Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count: 10452

AN: Okay, so…. For anyone that has followed me previously, you'll know that this has been posted before. Except it was incomplete. Oops? Since a few of my Twilight fics hadn't been updated since 2016, I decided to pull them down, edit them, and finish them up as one-shots before reposting. Because I really don't want to be that author that just leaves loads of unfinished fics lying around the place. So, I hope you enjoy this, and to any new readers, HI!

Warnings: Violence, mild sexual content, mentions of drug abuse in passing, probably not for Edward and/or Alice lovers.


No Such Thing...


"Tony, I'm heading out. I'll see you tomorrow," Bella called, shrugging her leather jacket on, pausing only to untuck her hair from the collar.

"Later, B," Tony replied distractedly.

She snorted to herself. How he managed to run a business when he was so absent minded, she'd never know, but she still counted herself lucky to consider him her friend, along with being her boss.

Bella let herself out of the back door, making sure to close it properly behind her before she pulled the collar of her jacket tighter to her neck to ward off the chill of the night.

She began the familiar walk home, treading the pavements she'd walked so many nights before. When she'd started working nights at the bar, the walk home had filled her with dread and fear, but as time went on and she gained more confidence in herself, it stopped bothering her and became quite a peaceful time for her.

Lighting a cigarette, she inhaled the nicotine, releasing the smoke with a sigh of relief. If only her father could see her now...

Shaking the thought away, Bella quickened her pace. She was tired, and though she knew she wouldn't get much sleep, she was still very much ready for her bed.

"Well, well, well, Isabella Swan."

Spinning around, she found herself staring into angry red eyes. The eyes belonged to a familiar face, though they weren't the eyes she remembered.

The last time she'd seen them, they'd been black with hunger, but before that, she was used to seeing them shining golden from the handsome face.

"Jasper?" He wasn't someone she'd ever expected to see again, after the mess in Forks, and she couldn't say she was pleased to see him either. "What do you want?" She asked, raising her eyebrow at him. Tempted as she was to blow smoke in his face, she tilted her head to blow it to the side instead.

"You're not frightened."

It wasn't a question, and she rolled her eyes.

"Should I be?"

"You ruined my entire fucking life. I should end you where you stand!" he growled.

"Do it."

He seemed taken aback, his eyes widening slightly.

She snorted. "Do it, Jasper. Make yourself feel better."

The cigarette fell from her fingers as he wrapped his hand around her neck, pressing her against the wall.

"You ruined everything," he snarled, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"So you said," she choked out. He squeezed tighter, blocking her airways. As she began to feel lightheaded, he suddenly removed his hand, watching her slide down the wall.

She lifted her hand to massage her neck. If she walked away from this, there would be bruises in the morning. Forcing herself to her feet, she met his eyes once more.

"I never took you as one to play with your food," she muttered coolly. "Emmett, perhaps."

"You really don't care about your life, do you?" he asked, and she noticed his anger seemed to be falling away.

She shrugged.

"Why?"

"Either kill me, or fuck off," she replied, her tone flat.

She didn't owe him anything, and as far as she was concerned, she certainly hadn't ruined his life. The Cullens as a whole had left her broken and empty, and since then, life had only thrown more vicious curveballs her way.

She was just lucky that she'd finally learnt to catch them.

"Bella?"

With a huff, she lit another cigarette and strolled away from him, no longer interested in the conversation. If he wasn't going to kill her, she had no reason to be in his company.

Fucking vampires.

A hand on her arm pulled her back, and she snapped.

"What?"

"Bella, what happened to you?"

"None of your fucking business. If you're so certain I ruined your life, Jasper, then end mine. I don't care. If you think me dying will solve all your problems, then please, get on with it. Otherwise, leave me the fuck alone."

He seemed at a loss, and this time when she turned to walk away, he let her go. She was relatively sure he was following her, but she couldn't bring herself to care. As long as he didn't try and talk to her, or heavens forbid, try and help her, she could deal.

The Cullens had ruined her life once before. There was no way she was letting them do it again.

The bar was packed, and his throat burned, but he pushed it aside. He'd fed the night before, the rage he'd been feeling after his confrontation with Bella actually helping to assuage the guilt he usually felt when he fed.

He didn't know why he'd returned to the bar that she worked in. She'd told him in no uncertain terms that she wasn't interested in catching up, and in all honesty, he hadn't had the notion either. When he'd caught her scent, he'd only really thought about her dying at his hands.

After all, she was the catalyst to his entire life being turned upside down.

He knew, or at least, the logical part of him knew that he was being unfair. Bella hadn't actually done anything wrong, except fall in love with the wrong person. Hell, the wrong species. Edward had been the one to fetch her into their lives, he'd been the one to integrate her so thoroughly into the family when he'd never had any intention of turning her.

Alice had been the one to screw Jasper over at her eighteenth birthday party. His ex-wife had known exactly what was going to happen, and ultimately, it was her that had torn the family apart.

His eyes alighting on the brunette behind the bar, Jasper moved through the crowds and perched himself on a barstool. It didn't take long for her to see him.

She rolled her eyes but ignored his presence otherwise. For some reason, that both irritated and amused him. He wasn't sure why he wanted her attention, be it good or bad. He also wasn't sure why her ignoring him hurt him.

He watched her serve, and took notice of the powder blue scarf she'd wound around her neck. He knew if he pulled it away, he'd see evidence of his own handprints bruised into the pale skin. The thought made him feel vaguely nauseous, as much as a vampire could at any rate.

One of the other bar staff approached him, and he ordered a whisky; neat. While vampires couldn't ingest human food, they could still drink alcohol, though it took a rather large amount of it to have any effect.

As the bar slowly emptied, Jasper waited patiently for Bella to approach him. It was a genuine surprise when she didn't, choosing instead to bid farewell to the remaining staff and leave from the back as she did the night before.

Downing his drink, Jasper left the bar, walking around to meet her.

"What do you want?" she asked flatly when he appeared in front of her. She was smoking again, and Jasper was uncomfortably aware that he really shouldn't find that sexy.

"To talk," he replied simply. "Just talk. I won't hurt you, Bella. I'm sorry for my behaviour last night."

"No offence meant, but I'm pretty sure I'd rather you kill me," she murmured blandly. "I have nothing to say to you, and you have nothing I want to hear."

"How do you know that when you don't know what I want to say?" he asked, falling into step beside her.

