missed it; that unpredictability.

Carlisle opened the door and stepped inside his office and there, sitting on his plump suede sofa, was Storm. He couldn't help the wide smile that broke onto his face.

"Hello, Storm," he said, the happiness in his voice apparent.

"Dr. Cullen," she greeted with a little smile on her face.

Carlisle's smile widened. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"Nor did I," Storm agreed, looking impassive.

Carlisle looked her over unabashedly, using his keen, clinical doctor's eye to study her condition and his nose to detect any sign of disease, internal bleeding, or infection. There were none and her condition seemed acceptable. He was pleased, relieved, and bewildered. "You look well for a girl who was on her death bed not long ago."

Storm's smile returned, bigger this time, a little sparkle in her eye as she said, "I had a good doctor."

-Flashback-

Three Weeks Ago ... The afternoon Bella was arrested ...

Carlisle had arrived at work on Saturday to complete a forty-eight hour shift after he had returned from a trip with Esme to Alaska, one that hadn't included a visit to their extended family. It had been another time meant for just the two of them, and even if they had wanted to drop by the Denalis', they hadn't been willing to deal with the aftermath of Jasper's last trip there; which apparently hadn't eased much according to Eleazar and Carmen though it had been weeks ago. Jasper had always been very clear with his intentions. Tanya and Irina always claimed they understood and accepted them. They always lied.

Alice was still shopping in Seattle but she had called around 1:30 that morning to tell the family that Jasper was making his way to Peter and Charlotte's in Rio Grande City, Texas. They owned miles and miles of land, ensuring for the most part that they wouldn't be seen if caught in the sun, and that land included a long strip of beach. Of course, being spotted due to the sparkle of their skin was much less of an issue for the three of them. Their scars subdued that physical characteristic quite a bit. They glowed more than anything and that wasn't nearly as noticeable if they were unlucky enough for a plane to fly overhead. At that point, Carlisle didn't care if an entire fleet of planes saw Jasper naked and sparkling like a dozen glitter bombs had gone off on him. He thought some sun would do Jasper some good and that was all that mattered.

Jasper had called around 11:30 am to tell everyone he'd arrived safely but hadn't lingered on the phone long according to Esme.

It was now mid-afternoon and as soon as Carlisle stepped into his office his phone began to ring.

"Hello," Carlisle answered in his most professional and polite voice.

"Hiya, Doc," Peter greeted. His voice sounded bright just as it usually did but there was something different about it. Carlisle couldn't quite place what it was.

"Peter," Carlisle greeted in turn, his own voice bright. He wondered what was wrong with the other vampire. There was only one way to find out. "How can I help you?"

Peter cut straight to the point. "You need to go to Louisville."

Carlisle's eyebrows rose. "Oh?" he asked, curiously. "Why is that?"

"I wish I could tell you, Carlisle," Peter answered, seriously. He sounded perturbed.

"You don't know?" It was a rhetorical question. Carlisle wasn't sure why he had asked.

Peter chuckled darkly, a note of irritation there as well. "Ironic isn't it? The guy who 'just knows shit' not knowing shit."

"Hmm," Carlisle mused, beginning to consider the reasons why Peter's gift might be malfunctioning.

He heard the snapping of fingers on the other end of the line and Peter's voice sounded again, "Stay with me, Doc."

"Sorry."

"We don't have time for apologies. Your plane is leaving in three hours. You need to haul ass to Sea-Tac," the younger vampire told him.

Carlisle opened his mouth to ask him a few questions but Peter beat him to the punch. "I took care of your flight and your hotel. Your cover is a medical conference in Chicago. Louisville is where you'll really be going obviously. There's a medical conference there too but the family and Forks General need to think you're in Chicago and, no, I don't know why."

"But Alice-" Carlisle managed to interject.

"Alice won't see you. Her gift is acting up too," Peter informed him.

"Oh," Carlisle answered stupidly. He wasn't sure what else to say.

