Charlie and Jasper still hadn't returned to the Cullen's home a few hours later. Edward did his best to keep Bella calm and distracted by playing piano, telling her how much he loved her and offering to play chess or cards, but nothing could settle her nerves. She was worried that they had overloaded her father with too much information at once and feared he might blame her for everything that happened. The last thing she wanted was for him to hate or resent her.

Edward got Bella to lift her mental shield again so he could read her thoughts, but the chaos was too much for him to keep up despite his years of practice. This was beyond newborn emotional chaos, but the fear and anxiety of someone facing what seemed like several life-or-death situations all at once. To be fair, she herself had died and been reborn this week. She shouldn't even be able to talk coherently yet due to extreme thirst, but here she was.

"Come upstairs with me." he said, brushing his fingers lightly against her cheek and looking deep into her eyes, trying to dazzle her as he had many times before.

"I want to be here when he comes in." she insisted.

"You are super-fast now. You can be downstairs in one second if you need to, two if you don't push yourself."

"Fine." she said, following him up to the bedroom Esme had lovingly set up for them. Edward had been trying to get her to come relax with him all day, but she was terrified to move, fearing that Charlie might try to run away or panic if he didn't immediately see her.

Esme was the kindest and gentlest of all the Cullens by far, although Carlisle was close behind her. She was motherly and kind, attentive and insightful. She loved Bella as her own daughter from the moment she saw Edward smiling as he said her name. Thus, while Edward, Bella, Alice, Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle dealt with the situation involving Charlie, Esme, with assistance from a reluctant Rosalie, worked to make their getaway house, or new residence now, a home.

Bella hadn't left her father's side since they arrived until he ran from them in the woods. Thus, she was surprised when Edward opened the door to their room, and it reflected her needs and personality as well as his. She wasn't sure what she expected, but it certainly wasn't this.

One wall was entirely taken up by music in many formats and various audio equipment for Edward, while another was covered in floor to ceiling bookshelves for her, filled with hundreds of books aligning perfectly with her interests, framed photos of her and Edward and small pieces of art and sculpture, many of which were reminiscent of her beloved desert home in Phoenix. There was a bed for them to share in the middle of the room and several large, overstuffed bean bag chairs for reading and lounging. The back facing wall was mostly tall windows just like the house in Forks.

"Alice also stocked a closet for you." Edward said, watching her take in her surroundings with a smile on his face. To say that she was shocked or surprised would have been a huge understatement. She felt right at home.

"Wow." she whispered, excitedly running her finger over the spines of a shelf of books as she read some of the titles. "Esme, this is incredible. Thank you!"

Esme, having perfect vampire hearing, smiled, and called back a simple "You're very welcome!"

"Now," Edward said, gathering Bella's hair onto one of her shoulders so he could kiss her neck from behind her. "Let's relax and slip into something more comfortable-" he practically purred. "And if they aren't back by the time we're done, we'll go find them and make sure everything is alright."

She lifted her mental shield again for him to hear her thoughts. The chaos had settled somewhat, but she didn't want her dad to come in the house and hear them having sex. Edward laughed and teased her. "I said we were going to relax and change clothes. That's your interpretation."

"Oops." She was aroused, and the fact that she was completely in love with him and all his made him incredibly, blissfully happy.

"I do love you very much though. That offer is always on the table." He turned her to face him and kissing her slowly, lovingly. "But for right now, how about a shower?"

She agreed and they went into their bathroom together. Esme had made sure that each couple would have their privacy, especially since money wasn't an issue. They helped each other get clean, Edward giving his mate a gentle massage and helping wash her long, luxurious hair. Though their bodies didn't get sore or tired, he could hear in her thoughts that she was comforted by his touch and the physical reassurance that he was really there. He always enjoyed touching her and being with her in any way she would have him.

He taught her how to sniff out various fabrics in their large closet and helped her find a simple outfit of jeans and a v-neck t-shirt. He dressed himself much the same.

Bella was still anxious, both waiting for news about her father, and still processing all that had happened to her in the past few days. Despite the fact that Edward was right there, loving her, practically worshipping her, she couldn't help but feel scared by the memory of him almost leaving her and fears that she wasn't enough.

Though she tried to put on a brave face for everyone, he could see it every time she let him read her thoughts, even if it was only one of a hundred trains of thought. He was struck by an idea as he gazed at the lovely, exposed skin of her chest just above the neckline of her shirt.

"Close your eyes." he said, both of them still standing in the walk-in closet. She raised an eyebrow at him but did as he requested. He found the high shelf where Alice had stashed his mother's jewelry and quickly found the century old diamond he had always adored and strung it on a gold chain. He stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders. "Let me explain what this is before you react?" She nodded.

He gently placed the charm around her neck and fastened it, kissing her cheek when it was secure. "This necklace was my mother's. It was given to her by my father when I was little." She opened her eyes to look down at it and he saw that she found it beautiful. She smiled and so did he, grateful that she wasn't going to protest such an extravagant gift.