"Because I'm not interested, Jasper. Jesus, what is it with supernatural creatures that can't take a fucking hint?"

"Will you please tell me what happened to you after we left? You're… so different. My knowledge of humans is that a change like yours happens very rarely and…"

"And what?"

"I want to know what happened to you."

"Why?"

"I don't know," he admitted, running a hand through his hair.

That was the truth. He had no idea why he was so interested in her. He had no clue what was drawing him to her, but he knew for certain that he couldn't leave without finding out what damage was caused to her after the family left Forks.

She snorted. "At least you're honest."

"Please, Bella."

He hated begging. He wasn't sure why he was demeaning himself so much for this girl. It wasn't like she was anything to him. She was just a girl he used to know, and even that was a stretch. He'd never really been allowed near her, aside from those few days in Phoenix.

She sighed. When he felt her acceptance, he could barely hold in his happiness, and it was a struggle to keep the smirk from his lips.

"Meet me at Starbucks at nine am," she grumbled. "I'll need coffee if we're dredging up shit best left buried."

He nodded. He wanted to push for her to talk to him now, but recognised that that would probably do more harm than good.

He could wait a few more hours.

After all, he had all the time in the world.

Bella was waiting for him when he arrived, her finger running around the edge of her cup. He took a second to take her in, unable to deny that she looked stunning. Her hair was tousled, as though she'd literally just crawled out of bed, and she was wearing denim jeans, a tight yellow tank top, covered by a cropped leather jacket.

"Morning," he murmured when he sat down in the seat closest to her.

She looked up at him and nodded her head. "Morning. I didn't bother ordering for you. Figured it'd be a waste."

He chuckled. "It's fine. Do you want anything else?"

She shook her head. "I'm good. What do you want to know?"

"What happened when the family left Forks."

"I fell apart and turned into a zombie," she said dryly, a wry smile on her face. "Edward completely and utterly destroyed me when he left me in the forest."

"The forest?" Jasper asked, frowning. As far as he'd been aware, they'd had a conversation at Bella's home, and she'd accepted his reasons for leaving; even encouraged it.

Her turning into a 'zombie' didn't really track with that though, did it? She nodded her head, but didn't elaborate, and he sighed.

"Clearly you got over that though," he murmured. "You don't seem zombie-ish to me."

She snorted. "I just worked out that being abandoned by someone who didn't love me wasn't the worst thing that could happen in life."

"What else happened?"

She sighed. "Look, I'm not in the mood for a full debrief on the tragedy that is my life. I'll give you the spark notes. Edward left me in the forest after telling me that I wasn't worthy of him. I turned into a zombie. I began spending time on the Res, and found out that my friends turned into giant puppies on a fairly regular basis.

"I dated a boy called Paul, who loved me dearly, until he imprinted—that is to say he found his soulmate—elsewhere. We stayed friends, things were fine. Then Victoria came back and when she found me, and realised that I would quite happily sacrifice my life to her if it meant she left Forks and La Push well alone, she decided to kill not only Charlie, but my mom and Phil as well.

"The wolves got her eventually, but by then, I didn't really give a fuck. I'm all alone in the world, and it all stems back to Edward fucking Cullen. Suffice to say that your family is at the very bottom of the list of people I want to see."

Jasper sat back in his seat, unsure what to say. "Bella… I… I'm so…"

"Save your apologies and pity for someone who wants them, Jasper. Whoever sent you to find me, tell them to leave me the hell alone. I don't want any part of your family, and I'm not interested in any kind of contact with any of you."

"Nobody sent me," he murmured. "I'm… not a Cullen anymore. Hell, none of the Cullens are together anymore as far as I'm aware. They split up a year or so after we left Forks."

Bella shrugged.

Focusing on her, Jasper wasn't entirely surprised to find that she was feeling a myriad of emotions, mostly negative.

She drained what was left of her coffee and looked up to meet his eyes.

"I won't lie and say it was good to see you, Jasper. I hope you find peace, and I hope you find happiness."

She stood up, and with a final nod, she walked out of the coffee shop without looking back. Still somewhat shocked, Jasper forced himself to his feet and followed her out. He could still see her as she walked away, the subtle shake of her hips, her hair swishing slightly in the breeze.

He didn't understand why it hurt so much to watch her walk away. It felt like a hole was being carved in his chest, leaving him empty except for the pain. He watched her until she turned the corner, and, resisting the urge to follow her, he walked away in the opposite direction, the pain worsening with every step he took.

As she did every night, Bella walked home from work. For a few weeks after Jasper's 'visit', she'd been wary that another one of the Cullens would pop up, but three months had passed since then, and she was back to her usual peacefulness as she walked.

The weather was getting warmer, and she hadn't bothered with a coat, even at the late hour. The air was muggy, and hair was sticking to the back of her neck.

She flicked the ash from the end of her cigarette and listened to the click-clacking of her heels, the only noise disturbing the silent night.

She was almost home when a hand suddenly covered her mouth from behind, as a fist landed painfully in her ribs.

Knocked to the floor, she tried to fight against her assailant to no avail. The blows kept coming and as she surrendered to the blackness of unconsciousness, she wondered why, after everything she'd already suffered, this was happening to her.

Fading in and out, Bella was vaguely aware of a scuffle happening beside her. Cold hands traced her neck, feeling for a pulse.

"She's not going to make it," a female voice said quietly.

"I'll have to bite her. This complicates things," a male voice replied.

Bella tried to speak, but nothing but a whimper came from her lips.

"Sugar? Can you hear me?" the woman asked. Bella struggled to open her eyes, but she couldn't.

"Le… let… m… me… d… ie."

She forced the words out, even as the darkness beckoned to her once more.

"Sorry, Darlin'. No can do," the male murmured, and she felt a sharp sting of teeth in her neck.

She remembered the burning from when James bit her, but this was infinitely worse, as he moved from her neck to her wrist, then the other.

She tried to fight against it, willing her body to just give up to the fire that was filling her limbs. She didn't want to be a vampire. She didn't want any of this.

Surrendering to the burn, Bella could only hope that something would go wrong, and she'd never wake up.

She didn't want to wake up.

It ended suddenly. From one second to the next, the burning stopped and she heard her heart beat one last time with a deafening thud before it stopped. Silence had never seemed so loud before.

