AN: Someone pointed out that normally when a vampire bites, they turn. I'll admit that I truly forgot exactly which vampires I was dealing with when I started writing this and that Alex bites Elizabeth. I do apologize for that mess-up, but I also had it in my head at the time of writing that they had somewhat of a choice in turning the human for some reason?


When I woke in the morning, I was cuddled into a hard chest.

"Alex, can you grab some medicine for my head?" I asked quietly.

"Alice told me you'd need some," his voice sounded behind me in a whisper. "Jasper can you sit her up?"

"Alright." When he spoke I felt the vibration through my torso and wanted to throw up.

"Don't move her yet," Alice spoke immediately. There was a cool hand on my head. "Keep it there. It'll settle her head enough that she won't feel nauseous. Don't speak either. The vibrations are making her sick and if she moves enough she'll throw up."

"Sorry about taking too much yesterday. You know we always mess up during your periods." The nausea slowly disappeared as I fell back to sleep.

Thankfully by the next time I woke up, I wasn't feeling like throwing up.

"Feeling better?" Alex asked. "Edward heard Jasper telling him that you were awake."

"Much. Periods suck." If he takes too much during or before it's just a nightmare.

"Yeah pretty sure your bed buddy agrees." I pulled my face from the chest in front of me to see who I was cuddled against.

"When did you get here?"

Jasper shook his head and reached out toward Alex behind me. In his hand were two pills that I put in my mouth before accepting the glass of water to swallow the pills with. "Alex asked you yesterday if you were alright with me keeping your nightmares away. I've kept you feeling content through most of the night so you'd sleep well enough." He also kept his hands mostly to himself and only had one on my arm.

When I glanced behind me at Alex again, he grinned. "You were in Jasper's bed and he said he didn't want my stink on his sheets. Seriously though I felt like it'd be for the best. You're his mate, not mine. You two are taking it slowly, I get that, but at the same time I do know how Jasper feels. I'm in his territory and taking his things. Since finding Alice I don't like her brothers being too close in case they decide to hurt her, even though I know they won't." He sat behind me and nudged me so I was laying on my back and out of Jasper's arms. "Think of it this way...He's being patient and allowing you to go at your own pace. I'm being a good friend and keeping him from becoming fed up at me and just bending you over a table top to release some tension."

"I wouldn't do that." Jasper just gave Alex a bland look, causing me to snort.

"Even I know that."

"I'm trying to help you Jasper." Alex crossed his arms over his chest. "Damn it Ellie. You've known for a month and he only gets to touch you, and even then it's seldom. I figured the least I could do was let him hold you for a nightmare and keep you safe. You couldn't find a better guy to do so really." His eyes were soft then. "You've told me you do like him at least and that you trusted him. We don't really do much to get you two to do much more than talk."

"She's been concerned over Bella so we've taken things slow," Jasper stated. We had both agreed to take things slow at least to the intimate stage. I told him we couldn't really sleep together for two reasons and he took one of those very seriously. The other was kept from him and only Alex knows of it. "And you know why we're not intimate."

"I know." He huffed. "It's just frustrating to see. I know you two care for one another and you can't actually act like a normal couple. She deserves to be happy and because of some asshole-" He huffed and ran his hand through his hair in annoyance. "I just want her happy man."

"This is why you're my best friend." I reached up to touch his cheek and gestured for him to move his face down. He did so and allowed me to kiss his cheek. "Thank you so much Alex. I promise that I'm okay right now though. Jasper and I talk when we're together and if he has any concerns I've already told him to tell me." My gaze turned to Jasper, who was watching me with saddened eyes. "You'll tell me if you'd like to do something and you're not sure if I'm ready for it or not, right?" He nodded in response. "Then there's no concern. At least at the moment." I grinned at my best friend. "And admittedly hearing my best friend going at it with my mate's sister is kind of a turn off."

Emmett's laughter rung clear in the house, causing me to laugh.

"Aren't you humans supposed to be deaf or something," he groaned.

"I have normal hearing. You're about as quiet as a screaming banshee. I swear you're louder than her."

"Well gotta show dominance somehow. I'm still wearing the thong."