"The only thing I can tell you," Peter continued, getting back on topic, "is that it has something to do with a wildfire."

oOo

Sunday

Carlisle had been in Louisville for more than a day. He had attended the medical conference all day, only half paying attention to the lectures on new breakthroughs and presentations on cutting edge new machines, tools, and various other things that would make the running of hospitals more efficient and improve the quality of care provided to patients while continuously streaming the local news on his phone, listening through one nearly invisible earbud for any breaking stories on wildfires in the area. The medical conference was also a good place to collect supplies for any emergencies he might encounter, and he had most certainly done that. Peter had also booked him accommodations in a hotel just two blocks from the University of Louisville Hospital.

Carlisle was beginning to wonder if perhaps the younger vampire's gift was more than just "acting up". He shook that thought aside. Malfunctioning gift or not, he had to put his faith in Peter. He had never led him and his family astray, and after all the things he'd done for Jasper, he deserved patience. Carlisle was a patient man but even he had his moments where his limit in that regard was breached. He would endure though. He always did. He just felt on edge and Jasper wasn't there to ease it. His son didn't always interfere, forever knowing when it was appropriate to use his gift and when it was not. In this situation, Carlisle imagined Jasper would take pity on him. Perhaps he'd gotten spoiled, maybe even entitled.

It was half-passed two in the morning when Carlisle abandoned the televised news in favor of the good old-fashioned newspaper. Decades ago he had expected the newspaper to be a relic that one would only see in a museum by now, but the terrorist attacks and resulting war had so drastically changed things. There were some areas of technology that had made great advancements in the years since that terrible time; others had remained woefully stagnant. He and his family were continually donating money to fund the rebuilding of the things that had crumbled and advance the things that had come to a halt whether they were technological or not. It never seemed to be enough.

At any rate, switching to the newspaper was the best thing he could have done. When he got to the sports page, the primary headline immediately caught his attention:

"Newbie Wildfire Becomes Contender For Triple Crown"

"Wildfire," Carlisle breathed to the empty room. "That has to be it."

oOo

Carlisle had grabbed his medical bag and raced to Churchill Downs, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, knowing that mode of travel would get him there much faster and keep his abilities hidden from the view of humans.

The article had mentioned what stable Wildfire was housed in. Carlisle wasn't familiar with the layout of Churchill Downs but he had confidence he would find the horse quickly.

When he got close enough, Carlisle no longer had to guess where to go or why he was here. The scent he had picked up had made all of that very clear.

Rushing where his nose led him, he found her. Storm. She was barely conscious in the stall of a gorgeous thoroughbred racehorse that was clearly Wildfire. He looked exactly like he did in his picture.

The young girl Carlisle had come to care about so much in the course of only hours and had continued to worry over in her absence, was nearly dead. Her lips were blue, her chest barely rising and falling, the sound of a pocket of air pressing against her right lung. Her heartbeat was dangerously weak, the sound of the blood rushing through her veins ... well, it couldn't be described as rushing. There wasn't enough of it in her body to justify calling it that. That was one of the perks of a vampire being a doctor - he could smell just how much blood she had lost, and it was too much. If he didn't do something quickly, there wouldn't be anything he could do, and he would not let Storm die.

Carlisle leaped nimbly into Wildfire's stall, the horse shrieking and spooking at the presence of a predator, scooping Storm up and leaping back out as quickly as a flash of lightning. He needed to get her to a hospital, though he wasn't sure she would last that long. Taking care of her lung, thereby restoring the flow of oxygen to her blood, would buy some time but not much.

Ripping open Storm's shirt, Carlisle saw that she'd been bandaged and that whomever had done it had known what they were doing. He cut the bandage apart too.

Digging through his medical bag, Carlisle hurriedly pulled out a syringe with a good needle, inserted it into Storm's chest and pulled the plunger back, sucking the excess air out. At the prick of the needle, her eyes popped open.