Opening her eyes, she sat up quickly. Too quickly. She looked around the room, watching the dust particles float and shift when she breathed out. She wasn't alone.

A man and woman stood at the opposite end of the room to the bed, watching her cautiously.

"Why did you do this to me?" she asked quietly. "I asked you to let me die. I don't fucking want this!"

"We couldn't let you die, Isabella," the man replied. "You are our brother's mate. We'd hoped we could save you, and give you a choice, but by the time we arrived, that… animal had already attacked you."

"Is he dead?"

"Who?"

"The bastard that attacked me. Is he dead?" If he wasn't, she'd go and find him herself. Bella shifted on the bed until she was sitting on the edge of the mattress, her feet on the floor.

Her clothes had been changed, but thankfully, they were simple, jeans and a t-shirt. There was a hoodie folded up on the chair beside the bed. Focusing back on the vampires, Bella arched her eyebrow as she waited for an answer to her question.

"Yes."

"Good. Who is your brother?"

"Jasper Whitlock."

Bella frowned, wondering if that name was supposed to mean something to her. The only Jasper she knew was… "You don't mean Hale, do you? Because I saw him a few months ago, and he wanted to kill me himself, so I don't think you've got the right girl."

"Jazz has returned to his real name since leaving the Cullens," the woman said softly. "He's our brother, and he's hurting without you."

"Besides, if he wanted you dead, you'd be dead," the man added, his lips tilting up in a smirk.

"I had the bruises to prove it," Bella muttered, shaking her head. She shrugged as she stood. "I don't want anything to do with the Cullen family, and Jasper is well aware of that. If you've changed me for the sole purpose of being his mate, you may as well tear me apart and light me up, because it's not going to happen."

"How are you so controlled?" the woman asked, her head tilting to the side slightly as she studied Bella. "You should be… less in control than this. I've never seen a newborn be so… still."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Why ask me? I've never been a vampire before."

They both laughed softly.

"Who are you?" Bella asked, interrupting their amusement.

"Oh, my apologies, fair lady," the man replied, looking sheepish. "I'm Peter Whitlock, and this here is my lovely wife, Charlotte."

Bella nodded, and pointed to the hoodie. "Is that for me?" When she received a nod, she slipped it on, wincing as she heard the stitches pull when she was a little too rough with it. Right, super-strength. "How'd you know I'm Jasper's mate? You see visions like the Pixie?"

Peter snorted. "Don't lump me in with the likes of her, if you please. We're nothing alike. I just know shit occasionally. Jasper… he's not doing so well, and you're the only one who can fix it."

"Sucks to be him," Bella muttered. She glanced at the door. "If I leave, are you going to attack me?"

Peter shook his head. "We really don't mean you any harm, Bella. We will follow you though."

"Why?"

"I'm your sire. You're my responsibility now, especially for your newborn year. I'm not so irresponsible that I'd leave a newborn alone mere hours after you've woken up."

"But I know what I am, I know I'm not allowed to let anyone find out. What else is there?"

"Your thirst, for one thing," Peter pointed out.

As he said it, a pain in her throat made itself known, and she rubbed it absently. It wasn't nearly as bad as Edward had always made it seem to her, though whether that was the lack of humans, she didn't know.

"Just come home with us," Charlotte implored. "You don't even have to have anything to do with Jazz if you don't want to. You can just chill with us for a while as you acclimate yourself to this… life."

"Life, hell, tomayto, tomahto, right?" Bella asked wryly. "What's wrong with Jasper?"

Peter wrinkled his nose. "I really would prefer for you to hunt before we talk about this properly."

Bella shrugged. She didn't particularly care which order they did it. She couldn't bring herself to care about much of anything right now.

Charlotte glanced at Peter and then said, "When a vampire recognises their mate, a connection forms. He made that connection to you when he found you three months ago. After you rejected him—albeit justifiably—he… well. He's not doing so well, sugar. He's lifeless."

Bella could empathise with that, she supposed. Hadn't she been the same when the Cullen's left her alone?

"What is it that you think I can do for him?" she asked. "I don't want a mate, I don't want any of this."

"Just being around each other would be a good start," Charlotte said quietly, putting a hand on Peter's wrist to silence him. "Jasper has told us a little of what happened between you and Edward Cullen, Bella, and… Jasper is nothing like him. Nothing."

Bella looked away. The burn in her throat was intensifying, and she swallowed the venom that was built up in her mouth with a wince.

"I think I need to hunt," she said, pushing the conversation away from Jasper, and the Cullens, and the idea of a mate.

Peter nodded. "You're right, you do. You have exceptional control, but there's no reason to push that. Will you come with us, Bella? Even if just for a few months, until you've gotten used to being a vampire?"

"And I can leave whenever I want?" Bella checked, eyeing them both suspiciously.

"Of course," Charlotte replied, frowning a little. "We're not going to keep you captive, Bella, I promise."

"Alright," Bella murmured after a few seconds. "I'll come with you."

"And you'll give Jasper a chance?" Charlotte asked, as they left the barely furnished room. "You could be happy together, you know?"

Bella offered her a small smile. "I've long since learnt that there's no such thing as a happy ever after. I don't believe in fairy tales anymore."

It was dark when they'd left the building Bella had changed in, and they'd immediately found a back alley in which Bella could feed. Once she'd taken her fill, they immediately set off for Montana, where Peter and Charlotte kept residence. It took them two days, with another feeding stop before they reached the property.

While feeding made the burn in her throat feel better, Bella found that the scents of humans weren't as overwhelming as Edward and the rest of the Cullen's had made out.

Perhaps she was just… different. It wouldn't be the first time, after all.

She considered that perhaps she should be drinking the blood of animals, but found that she didn't particularly care one way or the other. Why should she care for humans when few had ever cared for her?

They reached the house at sundown, and Bella slowed to a human pace behind Peter and Charlotte as they walked the path to the front door. She took a moment to inspect her surroundings. It was a lovely home, rustic, but still modern enough in the build that she thought it was a relatively new home.

The living room was filled with comfortable looking furniture, lots of throw cushions and the softest looking blankets Bella had ever seen. There was a large television in the corner, and a shelf beside it that took up the whole wall, filled with books, dvd's and what looked like a stray monopoly board on the bottom shelf.

"Jasper, get your lazy ass out of bed, we've got company!" Peter shouted, taking off the jacket he'd been wearing and tossing it on the back of a chair.