"Ah got ya. She's wearing the pants in the relationship." Jasper's nod and smile caused me to smile back at him. "Don't worry. We'll share the pants in ours. You get them evenings and I'll get them mornings."

"And in between?" he questioned with a lifted brow.

"With that voice, no pants at all required."

"What, no thong?" Alex asked as he stood up. He ruffled my already messy hair that I didn't care much about. It's already messy so there's no reason to care if it's messier. The only one who really should care probably won't because it doesn't bother me.

"Jasper never picked the color."

"Liar."

"I never have," Jasper agreed.

"We did agree that if we wears a color it won't be our favorites. So if I get the orange then he gets the yellow. It might be blue I get him in...Actually." My eyes turned to take in what was uncovered of Jasper. He had apparently been tucked against me under the sheets keeping me cool all night so only his upper torso was uncovered and even that had a shirt covering it. "I think honestly I couldn't take it if he wore red or black. My poor little human heart just wouldn't be able to beat I think. Probably a really nice blue...Royal blue." Yeah blue would look absolutely lovely on him.

"I'm ordering it with an orange and yellow one!" Alice told me from the doorway. "Do you want anything else?"

"I'm the opposite of Bella so I will definitely take any freebees you offer me...Being broke really sucks sometimes. Can you also get me a bra or two? I have two of them and have to wash them all the time by hand so I don't have to do another load just for a few items."

"Really?" Esme and Rosalie were both at the doorway now. Apparently Rosalie felt the need to comment. "Every girl should have enough to last a week at the very least." She was never really glaring at me that I've ever noticed and I'm honestly not sure how I feel about it. It's nice not having someone glaring at me, but at the same time I don't want pity.

"Alex gets his money from shaking down thugs and murders before snapping their necks. I haven't made any money since the last town where I was a dancer."

"A dancer?"

And now Emmett's standing behind his mother and way too curious. "What kind of dancer? Stripper?"

Rosalie hit him but it got too quiet when I answered, "Close enough. I was a pole dancer."

"What?"

"Oh yeah, they didn't know that," Alex said to himself. "We were really tight on money and Ellie didn't want me killing anyone since I almost killed an innocent woman. She got a gig during the day so she could make some money for a while and I stood guard when she'd leave so nothing happened."

"How'd you learn that?" Emmett asked.

"In my old world you can learn almost everything from the internet. I learned from there and practiced almost constantly with Alex helping here to be able to get it. The bar got quite a bit busier during the daytime."

"You poor dear." One moment I was laying on the bed and the next moment I'm in a hug from Mother Cullen who would probably be crying if she could. This woman could literally solve all the world's problems with a hug. It makes you feel so loved and protected. It also makes you feel like if you ever try to hurt her kids she'd kill you with a spoon and probably enjoy every minute of it.

"If you ever need anything else please feel free to ask us. You're already part of the family and none of us mind at all if you need to get anything."

"Thank you very much." I was returning the hug as tightly as I could. "We just bought pads during our last trip so I don't think anything else is a large concern. It was just the bras really. Underwear is pretty cheap for a decent amount so I'm good with those."

"It's time to change them out though," Alex pointed out. "I had to throw one out when the side tore."

"They're still fine Alex."

"Let's go shopping!" Alice squealed. "Get out of bed and we can all go. You can leave Alex and Jasper here with Emmett and us girls can go out and shop to our hearts' content."

That made me curious of Edward and Carlisle's locations if they weren't stated. They're either downstairs or at Bella's and the hospital respectively...Or they could both be at the hospital if Bella has hurt herself recently.

"I'll make breakfast," Esme agreed easily before disappearing from the room.

"Jasper, let her leave the bed," Rosalie stated simply before touching Emmett's arm. Both disappeared after that.

"Clothes off so you can change!" Alice chirped.

"Yes ma'am," I stated, reaching for the hem of my shirt.

Jasper's hand stopped me from that. "Please don't."

"I've got it man." Alex picked me up and raced me to Alice's room. He also just kind of threw me at Alice's bed.

No joke. I bounced across it and onto the floor with a small scream.

"You asshole!"

He just laughed and left.

"You're not injured so hurry up! We can go shopping for whatever you want today! And anything you don't want to bring to your apartment can stay here." While she spoke I got undressed. "Now that we have the curtains all over the house you can stay over more often." I shut the door behind me as I used her bathroom.