"Storm," Carlisle said calmly, in his best 'doctor voice'. He didn't feel calm though. He was afraid. The last time he'd been this invested in a patient was when he'd found Esme in the morgue in Ashland, Wisconsin, her heart beating just as faintly as Storm's was now. "It's Dr. Cullen. Do you remember me?"

As he spoke he continued to remove the excess air from her lung but kept eye contact with his patient. At this point he did not care if she figured out he was a vampire or thought he was Bigfoot.

Storm just stared at him but he saw clear recognition in her eyes.

"You were unconscious when I found you so I didn't have to ask your permission to help you," Carlisle explained. "Now that you're awake, I have to ask you if this is okay. Please let me help you," he begged shamelessly but sincerely, venom gathering in his eyes.

Storm reached up, grabbing his arm weakly, "No hospital."

Carlisle frowned, confused. Didn't she understand what was at stake? She could die and he told her this.

"No hospital," she repeated as firmly as a girl in her condition could. Carlisle had half a mind to ignore her demand but there was a desperation, fear, and determination in her eyes that kept him from doing it. Instead he bundled her up in his blazer, and headed back to his hotel in the same manner in which he had come.

oOo

Carlisle had placed Storm on the bed, cut away the rest of her shirt and the now dirty and bloody bandage around her ribcage, gazing at the stab wound clinically, and prepped the AED he had grabbed as they had made their way to his room. As soon as it gave him the all clear, he pressed the button that allowed the machine to deliver the shock. It helped to return her sinus rhythm to normal since she had been on the verge of cardiac arrest, but what she needed more than anything was a blood transfusion.

On their way back to the hotel he'd made a call to the University of Louisville Hospital, using his credentials and registration at the conference to request eight bags of type O negative blood as well as the equipment necessary for a transfusion, those for an I.V., a tube that would continuously drain excess air from her chest, and a small oxygen tank. From her scent, type O negative was her blood type. All he had to do was pick all of those items up. He had all the other necessary items to treat her in his medical bag. He hated to leave her alone but if he was to help her, he had to. Without that equipment he wouldn't be able to keep her alive.

He had considered turning her. He wanted to but he wouldn't.

"You don't even know what my best interests are, and you sure as hell don't get to decide where I go, what I do, or how I live. Those are things that belong to me and me alone. You don't get to take that away from me. No one does," she had said the last time he had seen her. He wouldn't be the one to take that from her. Not to mention that he had learned his lesson after turning Edward and Rosalie.

Carlisle thought of all of this as he rushed to the hospital. When he entered he went directly to the nurse who ran the laboratory on the first floor, where he had been told his supplies would be waiting. For the first time, he was grateful for his vampiric beauty. He'd met these nurses the night before when he'd come in to volunteer while he waited for some sign of whatever it was Peter had sent him to Louisville for. His looks were the only reason everything he had requested was already gathered together and ready to go, and speed was absolutely essential to Storm's survival. It was also why no one had asked any questions about his unusual and more than a little suspect requests.

Carlisle did not even bother to walk at a human pace, running back to the hotel with his large duffle bag of supplies and cooler full of blood, and breezing through the front doors, up the stairs, and through the door to his own room in a blur. He did not care how any of the few humans awake at this hour had perceived his movement as he passed them.

Storm was still alive when he returned but unconscious. That was good. He could work at vampire speed without having to explain himself.

oOo

Carlisle had been sitting in one of the plush chairs for four hours now, having pulled it to Storm's bedside as he held her hand. He could have used a thermometer to take her temperature but he liked this way better. It was comforting for him to touch her. Even though he could hear her heart beating steadily, it was another way to assure himself that she was alive. She still had a little while before she fully completed the transfusion, but her condition was stabilizing.

He had repaired the damage to her artery, lung, and the laceration to the skin and muscle, given her pain medication, had her on oxygen, inserted the chest tube and I.V., and then begun the transfusion. Her situation was still dire, she could very well still die, but her odds of surviving were much improved. Unfortunately, it had come to a point where Carlisle had to leave her again.