When Bella heard movement on the stairs, she looked up to find herself once more face to face with Jasper. Her eyebrow rose as she took in the differences not only from the last time she'd seen him, but through vampire eyes rather than human. His eyes were black, blackest black, and his face seemed withdrawn. The scars she'd noticed stood out in stark contrast now, and she could see just how many of them there actually were; and that was only where his clothes didn't cover. The clothes he had on were familiar, and it took her a moment to realise they were the same ones he'd been wearing when she met him in the coffee shop.

"You look fucking awful," she said, rolling her eyes. "Didja forget how to hunt?"

"Bella?"

"In the flesh," she agreed quietly. "Seriously, go and hunt. I'll still be here when you get back."

She wondered briefly why she cared about him being in pain, but dismissed it as her just being a decent human being. Well, being, anyway. Fucking vampires.

"How did this… why are you… Peter?"

"You heard the lady, Major. Go and hunt, she'll be here when you get back and you'll get some answers. Besides, I'm sure if we told you what happened now we'd only have to repeat ourselves once you've fed anyway."

Jasper huffed but nodded, walking past Bella. She noticed he paused to take in her scent, a shudder running through him briefly, before he left.

"You were right, he looks terrible," she muttered when he'd gone. Sitting down in one of the armchairs, she balanced her elbows on her knees and held her head in her hands. "This is a fucking nightmare."

"What's a nightmare, sugar?" Charlotte asked softly, sitting down across from her.

"That I actually care about how he feels," Bella replied, scowling down at a shag rug that just reached the tips of her shoes. "That I care what you two think. You don't understand, but over the last few years, I've made a fucking profession of ensuring that I don't care about anyone or anything, and I got damn fucking good at it. Now… well, that's all shot to shit, isn't it?"

Charlotte sighed. "I can understand why you'd want to protect yourself, Bella. You should know though… we won't hurt you. We won't abandon you, or sell you out, or anything else that's happened to you. We're not… we're not the Cullen's."

Bella glanced up at her, smiling wryly. "I don't even know how to trust anyone anymore. I think I'll go for a walk. D'ya mind?"

"Of course not. You're not a prisoner here, Bella. If you want to stay on the property, we've got scent lines running right around the border, so you'll know when you meet them."

"Alright. Thank you."

Charlotte nodded, offering her a small smile. Bella left through the back door, ambling along at a human pace. She was in no hurry, after all, she had nowhere she had to be. She walked until she came across the border that Charlotte had been talking about, and turned, following it around in a wide circle.

Jasper would likely return soon and would want answers. What could she tell him? Your brother and sister changed me against my will when I was attacked by a disgusting excuse for a human, and now I'm here to try and ease your suffering even though I want absolutely nothing to do with you.

Oh yeah, that'd go down brilliantly.

The strange thing was that she was worried about him. Something about the dead look in his eyes reminded her of herself, and it wasn't a feeling she would wish on anybody… well, perhaps Edward. If she was honest with herself, she did care, at least enough not to want him to be in pain.

She just really didn't want to. It was a hard pill to swallow for someone who'd made it her business not to let anyone close enough to her to give a shit.

Before she'd even realised it, she was back at the house. She sat down on the steps of the porch, watching the sky darken around her. She had to give these Vamps something, they sure knew how to choose property. For miles around on every side it was private, giving them plenty of space to enjoy the sun if they so chose to.

"Bella?"

She turned to look at Peter, patting the step beside her when he seemed unsure whether to approach her.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he joined her.

She shrugged. "As okay as I'm likely to be, I suppose."

He nodded. "I'm sorry I turned you against your will. It's not something I would have done under normal circumstances… I panicked. If you'd died… Jasper is my brother. I couldn't let him go through life the way he was without at least trying to save him."

"I don't blame you for wanting to help him," she admitted. "I just… this isn't something I wouldn't have chosen, and the idea of spending an eternity like this… it's overwhelming and unappealing. But I don't blame you, and I don't want you to feel bad about it. Jesus Christ, I'm getting soft."

He laughed as she shook her head in disgust.

"I don't think anyone could accuse you of being soft, Darlin'. For what it's worth, I think you'll fit in well with us."

Bella nodded. "Is he back?"

"Currently pulling his hair out in the living room," Peter confirmed.

Bella snorted. "Can't have that. Let's go see him."

He stood up, and held his hand out to her, despite them both knowing she didn't need help to stand. She took it anyway, a small show of faith, and he seemed to realise as much if the smile he gave her was any indication. He dropped her hand and led the way back into the house, and back through to the living room.

Jasper looked up the moment she entered, and Bella realised Peter hadn't been joking when he'd said he was pulling his hair out waiting for her.

"Bella."

Her name was a gasp on his lips, and she could see the wonder and curiosity in his eyes. She sat back down in the chair she'd vacated for her walk, and then looked at Peter. When she didn't speak, he raised his eyebrow at her.

"Nope, this is your story, dude. I was burning up for most of it."

He shook his head at her, clearly amused. Charlotte chuckled as she sat on the arm of Pete's chair.

"I can see you're going to be demanding," Peter huffed. "Fine. I had a feeling that we needed to find your mate to sort you out. That feeling led me to Bella, who was being beaten up by a disgusting excuse for a heroin addict when we arrived. I bit Bella, even though she asked me to let her die, and Char disposed of her attacker. Bella woke up, pissed that we'd changed her and voila, here we're at."

Bella chuckled. "Spark notes for the win."

Peter grinned, winking at her.

"Sort me out? Mate? What the hell are you talking about? I'm fucking fine!" Jasper growled, his eyes on Peter.

"If that was you at your best, I'd hate to see you at your worst," Bella muttered, rolling her eyes when Jasper turned his glare on her.

"Why are you here if you don't want to be?"

"Why don't you give your attitude to someone who fucking deserves it, asshole?" she shot back. "I'm here because they said I could help you get off your ass. Since you're slightly more animated now than you were when I got here, I'd say that's a fucking improvement, wouldn't you?"

Peter and Charlotte both coughed to hide their laughter while Jasper continued to glare at her.

"Why are you here?" he asked again.

"Do supernatural creatures suffer from disabilities?" Bella asked, looking at Peter curiously.

"Not that I know of, unless they get a limb torn off or something. Why?"

He looked completely confused by the question.