"No offence Alice, but don't talk to me while I'm on the toilet." I didn't speak until after I had washed my hands and opened the door again. "I don't like having conversations while I'm peeing." Anyone who does is just a little bit weird.

"Then hurry and put the clothes on silly!"

"Unlike you, I need to pee sometimes." I walked over and put the clothes on slowly to pick on her. "So you're going to have to deal with the fact that I need bathroom time. On some occasions at least."

"That's such a waste of time."

"Agreed, but it needs to be done." She became impatient and dressed me quickly before settling me on the couch downstairs next to Edward. He apparently isn't at Bella's.

"I'm about to head to her home soon. I was here long enough to make sure you were awake without Jasper talking next to you." I nodded to that.

"Are you going to really talk to her soon?"

"Yeah. I wanted to ask you the best way of going about it."

I smiled at him and touched his hand to get him to look at me and not his hands. "When you're at school just talk to her. I'm going to be talking to her when we go back to school so she doesn't get hit by a vehicle. She shouldn't be as suspicious as she would normally. I'd like for you to be fed enough to keep your eyes almost consistently the same color, at least until you're alright with telling her the truth."

"Elizabeth?" Esme called from the kitchen. "The food's ready dear."

"Thank you!" I moved my hand away from Edward to stand, only for him to grab the hand. It startled me enough to look back into his eyes.

"What if she doesn't like what I am?"

I smiled at him and shook my head. "In the series she loved you Edward..." To an almost obsessive amount really. "You don't have to worry too much about it. She was okay with changing to be with you forever and she loved this whole family."

"Even Rose?"

"Even her. They do eventually bond later in the series if you can believe it and honestly I understand where Rosalie is coming from. She's a bit excessive in her hatred but you're also a bit hard on your own self Edward. You believe you don't have a soul, but what of Carlisle? That man has saved so many lives, including your own and your family." He stared away slightly, causing me to turn his head with my hand so he could look at me. "No, look at me. Tell me you think he doesn't have a soul."

"It's different."

"Because he saves people at a hospital? Do you truly believe people are damned for something they have no control over? I was killed and brought to a new world with all my memories. Am I damned?"

He was about to answer but tilted his head slightly and moved his mouth, apparently having a conversation with someone else in the house. "You're not."

"Neither are you. Vampirism I feel is the equal to another disease perhaps. It's perhaps an absolutely horrible example, but think of it as an STD. You have it and the only thing you can do is infect others with it, but you can live and survive. Do you believe people who've been infected with such a thing are at fault? Are they damned Edward?"

"They had no control over what they have," he agreed.

"Yes. Now let's continue on this track. Jasper loves me and is infected with such a thing and I love him as well and wish to remain by his side. Does that mean that I'm a horrible woman, wanting to be with a man I love?"

"No."

"Am I insane? I wish to infect myself, knowingly, to be able to lay with the man I love. Is this horrible of me?"

"No." Rosalie stood behind Edward. "She'd be insane to leave the man she loves just because he has such an issue."

"So let's all think on vampirism as such a thing. I understand that it turns you all into bloodthirsty monsters, but as long as you maintain it you're alright. All of you, including Alex, can live peacefully with humans with few hiccups that even normal humans have. Humans kill one another all the time, so what you all do to survive isn't really that much different. Don't hate your life Rosalie, Edward." I finally stood up. "Bella will love you and your family Edward. She's willing to put herself in harms way to keep you all safe. When you're ready to tell her she may panic a little, honestly any sane person would be even if a little bit, but she'll love you soon enough." I passed Jasper who stood silently near the kitchen doorway. "Think of yourselves as monsters all you'd like, but those who care will see who you really are. You're not monsters. You're scared of hurting us, making you as human as those of us who don't drink blood."

"Were you afraid?" Jasper asked me quietly.

"Yes." I heard him follow me to the kitchen table where Esme had scrambled eggs and toast.

"Why?"

"I was heading back home after school and heard a noise. As one should not do, I checked out the noise I heard in an alleyway."