Her body was burning through the anesthetic and pain medication at a vastly accelerated rate, and he hadn't been prepared for that. He needed to keep her unconscious and her pain at a manageable level. She had just had major surgery and excess pain could sometimes hinder the healing process. Granted, there had been very faint signs of healing; which he found odd. That really didn't matter though. She had nearly died, her situation was still touch and go, and she needed more sedatives and pain medication; so as much as he didn't want to leave her, it was necessary.

When Carlisle returned, Storm was gone. Taking a deep breath, he pulled her scent into his lungs and went into tracking mode. It would be helpful if Jasper or Rosalie were here to help him with this. While he was a good tracker, they were better. Her scent went directly to the closed window. Wrenching it open, he pulled in another breath and ... nothing. The unusually strong wind of the morning had swept away any trace of her.

Carlisle cursed loudly, knocking the I.V. stand into the wall in frustration, satisfied when he heard the sound of it snapping; and then forcibly calmed himself. Giving in to his anger, fear, and frustration wouldn't help the situation.

Carlisle would look for Storm anyway; he would rip Louisville apart until he found her. She had gone before her transfusion was complete and had just had major surgery outside of a hospital. He'd sanitized everything as best he could and he had absolute faith in his centuries as a surgeon; but the human body was a breakable thing on a good day. Today wasn't a good day for Storm. Her body was frail and already broken. It could not take any more strain or abuse. By leaving, she had signed her death warrant.

Carlisle had to find her ...

He didn't.

-End Flashback-

There was a part of Carlisle that was flattered by Storm's compliment, especially since it was a sincere one and she didn't seem the type to just hand them out. That part of him was small and existed at the very back of his mind. Right now he was angry, very, very angry. This girl had taken a huge gamble with her life and she was sitting on his couch as though it wasn't a big deal.

His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his chest. His voice came out sternly when he spoke, "You did a foolish thing, leaving the way you did."

Storm had the grace to drop her gaze from his. "I know," she agreed quietly.

Carlisle had not been expecting for her to agree with him. He had expected an attitude, an argument, anything but agreement. Even though he was still immensely angry with her, he knew he had to tone it down. She was being reasonable now but he had no idea how long that would last.

"You should be dead," Carlisle informed her. "In fact, as I'm standing here, I'm trying to figure out why you're not."

Storm snorted, a hint of bitterness in her tone when she replied, "I have good genes."

She still wasn't looking at him so he had no idea what her expression might be but he found that bitterness curious. "It doesn't matter how great your genes are, you should not have survived."

Storm peeked up at him through her eyelashes. "You would be surprised."

Carlisle studied her for several long moments and the longer he did the more his anger gave way to his relief, joy, and happiness at seeing her alive. He had to make sure she knew those things.

"I'm glad you survived," he said, trying to convey all his emotions through his face, voice, and eyes. He wanted to hug her but he knew she had very strict personal boundaries.

Storm finally brought her eyes back up to his fully. He could see her own relief in them and in the smile that curled her lips. "I am too."

"As happy as I am to see you, I have to ask," Carlisle began, still studying her carefully, "why are you here?"

Storm didn't answer right away. He suspected she was choosing her words carefully. She always did. "I wanted to thank you for saving my life."

Carlisle believed she was grateful but he didn't believe that was the only reason she had shown up in his office. "Why else?"

Storm didn't look guilty or ashamed that he had guessed she had another motive for coming to see him. She looked almost relieved. Carlisle found that odd. "I have this necklace. It's the only thing I own that matters to me and I can't find it. I've looked everywhere but it's nowhere to be found. The last time I remember having it for sure is the night you saved me."

"And you think I have it?" Carlisle asked, eyebrows rising in surprise.

Storm shrugged. "I've looked everywhere else. Thought it might be worth a shot. Like I said, it's the only thing I own that matters to me."

"I haven't seen a necklace, but I can look for it I suppose," Carlisle said, unable to deny her.

Storm let out a relieved breath, "I would really appreciate that."

Carlisle smiled at her again, this time kindly, "What does it look like?"