"Because I'm trying to decide if he's deaf, brain dead or just fucking stupid."

"Isabella, answer my question. Why are you here?" Jasper growled, his eyes darkening with his anger.

"I already did, dipshit," she replied. "I came here because they thought I could help you. Now, I'm beginning to wonder why I even bothered. If you don't want me here, Jasper, just say so and I'm gone."

With that she left the room, returning to the porch. Inside, she was raging. Peter joined her after a few minutes.

"I'm sorry, Bella, I didn't expect him to be such an asshole."

They heard a growl from inside, followed by Charlotte's calming voice.

"This is why I don't let myself care," she whispered. "It always ends in disappointment. It was good to meet you, Peter."

She left him sitting there watching her leave as she ran toward the border, pushing her legs as fast as they'd move. In minutes she'd bypassed the scents of Peter and Charlotte and was running through the trees of a forest, dodging and weaving through the large trunks and boulders. She ran and ran and ran until she was sure there was a decent amount of distance between herself and Jasper fucking Whitlock.

Slowing down, she swung up onto a tree branch, quickly scaling the tree until she was sitting comfortably, high up enough that nobody would see her.

Now that she'd left the Whitlocks, she had no idea what she wanted to do. There was nothing for her to do, in all honesty, because she'd cut ties with anyone she still had in the world shortly after leaving Forks.

It crossed her mind to make her way back there, to goad the wolves into ending her life, but she dismissed the idea. She knew it would hurt them to tear her apart, and while she wasn't altogether fussed about herself, she didn't want to hurt them intentionally. There was a small part of her that still cared about the wolves enough to never allow them the knowledge of what had become of her.

Time passed her by as she sat in her tree, marked only by the darkening and lightening of the sky as day transferred itself into night and back, the cycle never ending. She didn't bother counting, because what was the point?

Time had ceased to mean anything.

She had ceased to mean anything.

"It's been a month," Peter shouted, his anger getting the best of him. "How can a newborn avoid three seasoned vampires for a fucking month?"

Jasper held his head in his hands. "This is all my fault."

"Damn straight it is," Peter agreed. "Why the hell did you go off at her like that anyway? I don't understand where your anger even came from?"

"I just… she was sitting there, looking all beautiful and tempting and telling me that she didn't want me. I guess I was hurt."

"When did she say she didn't want you?" Charlotte asked, looking confused.

"Pete was the one who said it," Jasper replied. "She didn't want to be turned, even though she knew death was the only other option. She'd rather be dead than be with me. It's not exactly good for the ego, Char."

"Fucking idiot," Peter muttered. "She didn't know she was your mate before I turned her. Trust me, if she didn't wanna be here, she wouldn't have been. S'not like I would've forced her. She said it herself, she was here because we said she could help you."

Jasper shook his head. "I know I was an asshole. None of this is helping to find her."

"We'll have to comb the forest again. When I chased her scent the first time, it seemed to linger on the forest but it was nowhere near the edges. I don't think she left."

"So you think she's just sitting in a tree somewhere?" Charlotte asked, raising her eyebrow.

Peter stared at her for a moment before he grinned, bounding over to kiss her soundly on the lips.

"That's it. And I know which tree she's in. When I followed her scent, I thought she'd followed the river and that's why I lost her, but she didn't. She hopped on up into the tree. You're a genius, baby."

"Can you two do your loved up thing later. Bella's a newborn, and if she'd been sitting in a tree for a month, her thirst has got to be through the fucking roof. Let's go," Jasper said, already hurrying for the door.

"There you are!"

Bella blinked rapidly, surprised to find herself face to face with a grinning Peter. She frowned.

"What the hell do you want?"

"We've been looking for you for a month. You've no idea how embarrassing it is for seasoned vampires to be outsmarted by a newborn," he told her, still smiling.

"Outsmarted? I have no idea what you're talking about. Why are you here, Peter?"

"Come to fetch you home, of course. We followed after you a little while after you ran, but I thought you'd run into the river. My lovely wife was the one who suggested you might have hopped a tree."

"Why were you looking for me? Jasper made his position quite clear and I try not to make the same mistake twice. Go home, Peter."

"Not without you," he argued. "Jasper is an asshole, but he's sorry. He didn't mean to take his frustrations out on you."

Bella sighed. "Just… leave me alone, Peter."

"Not going to happen. So, you can either come back to the house with me after I take you hunting, or I can carry you back to the house and force feed you. You choose."

She glared at him. "I thought you said you'd never force me to stay with you. Sounds like you're going back on your word too. I really shouldn't be surprised."

He shook his head. "I won't force you to stay. I will follow you relentlessly and make sure that you look after yourself though. Loophole."

She snorted. "Jackass."

"Come on, B. What can it hurt? S'not like you're doing anything important in this tree, is it?"

"B?"

"I'm far too lazy to call you Bella all the time."

She swung her legs over the tree branch and dropped to the floor, straightening her tank top.

"You'll leave me alone after I hunt?"

"Yep, if that's what you want."

"Then let's go."

"There, I hunted. Are we done?" Bella asked, throwing the body of the druggie she'd just drained into the dumpster Pete opened.

He lit a match and threw it in, before he nodded. "We're done. You're welcome to go sit back in your tree and I'll come find you in two weeks to take you hunting."

She glared at him. "You said you'd leave me alone!"

"Nope, I said I'd follow you and make sure you're taking care of yourself."

"Christ, you're more annoying than an overprotective brother."

"I told you before, I'm your sire, B. I have a sense of responsibility for you, and it wouldn't sit right for me to just let you waste away in a tree. Come back to the house with me. Char has some clothes for you, and you can take a shower and get the leaves outta your hair."

Bella laughed despite herself, but then nodded. She had to admit, a shower sounded perfect. "Jasper better keep his asshole tendencies under lock and key, Pete. I'm not in the mood for his PMS."

"Message received."

He led her towards the house at a human jog. The streets were empty, but it wouldn't do to take the chance that they would be seen. As soon as they hit the fields, the two ran at top speed, arriving back at the house within half an hour.

"Bella," Charlotte murmured, sounding oddly relieved.

"You were right, Char. She was sitting in a tree," Pete said as he wrapped his arms around his woman.

"Are you alright, Sugar?" She asked, her eyes taking Bella in carefully.

Bella nodded, shuffling her foot awkwardly against the floor.