"I want you to have it, to remind you that you always have my heart with you, wherever you are. There has only ever been and will only ever be you. You don't have to be afraid that I'm going to leave you, ever. You have my word that will never happen again. I have no reason to stay away from you. I can't hurt you anymore. I will spend the rest of forever loving you. You are more than enough to hold me, my love, my heart. You are everything to me."

She looked into his eyes and put her hands on his face, pulling him in to her for a kiss. It's beautiful, thank you. she said with her thoughts, meaning both the words and the gift. She showed him how much she loved him and finally, mostly, let herself relax, her only worries now for Charlie. His gift had impacted her exactly as he had intended. She had a symbol of his love, something she could touch and see for herself. She fully trusted him again. He would never betray that for any reason.

At least most of her mental tangle had settled itself and Edward was relieved at his job well done. He hated to see her stressed and would give anything to make her happy. He only wished that there were more he could do about Charlie. He was too undecided for even Alice to see right now.

Charlie ran through the woods a while, enjoying the freedom of his strong, energetic body and the feel of the wind against his face. He stopped to test his strength, still believing he was dreaming until he knocked over a few large trees with no more effort than it would take to push open a stuck door. He was shocked at first, but then broke out into laughter. He had never believed in vampires or the supernatural before, but this was actually kind of cool.

His emotions cycled through so quickly that he could barely keep up: fear, excitement, anger, rage, happiness that Bella was alive, disappointment in what she had done and some sadness at what had become of him. Jasper stood in the shadows, watching, but not interfering even with his gift. Charlie needed to work through this on his own.

Hours passed much the same. Charlie drank the blood of an elk when he happened on its trail and then climbed a tree, sitting at the top of it to watch the sun set. This is where Jasper chose to join him, making himself known through deliberately loud footsteps before he climbed to a nearby branch.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Jasper asked, smiling softly as he admired nature's colors off in the distance.

"Much more than I ever noticed." Charlie said with awe. "I thought someone was following me."

"Only to make sure that you get home safely. I didn't want to interfere."

"You probably should have. Those trees might still be alive."

Jasper laughed out loud. "I see where Bella gets her sense of humor from."

"Why do you say that?"

"I almost bit her once, while she was still human. I didn't mean to. I've felt guilty ever since. I tried to give her an elaborate, sincere apology. I poured my heart out to her, threw myself at her feet. And do you know what she said?"

"What?"

"Everyone knows you're supposed to drink at parties, Jasper. It wasn't your fault no one told you it was BYOB..." Charlie stared at him for a second, so he elaborated. "Bring your own blood."

Charlie rolled his eyes and laughed louder than he had perhaps in months. "Sounds like her. Is there anyone in your family who hasn't tried to kill Bella?" he asked, a little more seriously, but still chuckling at her joke at Jasper's expense.

"Well, let's see…Carlisle…Esme…Rosalie, Alice, Emmett…" Jasper started, chuckling as well. "Edward was kind of a special case with her. I'll have to let him explain that one sometime. Me, however, I'm the newest one to this vegetarian diet as we call it. I'm not one to lie. It's hard. Really hard. Human blood tastes so much better, makes us stronger, but it's not worth the loss of someone's life to pursue it. We've almost all slipped up a time or two. Never Carlisle though. He's a saint."

"Will I really ever be safe around humans again?"

"Oh yeah, in a few months, maybe a year. I mean, we were all in high school except Esme and Carlisle, who worked at a hospital for God sakes. Saint. I tell you."

"Tell me about yourself, Jasper. I don't think we've ever even spoke before today." Charlie was suddenly fascinated by him. Maybe he could have a friend in this life after all.

"Well, the name is Jasper Whitlock, although it's Hale these days. I was born in 1844 in Houston, Texas. I'm married to the light of my life, my little Alice." he smiled and so did Charlie. He had always had a soft spot for Alice. "I was turned in 1863 when I stopped to help a group of women traveling alone, except they weren't normal women. One of them changed me into what I am today, although a much more violent, bloodthirsty version. I have Alice to credit for this lifestyle.

I was perhaps the youngest major in the Confederate Army. For years, I was really proud of that. When you're young and impressionable and people you look up to, your parents, your neighbors, the mayor, says 'Go and fight for your country!' you do, and you don't ask questions. It wasn't until I was older and more recently than I'd like to admit that I realized how wrong that was and what I was really fighting against. I wish I could take that all back now, but instead I strive to be a better man every day and do what I can to right my own wrongs and help others if possible.

Alice found me, or I found her I guess but she knew I was coming, in 1948 and we joined the Cullen family. She already knew that I would adore her at first sight and follow her anywhere. Quite sure of herself she is, but she wasn't wrong." He grinned.

"Uhhh, I like hunting and mountain climbing, reading, playing guitar, long walks on the beach." He laughed and Charlie laughed too, feeling at ease with Jasper without any of his emotional influence. He was an honest man, easy to relate to. Charlie liked that about him.

"Maybe I don't need that much detail." Charlie laughed. "So, you all aren't really related then?"

"The family? No. None of us are, except you and Bella of course."

"Duh." Charlie smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Esme and Carlisle are really married. He changed her. Then there's me and Alice. Rosalie and Emmett. Then now Edward and Bella."