He didn't need to ask. He remembered her necklace quite clearly as he'd had to remove it before he could deliver the shock from the AED, but it was something a human would ask and he had to keep up appearances.

"It's silver with a phoenix pendant," she replied fondly, her eyes taking on a faraway look. She was somewhere else in those moments and Carlisle couldn't help but wonder where.

"My shift is over in an hour. When I get home, I'll go through my things," he assured her.

"Thank you," she said quietly, her expression and tone the most grateful it had been yet.

"And if I find it?" Carlisle queried.

"I would come by your house but I'm not really in the mood to strip today," Storm replied succinctly.

Carlisle fought back another smile. "The kids are in school until two. It would just be Esme and I."

Storm contemplated this for several seconds before saying, "I suppose I can deal with her mothering today. She won't fuss too much will she?"

"I can't promise that," he told her, "but if you're afraid she'll fuss more because of what happened three weeks ago, you don't have to worry."

Storm raised an eyebrow.

"What happened in Louisville falls under doctor-patient confidentiality," Carlisle explained.

"Right," she said, nodding. "If I had been thinking I would have remembered that. So when should I come over?"

Carlisle thought for a moment. It really wouldn't take him long to search for the necklace and he would prefer that Storm come over sooner rather than later. However, he had to keep up pretenses and prepare Esme for Storm's visit. He could call her but he thought his wife would appreciate a face-to-face heads up more. "Come by two hours from now."

"Alright," she said, getting to her feet and holding out her hand for him to shake.

Carlisle looked at it in mild shock. He had never seen her attempt to initiate physical contact. Then again, he really hadn't known her for long and a good chunk of that time she'd been unconscious either due to sleep or injury. He took her hand tentatively, wondering if it was the right move to make. She gripped his hand firmly, her handshake strong but not excessively so. This didn't surprise him.

She was nearly to the door to his office when something occurred to him and he was too curious not to ask, "If you hadn't lost your necklace would you have come here or would I have gotten a letter of thanks?"

"A letter," Storm responded without hesitation.

Carlisle smiled. "At least you're honest."

Storm smirked just the slightest bit. "I heard it was a virtue or something."

He chuckled, "I'll see you in a couple hours."

She turned back around and curled her hand around the doorknob but made no move to twist it. Whirling around to face him suddenly, Carlisle noticed she looked a little nervous when she said, "Hey Carlisle?" His eyebrows shot up into his hairline and he beamed at her. Two months ago when he'd insisted she call him by his first name she had refused. "In a way I'm glad I lost my necklace. Don't get me wrong, I'll be absolutely heartbroken if I really have lost it, but you deserve better than a thank you note."

Carlisle wanted to smile wider. Instead he tamped it down and gave her a small nod.

She paused for a beat, her expression turning contemplative and a tad suspicious. "How did you find me anyway?"

Carlisle schooled his features, molding them into something he hoped looked innocent and patient. "You were moaning. I heard it."

Storm's brows furrowed, her suspicion deepening and coloring her tone. "Alright," she said, doubtfully, "but what were you doing at a barn at three o'clock in the morning? What were you even doing in Louisville?"

Carlisle was very glad that he didn't have a heartbeat in that moment. If he did, it would have been stuttering. He couldn't tell her the whole truth and was suddenly grateful that Peter had given him an alibi that allowed him to give her at least some of it. "I was at a medical conference. As for your other question, I like horses and racing. It's a guilty pleasure of mine. I couldn't sleep and I read an article in the newspaper about a racehorse, a real up and comer. Wildfire was his name. I'm assuming since I found you in his stall that you are familiar with him."

Storm smiled softly, wistfully. "You could say that." The smile disappeared just as quickly as it had come. "Who was with you, there, in Louisville?"

Carlisle frowned, bewildered at why she would ask that. "I went alone."

Storm cocked a disbelieving eyebrow. That seemed to be her communication of choice this morning.