"Come on, I've got you some clothes and other bits in the guest room. I'm sure you'll feel better after showering and changing."

Bella nodded again, following behind her as she was led up the stairs. Charlotte showed her to a decent sized bedroom and pointed out the ensuite, telling Bella to take her time and come down when she was ready.

After taking her time in the shower, Bella dressed quickly in jeans and a black tank top, pulling a soft cotton jumper over the top. She slipped her feet into a pair of black uggs and sat down on the bed.

She didn't know what to do. She knew she could leave again, perhaps go further afield, but what was the point? In the end, they would likely find her, and it would just keep repeating until they got bored of chasing her. After that, she'd be able to sit in a tree, or a cave, or… somewhere in solitude and wait for eternity to finally end.

But was that what she actually wanted?

Was it worth sticking around? Was it worth the risk of being hurt again?

She didn't know.

Knowing that she'd never make the decision sitting alone in the guest bedroom, Bella got up and left the room, edging silently down the stairs. She could hear Peter and Charlotte talking softly on the patio and made her way out to them.

"Hey, Sugar," Charlotte greeted with a smile. "You look better."

"I feel it, thank you," Bella replied quietly. She sat down on the steps, turning to the side so she could look at them.

"So, are you gonna stick around for a while, B?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. We'll see."

"Um… Bella? Can I talk to you, please?"

Jasper was standing in the doorway, watching her cautiously.

"Sure. Talk."

"Alone?"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to talk to me alone?" she clarified.

"It's fine, we'll leave you two to it," Pete said before Jasper could reply. "Please don't leave, B."

She nodded briefly to Pete, looking out over the acres of land as Jasper sat down beside her.

"I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you," he whispered. "I was out of order."

"Okay."

His brow furrowed. "That's it?"

"What else am I supposed to say? You admitted you were in the wrong, I accept your apology."

He was silent for a moment before he chuckled. When she glanced at him curiously, he explained.

"You need to understand, I spent over sixty years as Alice's husband. Not once in those sixty years did she ever accept an apology that easily."

Bella snorted. "I'm not Alice. I never will be Alice. If she's what you're looking for in a mate, you've clearly got the wrong girl."

"I know you're not her, Bella. I'm thankful you're not her. How do you feel about me being your mate?"

"You sound like a second rate therapist."

He laughed. "I've majored in psychology a few times."

"Why does that not surprise me?"

"Well, at the risk of sounding like a second rate therapist, how are you feeling about being my mate?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I don't really understand what a mate is or what the bond is that Peter was talking about."

"Do you remember telling me about Paul imprinting?"

She nodded.

"It's more or less the same thing. Peter is of the opinion that I didn't make the connection while we were in Forks because I had my inner vamp on such a tight leash. Now that I've… allowed the monster some breathing room so to speak, the bond formed the way it would normally. Of course, you wanted nothing to do with me then."

"Okay. I guess that means I have to stick around then, huh?"

He smiled. "It'd be good if you could but… I don't want to make you unhappy, Bella. If you can't find happiness here, then I wouldn't want you to stay for my sake."

She shook her head, her hair falling in her face. Pushing it away impatiently, she grumbled, "I care about you. I tried not too but it's not fucking working. I want you to be happy, and... "

"And…" he prompted.

"And I want you to be near me."

He raised a hand to caress her cheek gently. "I want you by my side too, sweetheart."

She leant into his touch before she could stop herself. He moved slightly, tilting her chin up, leaning forward. She was sure he was about to kiss her, when Peter cleared his throat awkwardly from the doorway.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt, but there's someone on the phone for you, Jazz."

Jasper sighed, but held his hand out for the phone.

"Hello?"

"Jasper?"

Bella froze when she heard the voice on the other end of the line.

"What do you want, Alice?"

"I was searching for your future and it disappeared suddenly. I was worried."

He could practically hear the pout in her voice, and he rolled his eyes. "Why would you be searching for my future?"

"We're all moving home. I thought, well, I hoped you'd be coming too."

"Thanks, but no thanks," he snorted. "I'm just fine where I am."

"But… I thought you'd be coming. It won't be the same without you here."

"That's probably a good thing. I've found my mate, Alice. I'm not coming back to the Cullen's."

"That's fantastic news, Jazzy! We should come and see you before we head home! You're with Peter and Charlotte right?"

"That's not a good idea, Alice."

"What? Your mate is jealous because we were married? Tell her there's nothing to worry about, Jazzy, Edward and I are perfectly happy and in love. I pose no threat to her. Oh, please let us come, Jazz, please?"

"Alice -"

"Oh, pish, we're coming anyway. I'm sure your mate will love us, Jazz."

Before he could refute that, she put the phone down, leaving him with silence. He glanced at Bella, who was sitting a little away from him on the steps, leaning against Peter, who had a comforting arm around her.

"I'm going to have a bonfire," Bella muttered, glaring into the distance. She looked up at Peter. "See what you did by bringing me back here? You just killed two vampires."

Peter laughed. "You wanna burn em up, B, we'll help ya. I got no problem."

Bella looked at Jasper, who was watching her cautiously. Her gaze softened slightly at the guilty look on his face.

"I don't blame you. I know Alice does what Alice wants to do. Just… don't ask me to be nice to them, Jasper."

"I wouldn't ever dream of it," he assured her, his lips tilting up. "And… if you really want them dead… I won't help, but I won't try and convince you otherwise."

Bella sighed. "I won't kill em. I might not leave them whole, but I won't kill em."


Bella walked around the property, sticking to the boundary lines. She was itching to run, but knew it wasn't fair on the others. The impending doom of Alice and Edward's arrival was weighing heavily on her, especially since she knew now that the two would be here within a few hours.

Rather than call again, Alice had texted Jasper when they got near. She hadn't answered every time Jasper tried to call to convince her not to come.

"Bella? Bella!"

She turned to see a frantic Jasper running towards her. He swept her into his arms in a crushing hug that would have cracked a few bones had she still been human.

"What's wrong?" she asked, stroking his back.

"I thought you'd left," he replied, his face buried in her neck. "I thought you'd run."

"I told Peter I was going for a walk," she replied quietly. "I made sure to stay in the boundary lines so nobody would worry."

He sighed into her hair. "I'm sorry for freaking out," he murmured. "I just… with Alice and Edward… I guess I'm a little tense."

Bella snorted. "You've been coiled tighter than a fucking spring since she called you, Jasper. Do you miss her?"