"All mated pairs?"

"All mated pairs. Poor Edward had been alone since 1918 until he met Bella. You wouldn't believe how she's changed him. Years of depression, hatred, self-loathing, not entirely gone, but greatly healed from the second he finally acknowledged his love for Bella. Hell, one night he came home smiling and laughing like a madman. We thought he had killed her then, but Alice assured us he hadn't. That was the night she found out exactly what he was, and still willingly got in the car with him, wanted to be with him. He couldn't believe it."

"Why not?"

"Edward has always had a very pessimistic view to this lifestyle. Rosalie too to some extent. Let me tell you about some of the others for comparison. Alice doesn't remember her human life much, but she had been in an asylum for her visions. She was thrilled to wake up not just as a vampire, but with her freedom. She's never resented it.

Emmett, he's a big kid, he was basically like "Oh, cool!" and "Who's that hot chick that carried me here?" They laughed. "Esme remembered Carlisle fixing up her broken leg when she was a teenager and she had always been smitten with him, so she was thrilled too.

Edward, he was Carlisle's first companion. He changed him as he was dying of the Spanish flu at the last request of Edward's mother. Edward has always believed that we are monsters, damned to hell just for existing. He never believed that there was any good in him or in the world at all for vampires."

"You said believed, not believes?"

"Bella." Jasper said simply, lounging back against the tree's large trunk.

Charlie wasn't sure how he felt about that situation just yet. He sighed, watching the sun going down in the distance.

"He loves her more than life itself." Jasper added, understanding her father's reservations. "He would never intentionally harm her. In fact, James actually bit her. Edward managed to suck the venom out himself without killing her. I certainly couldn't have done that. He never wanted this life for her. He tried to protect her, even willing to go as far as leaving her and spending the rest of eternity as a broken, empty shell of a man without her. He was fully prepared to go curl in a ball somewhere and wait to die even if it took a thousand years, but thankfully, she wouldn't let him. She is so much smarter than I ever gave her credit for and gifted too."

"Is it true she wanted this life?" Charlie asked, trying to make sense of things.

"Oh yeah. She must have asked him to change her nearly every day since she realized what he was."

"Why wouldn't he?"

"He believed that biting her was damning her to hell, and no happiness of his was worth that in his mind. Hell, I was of half a mind to bite her and change her for him if I thought I wouldn't kill her. It's hard to stop once we get the taste of human blood. I know Alice had those thoughts as well. We just wanted them both to be happy."

"You really feel everyone's emotions?" Charlie asked.

"I do. No one can hide their true feelings from me."

"Does she love him?"

"More than anything. No matter what stupid thing he's done." Jasper smiled and Charlie felt a little relieved. At least he knew that Bella really was happy. She wasn't forced into this. Not like he was at least. And she wasn't lying to him. Not anymore.

"Now, there's something else you want to ask me but you're afraid to. Out with it." Jasper insisted with a kind look in his direction. The sun was almost gone, and stars were starting to show themselves in the sky.

"Tell me about Victoria."

"What do you want to know?"

"What's she like?"

"Well…" Jasper hesitated. "I don't know her very well. I've only really interacted with her on the car ride here. She has had a rough life. I suspect she's been badly mistreated for a long time."

"Is she…what did you call it…. vegetarian?"

"No."

Charlie was terrified, sighing and looking down at the branch he was sitting on.

"There's no pressure." Jasper said. "You don't even have to meet her if you don't want to. Vampire emotions are so much stronger than human ones. If she's your mate as she believes she might be, you would know almost instantly, especially if you just embrace your feelings and don't try to run away from them as Edward did at first."

"And if there are no feelings for her?"

"Then she isn't your mate, and you can be the odd Cullen out if you want." Jasper smiled. "Someone has to step up and take Edward's place."

"I'm sure he and Bella are probably worried to death as long as we've been gone."

"Edward, maybe. He only has eyes for Bella. I wouldn't take offense to that. Bella, definitely. We probably should head back soon."

"Thanks Jasper. For…everything." Charlie said, reaching out to shake his hand. Jasper returned his handshake with a firm grip. "Now how the hell do I get down from here?"

"You're virtually indestructible." Jasper said, hopping out of the tree in one large leap and landing smoothly, almost silently on his feet. "Just jump."

Charlie followed him gracefully. "I could get used to this."

"Want to race back to the house?"

"Definitely." Charlie grinned and Jasper laughed, taking off into the woods with Charlie on his heels.

Jasper could feel a lot of the emotional tension melting away as they ran this time, and he knew he had made the right decision following Charlie. This was how he could make things up to Bella. He was more than happy to do it.

Author's Note: This chapter was so much fun to write! This was not at all how I had it outlined, but screw outlines, Jasper wanted to be the good guy sooo much and I am very happy with how this came out. I hope you are too!

You may have noticed that I turned the famous heart charm into a necklace here very similar to how I did in my story You Are 17, Act Like It. It's just such a cute idea and it seemed fitting here as well. Thanks for reading! We still have at least 4 chapters left, if not a few more.