"The kids were here. They had school," he said, then amended it with, "except for Jasper. He was in Texas visiting his cousin. Esme stayed with the kids."
Storm studied him for a long time, searching his face. Carlisle couldn't for the life of him figure out why.

"I believe you."

Without another word, she left.

oOo

11:00 am …

JPOV

Alice had gotten a vision of the sun coming out during third period so all of us had ditched school right after second ended.

Now all of us: me, Pete, Char, Em, Rose, Alice, and Edward were at home with Esme, waiting for the sun to inevitably disappear again. We would have taken advantage of the rare sunshine and gone hunting or just enjoyed the weather, but according to Alice, it wouldn't be out long enough to find much pleasure in it. Essentially, it was bein' a fuckin' tease.

That was why us guys had been having a four way video game war for the last forty-five minutes. The ladies were flipping through magazines or drawing or whatever. I wasn't paying the strictest attention to whatever girly shit was keeping 'em occupied.

In the next second, what they were doing mattered even less because that was when I caught her scent. Paige fuckin' Donnelly. The girl I was never supposed to fuckin' see again.

Motherfucker! What the hell is she doin' here?

"Is that-" Edward began.

"Yep," Alice answered, excitedly.

I found it both funny and annoying that we automatically slipped back into speaking through Edward's gift as soon as the human got within a mile of the place.

"Is it who?" Peter asked, his curiosity piqued.

He and Charlotte knew all about Paige. It wasn't every day a family of vampires, vegetarian or carnivorous, housed a human, and Emmett and Alice wouldn't shut up about her when the subject came up.

"Storm!" Emmett cheered, his inner voice just as loud and boisterous as his outer one. That was fuckin' annoying too.

"Oh!" Charlotte chimed in, sounding excited. "I'm glad Pete and I are goin' to meet her. She sounds like a firecracker!"

You have no fuckin' idea.

"What the fuck is she doing here?!" Rosalie growled, eyes narrowed. I was surprised she had managed to keep those things confined to Edward's gift.

My sentiments exactly.

"Rosalie!" Esme snapped from where she was in the kitchen making some sort of fancy macaroni and cheese. Ever since the human had left, she'd been making food and dropping it off at the church, which doubled as Forks' version of a soup kitchen. Forks didn't have much need for a soup kitchen so Esme pretty much provided all the food for it. "You will be polite!"

Yes, Rose had gotten quite the ass-reaming for her behavior the last time the human had been here and she was still furious about it. That was why she was the person currently poised to answer the door since the human was ascending the front porch steps, having gotten there before anyone could stop her. I certainly wasn't going to.

You sure about that, Jasper? You couldn't seem to fuckin' help yourself the last time you saw her. The reminder made me scowl. She made me scowl. I had almost forgotten how much the girl fuckin' pissed me off.

Rosalie's emotions weren't vindictive or gleeful this time but she certainly wasn't Susie fuckin' Sunshine either. Her annoyance, added to mine, set my teeth on edge and I ground them together. Despite the stern lecture she'd received from Carlisle and Esme, I hoped Rose would be as rude to Paige as possible so she would leave. I wanted her gone. She needed to be gone ... for both our sakes. There was a little jerk in my chest at the thought of watching her walk away from me again and I frowned.

What. The. Fuck? What is it about this girl that has me continually asking that? I definitely wanted her gone.

I just hoped that whatever Rose said or did didn't result in Paige stripping down to her underwear. I wasn't sure what I would do if she pulled that shit.

No, that's not true, I reminded myself smugly, a smirk stretching my lips, you got her out of your system in Louisville.

My dick still got hard thinking about her pressed between me and that wall though. I was glad I was wearing my usual boxer briefs and a loose pair of jeans. I casually moved my arm over the throw pillow pressed against the arm of the couch, where I happened to be sitting, and pushed it over my lap so that it was covering my not-so-little problem. I succeeded in making it look natural but no one was paying any attention to me anyway. They probably would have if I'd been projecting, but I still hadn't projected once since God knows when.