"There I was-" Alex now sat in the seat to my right, across from Jasper's seat "-moaning and groaning because I didn't want to kill another human. Then comes along this young lady with eyes too old to fit her age and staring at me. Looking straight into my eyes, she asked if I was hungry and I honestly answered that I was. I was starving and didn't want to hurt anyone. Want to know what my flower said to me?"

"Don't bite me on the ass when you kill me," I mumbled around my eggs.

Alex snorted and ruffled my hair. Immediately after Alice was by his side with a brush that she began running through my hair. "Even vampires shouldn't starve. If you don't take all of my blood, I don't mind feeding you. It sucks, starving I mean. No one should have to starve."

"You've had to starve dear?" Esme asked.

"Mhm." Jasper nudged my orange juice closer so I could take a sip. "This life has been quite a bit different than my last one, but I'm happy. Alex is my best friend and keeps me on my toes."

"She offered to be my walking blood bag," Alex stated as he leaned back in his seat. "The least I could do was stay around and protect her. She was way too interesting to stay away from though so it eventually turned into friendship, or whatever we have." He watched me while I chewed my bread. "And turns out she wasn't even from this world and knew more about it than most of us vampires even do. Our next school to go to was visited on a whim and she brought me to my mate. So my new goal in life is to insure that she's happy with her own mate and punch him in the nuts if he hurts her."

"I'm going to remove yours if you keep on while I'm eating," I told him between bites. "Jasper is the perfect gentleman really. It's actually really annoying that he has no flaws. With Edward around able to read minds, I'm concerned about my dreams while I'm here."

"Why, they have him?"

"Considering the attraction I've begun feeling slowly, yeah. They're none too innocent either sometimes." I took a sip before glancing at the smirking Texan. "I blame the voice...And face...And you know." I gestured toward his whole person with my glass. "All of that."

"So you're blaming him."

"Done!"

"Thank you Alice." I tilted my head back to smile at her before turning back to Alex. "Yeah. I'm filled with flaws and issues and he doesn't even complain and it's driving me bonkers. I need to find one thing I don't like about him."

"His taste in shoes?"

I glanced under the table to look at his bare feet, causing me to snort. "He even has nice feet. I'm really starting to hate him."

"We're supposed to be perfect," Alice reminded me before skipping off.

"Yeah but Alex hates that you wear the pants but he finds it a turn on and Rosalie hates that Emmett's so friendly with humans. All mates have something they hate and I want to find his just so I have something as a distraction."

"I'm always clothed."

My eyes narrowed as they took in Jasper's expression. "Yeah...I kinda hate you for that, but you have a reason for it and I completely understand."

"I hate that you have no bad qualities yourself," Alex groaned. "You're way too selfless sometimes."

"I want to go shopping with the female Cullens so I can get free goodies."

"That you deserve you little creature of evil."

"I liked smacking Jasper's ass in public."

"True. You're a horrible woman." Alex moved forward and shoved my fork in my mouth, nearly making me choke on my food.

"Alex, she'll choke!" Esme told the vampire who laughed at me.

"She'll live. Demons just keep coming back. Bet you next time her ass will look nicer."

"Asshole." I threw a piece of toast at him. He just laughed as he caught it and shoved it in my mouth as well. Jasper just snorted.

Traitor.

"I'm heading out Esme," Edward told his mother. He kissed her cheek while I glanced over at him.

"Don't just go walking up to her door. Wait till school so it looks more normal, okay? You two don't really have a strong enough friendship yet for it not to look weird."

"Alright. Thank you Elizabeth."

"No problem. I only have one question."

He tilted his head.

Does he think about me as much as he's on my mind?

He nodded his head at that. "Thank you. Try to keep actual watching to a minimum if you can." He nodded once more before disappearing from my view.

"What'd you ask him?" Alex asked.

"If Jasper's ass is nicer than yours. He obviously said yes."

"What? It is not!"

"Don't make me look." I took another bite of eggs. "I've seen your naked ass enough times it doesn't bother me, but with Jasper I might just die. We've already agreed that I blame his general him-ness for the attraction I feel."

"Poor Jasper," Alice cooed as she came back in the kitchen. "Hurry up so we can go."

"What color undies you like?" I asked Jasper.

"Blue."

"Damn it." Now we're going to match.

Is it hot in here or is it just Jasper?