"What?" He looked at her a little wide eyed. "No, of course not. I just… I'm worried about you seeing Edward, okay? He was your first love, he's stronger than I ever was -"

"Bullshit," she interrupted. "Edward may have been my first love, but he is not and has never been stronger than you. He's a whiny child who never had the chance to grow up. He lives in a dream world where only his opinion counts. You can't compare yourself to him, because there is no comparison, Jasper. You're the better man without even trying."

"Bella…" He trailed off, pulling away from her so he could look at her. Without another word, he pressed his lips to hers, his hand moving up to rest in her hair as the other moved down to rest on her ass.

She kissed him back immediately, sucking his lower lip into her mouth before biting lightly. She arched against him, enjoying how flexible her new body was, and when he moaned, she smirked against his lips before she opened them to allow his tongue entrance. He pulled her closer still even as he pushed her back against a tree.

"Jay," she moaned as he trailed kisses across her jaw and down her neck, nipping at the hard skin on her collarbone.

"I've never been called Jay before," he murmured. "I like it."

She lost track of time as they kissed, but Peter's voice broke the silence around them and they parted reluctantly.

"Bella? Jasper?"

"We're over here, Pete," Jasper called, as they walked back towards the house, holding hands.

Peter looked over the two of them with a knowing smirk. "Uh, huh. Do any of my tree's need replacing?"

"What do you want, you fucking cock-blocker?" Bella asked, raising her eyebrow at him.

Peter howled with laughter, shaking his head at her. "You are fantastic and I love you. The terrible twosome will be here in a few minutes. I thought you'd rather be comfortable when they get here instead of screwing against a tree."

"You thought correctly," Bella admitted. "You're forgiven. Though the idea does have merit. Where's Char?"

She popped her head out of the back door. "Here, Sugar, what's up?"

"Just checking you're around," Bella replied as they all sat down on the porch. "I've a feeling if anyone can talk me out of murder, it's probably going to be you."

Charlotte snorted. "For those two? I'll help you build the fire."

"Good Lord, don't tempt me."

They listened as a car pulled up the driveway, then as footsteps approached the house. Knocking sounded on the door but they ignored it. Bella was still holding a futile hope that they'd give up and go away.

"Anyone home?"

Her entire body clenched when she heard Alice's voice, and she turned her head slightly just in time to see the two of them walk around the back of the house.

"Just say the word, B, and I'll get the wood," Peter offered, not attempting to keep his voice down.

"I'll find a lighter," Charlotte offered, smirking.

Jasper sent them both a warning look before he stroked Bella's hand comfortingly. He was sitting in front of her and had yet to turn and greet the invaders.

"Are you okay, Baby?"

Bella nodded. She looked back over his shoulder to where Alice and Edward stood frozen, staring at her in shock.

"D'ya think if they stand there long enough, we'll be able to make snowmen out of them in the winter?" she asked, glancing at Peter.

He snorted. "We could, then we could melt them with a blowtorch."

"If they're still at my house in the winter, they'll need to be scared of more than a blowtorch," Charlotte muttered, staring at the two with dislike.

Bella laughed, rolling her eyes at Jasper who seemed to relax at the sound.

"Bella?"

"Nope."

Edward frowned, taking a step closer. "Bella, how are you -"

"I told you nope," Bella replied with a sneer. "You don't get to talk to me. Talk to Jasper, he's who you came to visit."

"But Bella," Alice whined.

"Nope."

Peter and Charlotte chuckled.

Edward seemed to remember his manners then, and said, "Jasper, Charlotte, Peter, it's good to see the three of you."

"Nope," chimed Peter and Charlotte together, before they, along with Bella, fell back into laughter. Jasper shook his head at them but couldn't stop himself from chuckling.

"Now, really, this is ridiculous," Edward complained.

Jasper finally turned to look at him, tilting his head slightly. Shaking his hair out of his face, he replied, "Nope."

Jasper was surprised that he didn't feel much of anything when he looked at Alice and Edward. It was, well, it was clearly Bella that made all the difference.

Bella, who was laughing with his brother and sister, and ignoring Edward like she really didn't give a toss about him. And… she didn't. He could tell. Her emotions were a strange combination of affection and irritation, but it was clear where each emotion was directed.

"Will someone explain what's going on?" Edward asked, frowning as his eyes flitted from person to person. Jasper knew he was trying to get a read from their minds, but he'd long since figured out how to block his thoughts from the mind reader, and Peter and Charlotte were even better than Jasper was.

Bella, of course, had always been silent to him.

Sighing, Jasper knew that they'd never get rid of the terrible twosome until they got some answers. He squeezed Bella's hand, and she smiled at him.

"Peter and Charlotte saved Bella from a heroin addict that would have killed her. That's how she's here."

"But I thought you said you'd found you…" Alice tilted her head, eyes fading out for a moment. Whatever she saw, Edward didn't like it, his expression souring. "Oh."

"Are you watching us have sex?" Bella asked, frowning. "Perverts."

Jasper choked out a laugh, his attention returning to his beautiful mate. Changed though she was from the girl he'd first met in Forks, he couldn't help but admit that he loved the new her.

"I can't help what I see in my visions," Alice replied. "I… I don't know how I didn't see this before."

"You didn't want to see it," Peter sneered. "Your visions are only good when they show you what you want to see, and you'll do anything for the outcome you want. At the time, you wanted Edward with Bella, for… whatever reason."

Alice looked away, and Bella arched her eyebrows at the shifty expression.

"That's an excellent question, isn't it?" Bella said softly, and Jasper glanced at her, trying to read her expression. She seemed confused, and angry, but there was an undercurrent of real hurt in her emotions. "Why did you push so hard for Edward to shack up with me, only to turn around and start bumping uglies with him not even a few years later?"

Alice swallowed and glanced between all of them. Everyone, even Edward, seemed to be looking at her, waiting for an explanation.

"Edward needed to feel love," Alice said eventually. "He needed to understand what it was like to be in love, but first loves never last. I… I hoped if he fell in love with you, then when you broke up, he'd realise what was right in front of him. If I'd known you were Jasper's mate—"

"You'd have done exactly the same thing," Bella interrupted. "Because deep down, it only ever really matters what happens to Alice, right? If it's good for you, it doesn't matter how it affects everyone else."