When the human's knock finally sounded, Rose only waited a moment before she opened the door, looked her up and down briefly and then demanded, "What the hell are you doing here?"

None of us could see Paige from where we were. From almost everyone's emotions - Emmett's, Alice's, Esme's, Peter's, and Charlotte's - they all wanted to crowd around the door like eager, creepy idiots. Their excitement was rubbing off on me and it was pissing me off.

"Selling Girl Scout cookies," Paige answered without missing a beat, the sound of her voice causing that jerk again, "and judging by the size of your ass, you're obviously a fan." The sound of her taking a bite of something, presumably a cookie, and munching on it filled the air. The crinkling of plastic wrap came next. "Thin Mint?"

After hearing that, I assumed the sound of the plastic wrap had been Paige offering Rose a cookie.

Amusement exploded in the air around me. Peter and Charlotte were finding her dig at Rosalie particularly hilarious, grinning freely since Rose's focus was on our human guest and biting back snickers. Edward and I didn't bother to bite back anything. That shit was funny. Emmett's emotions told me he agreed but he valued his pussy privileges too much to laugh with us.

Alice was smiling too but because of that whole 'we women stick together' shit, especially when attacked about things like ass size, she refrained from any sort of laughing. Lord knows, making any sort of crack at Rose's ass was asking to be slaughtered. Paige was definitely still a pro at pushing people's buttons.

Rosalie's hands clenched into fists at her sides and her annoyance amped up to anger. There was also respect and, dare I say it, the tiniest bit of affection, another little crack having formed in the ice, but they were so deeply buried I doubted Rose was aware of them. If I hadn't been honing my gift for more than two centuries, I wouldn't have caught them either.

Emmett leapt from his chair and raced to Rosalie's side just a little too quickly. Esme had begun making her way from the kitchen as well.

"Storm!" Emmett boomed excitedly from next to Rose.

"Emmett," she said in greeting and then returned her attention to Rose, greeting my sister more formally, "Basic Instinct."

"I like her!" Peter crowed.

"She is a firecracker!" Charlotte giggled, impressed.

Rose's fury grew and Emmett grabbed the human's hand, pulling her in the house and around Rose.

I tensed at the same time Paige did, feeling the need to forcibly remove Emmett's hand from hers. I felt the beginnings of a growl building in my chest but she pulled her hand away from his, relaxing as soon as his skin was no longer touching hers. The growl died before it began. I scowled again.

"And who is this pretty little lady?" Peter drawled, looking Paige up and down critically. There was an equal amount of him sizing her up and dressing her down. Another growl began to build in my chest until Charlotte smacked him on the shoulder. No one noticed my ridiculousness. Thank fuckin' God!

What the fuck is wrong with you? Get your shit together, Jasper!

"Knock it off, Pete," Charlotte mock-scolded. "Run your mouth and let your eyes wander too much and you'll never find out."

Paige turned toward the two of them, still clutching the package of cookies, and studied them just the way she had all the rest of us the last time she had been here.

She wasn't wearing her necklace. I noticed because I was hyper-aware of her and that pissed me off too. I also noticed that I could no longer feel her emotions. It didn't make sense and it both frustrated and irritated me, not that I had ever been able to get a proper read on them anyway.

"This pretty little lady is of no consequence to you since she won't be stayin' long," she answered, mimicking Peter's accent perfectly just as she had mine in Louisville. It was fuckin' disturbing.

"Hello, Storm," Esme greeted warmly at the sight of the girl, finally having made it into the front room from the kitchen. All of this interaction had taken place pretty quickly. "Peter, Charlotte, this is Storm. Storm, meet Peter and Charlotte." Peter nodded at her much as I had when we met only he gave her a lazy grin on top of it, and Charlotte gave her a wide smile. "Peter is Jasper's cousin, Charlotte is his girlfriend, and they are the newest additions to our family," Esme continued. "You remember Edward," who smiled, "Alice," who yet again smiled, waved, and bounced on her tiptoes, "and Jasper."