"That's not—"

"That's exactly it," Peter agreed with Bella. "Look what she did to Jazz."

"I saved Jasper!" she snarled, glaring at Peter. "Not that it lasted. I see you're drinking from humans again."

"You needed him to help you find the Cullen's," Charlotte pointed out. "And it made you feel good, to pretend like you were helping him."

"Instead, you were playing dress up barbie, and making him lock away his inner vampire. You had him so locked up in chains, it's a surprise he's even functioning," Peter continued.

"I have another question," Bella decided, tilting her head slightly. When all eyes turned to her, she continued, "What happens when one of you finds your actual mate?"

"What?" Alice asked, frowning.

"Well, if you were actually mates, you'd have felt it, right? Jasper was a mess with only three months' distance between us, and now I'm a vampire, I can feel the bond as well. If you two were actually mates, you wouldn't have been able to spend sixty odd years living in the same house while Alice was married to Jasper, right? So what happens to the one left alone then?"

"That won't happen," Alice replied, and she sounded so completely sure of herself, even Jasper was surprised. Reading her emotions, he felt determination and… there was an undercurrent of guilt.

"How do you know that?"

"I'd see it, and… avoid it."

Bella blinked and then blinked again. Jasper could feel disbelief coming off her in waves.

"You… you'd stop Edward from meeting his actual soulmate… just so that he stays with you?" she shook her head. "That's fucked up."

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth, Bella?" Alice snapped. "What do you know about any of this anyway, you've been a vampire for what, a couple of years at most?"

"Actually, a couple of months, and no, I don't kiss my mother with this mouth, because Victoria killed her years ago."

Edward blanched. "Victoria? She came back for you? Bella… Bella, I'm sorry."

Bella snorted. "Too little, too late, I'm afraid. Now if we've answered your questions, I think we're done here, no?"

"I…"

Jasper shifted on the steps so that Bella could cuddle into his side. He stroked his hand through her hair, and nuzzled his face on the top of her head. He could feel her pain at the mention of her mum, and he wanted to comfort her.

Knowing she wouldn't like it if he artificially settled her, instead he sent her a small wave of love. She cuddled into him deeper, her fingers gripping at his t-shirt.

Movement caught his eye, and he saw Peter juggling five lighters with one hand. "If you don't get off my land, I'm going to start setting fires," Peter said, glaring at Alice and Edward. "You don't get to come here and upset my girl."

"Your girl?" Edward questioned, disdain in his voice. "Bella… Bella, you should come with us. Come to Carlisle and Esme. They'll help you gain your control so you can hunt animals like we do. You don't have to stay here with these… monsters."

Bella looked up from where she'd had her head tucked against Jasper's chest and glared at Edward. "How you think you have any right to call Peter, Charlotte or Jasper monsters, I'll never know," she said, shaking her head. "You made me love you, you gave me a family that I thought I could keep, you gave me false promises, you put me in danger, and then you left me alone to deal with it all. The only monster's I see are the two of you, and honestly Edward? If I never see you again, it will still be ten years too soon."

She stood up and walked inside without looking back, muttering to herself about idiots and fools and bonfires.

Alice looked at Edward and then reached out to take his hand. "Come on, Eddie. We should just… we're not going to get anywhere here."

"We can't just leave her here!" Edward said, still looking after Bella. Jasper really didn't like the amount of longing he could feel in his emotions, and he glared hard.

Unless you want me to tell Alice exactly how much you want my Bella right now, I suggest you leave.

Edward's eyes darted to Jasper and he sighed. "Fine, we'll leave. Carlisle will likely be ringing you within days about this, Jasper. They'll want to see Bella."

"That will be her choice to make," Jasper replied evenly. "Nobody has the right to her time, not you, not Carlisle, not anybody. If she wants to see any of you, well, I have your numbers."

"If you'd just see reason," Alice said, huffing. "Then you'd bring her with us now, Jasper."

"Not fucking likely," Peter muttered.

"I've said all I need to say," Jasper said, getting up. "I'm going to go and find my mate. You'll understand if I don't walk you back to your car."

He entered the house, following Bella's path upstairs. Given the choice between verbally sparring with Alice and Edward, and being with Bella, well… there wasn't really a choice at all.

"How are you feeling?" Bella asked, when Jasper entered the room. She'd heard him coming up the stairs and rolled onto her back on the bed to look at him.

"I'm fine," Jasper replied with a soft smile. He seemed to hesitate, before gesturing to the bed. "Can I join you?"

She patted the bed beside her, and when he lay down, she rolled onto her side to face him, tucking her arm beneath her head. With her free hand, she reached out to trace the scars on his arm.

"Are you okay?" he asked, reaching out to brush the hair from her face. He left his fingers on her cheek, stroking the skin there gently. She closed her eyes at the feeling. "Seeing Edward must have been…"

She smiled and opened her eyes to look at him. "I don't know him anymore. I don't want to know him anymore."

"It's a little surreal, isn't it?" he mused, shifting closer to her. "How after everything that's happened, you can be right here. Mine."

She stared at him for a long moment and then nodded. "I am yours, aren't I?"

"Mine to love," he agreed, his hand on her hip now as he pulled her close, until there was no room between them. "Mine to protect." He pressed his lips to her nose, making her smile. "Mine to care for, and adore, and make happy."

"You know, I told Charlotte there was no such thing as a happy ending," she murmured, her lips brushing his.

He smiled. "Mine to prove wrong."

Their lips met, and she shifted against him as she surrendered to his kiss.

Maybe he was right. Maybe he would prove her wrong.


Written For:

Character Appreciation: 15. (dialogue) "Do you kiss your mother/mum with that mouth?"

Games Corner: 30. Found Family

Lyric Alley: 18. But now I give up

Showtime: 5. Confident

Bex's Bits and Pieces: 9. HFBIII: Vampire

Elizabeth's Empire: 2. Protect

Limited Edition: Dracula: Vampire

Days of the Year: 14. January 6th: Cuddle Up Day: Write about cuddling.

National Hobby Month: 28. Juggling

Colours: 15. Powder Blue

Alphabetti: Y: Yellow

NeonFae's Nibbles: Cinnamon Rolls: Flexible (1) / "How are you feeling?" (2) / Vampire (4)

365: 86. Surreal

Musical Yearly: 42. 90's: Torn: I don't know him anymore.

Insane House: 142. Vampire