She gave us all the same nod she had the first time we'd met, but when her eyes landed on me they weren't filled with challenge as I'd expected them to be. Her face may have been nonchalant, impassive, but those eyes were filled with a genuine hatred I still couldn't feel, that I didn't fuckin' understand. I honestly couldn't say it didn't bother me a little.

It does not bother you! I insisted assuredly. So she hates you. You hate her. It works out.

There was a surge of disappointment from Alice and Emmett at the fact that they were happier to see her than she was to see them. I didn't know what else they were fuckin' expecting.

"Couldn't resist adding to the family unit, hmm?" Paige asked Esme with a raised brow. "You and the good doctor plotting to take over the world and overrun it with pretty, golden-eyed, pale people?"

Esme smiled, not seeming the least bit worried about that little comment. It's not like she should have been. Paige was just one human and she would likely be taking off again soon anyway ... I hoped.

"You caught us," our mother-figure said, good-naturedly with just a hint of sarcasm. "What are you doing here, Storm? I didn't think we'd see you again."

"I figured Dr. Cullen would have told you," she said with a frown. "Then again, he told me the kiddies would be at school until two," her frown turned into a scowl. "Is he here?"

Right as Esme was about to answer, Carlisle's Mercedes pulled into the driveway with a squeal of tires and he rushed into the house without even bothering to shut his car door. When he passed through the front door, he didn't greet any of us, just went straight to the human.

"Storm!" he cried, his tone apologetic. "I got called into emergency surgery right after you left, a minor procedure as it turned out, and I wasn't aware at the time that the kids would be home when you got here."

Paige shrugged. "No worries, Doc. Shit happens, or so they say."

Carlisle smiled brightly at her. It was the first time he'd smiled in nearly three weeks. His emotions were lighter, happier, and freer as well. I didn't feel the added weight of his grief on my shoulders and was amazed at the change in him … amazed that it was this human girl who had brought it about in him when his own mate and family hadn't been able to. It made Paige even more of a fuckin' mystery than she already was but I no longer felt any inclination to solve that mystery. I didn't.

"Unfortunately, I haven't been able to-" he began.

Paige waved dismissively. "I figured."

Now it was curiosity that was the primary emotion clouding the room, mine included.

"I'll come back," she said. "Wanna give me another time frame, Doc?"

Carlisle looked thoughtful for a moment. before answering, "Give me another two hours."

"Sure thing," she responded, turning on her heel and walking out the door without so much as a glance or a goodbye to any of us.

I didn't like watching her walk away from me anymore this time than I had the last.

Fuck!

oOo

Carlisle had been in the shower for the past thirty minutes. It was an epically long solo shower for him and I knew he was using it as an excuse to avoid the family and all the questions that had been fired at him the moment Paige had walked out the door. His emotions were contemplative, determined, but his depression was still notably absent.

Another five minutes passed before he was dressed and standing before the lot of us, all seated at the dining table as he'd requested, seriousness bleeding out of him in waves.

"Carlisle?" Esme questioned, curiously. She was happy to see her mate coming back to himself but just as confused as the rest of us.

Carlisle met the eyes of each member of the family, and then resolutely said, "I want Storm to stay with us."

oOo

A/N: She's alive! You all knew she was. Sorry, I made you wait. :(

I hope you all liked the third person Carlisle-centric part of the chapter and hearing more of Jasper's internal ramblings. I wonder what craziness will ensue at Carlisle's declaration ...

Before any of you review and give me crap about Jasper not yet figuring out about them being mates please, kindly, read the outtakes. Also, as I asked at the top, let me know if you want me to post them separately or here. If you want me to do them here I will have to rearrange things to post them in order, so don't be surprised if you get a bunch of emails telling you've I've updated a bunch. There will only be one new chapter next week as always, but if you haven't read the outtakes, there will be more new stuff for you to read than just chapter 22. Thanks my dears. I love you all to pieces! :)

I always love to know what you guys thought of the chapter. Take care. :)