A/N: Seriously, thank you, everyone, for the kind reviews! Like I mentioned before, this is the first story that I've written and to be quite honest, I didn't think anyone would read it. For once, I enjoy being wrong!

Bella woke when Charlie's alarm went off at 8 o'clock Sunday morning. She took a few minutes to stretch her arms and legs, letting the events from the night prior wash over her. Having expected a potential follow-up interaction with Jasper of some kind, the memories flowed more easily than the morning before.

Briefly overcome with emotion, her eyes filled with tears; it had been so long since she'd been able to interact with any other being while shifted. Animals tended to shy away, sensing something foreign within her. For the first time since her mother's passing, Bella had actually enjoyed her shift. Having someone to play with had left the girl feeling more calm and collected than she had in a long time.

After her emotional moment subsided, Bella pulled back the covers and got up to pick out a comfortable outfit. Knowing Charlie would take another 30 minutes or so, thanks to his liberal use of the snooze button, she headed to the bathroom for a quick shower so she could wash bits of tree sap out of her hair. When she finished, Bella set out for the kitchen and spent the next 15 minutes preparing her favorite breakfast recipe; a baked apple pancake, also known as a dutch baby.

By the time Charlie had showered and come down the stairs, the sweet aroma of apples and warm cinnamon had filled the house. "It smells absolutely amazing down here, Bells! What are you whipping up?"

"It's called a dutch baby. You saute apples in butter with some cinnamon and nutmeg, and then, while the pan is hot, you pour the batter in and finish it off in the oven," Bella explained happily. "When it's done, it puffs up! You'll see in about 3 minutes."

"Where did you learn to make something like that?" Charlie asked with genuine interest. "Your mom wasn't exactly skilled in the kitchen, as far as I remember."

"You remember correctly," Bella answered with a soft laugh. "That didn't change until I was 11 or so. Aunt Lottie went on this huge rant at mom because she had managed to burn some boxed mac and cheese. Lottie went on and on about how she couldn't always be there to help and somehow their 45 minute argument turned into this plan to sign us up for mother-daughter cooking lessons!" Bella explained, reminiscing. "We learned the basics, and even though I was still a bit young, I got to help a lot. Over time, we started picking out recipes we wanted to try and our cooking abilities grew from there."

Bella opened the oven, grabbed a hot pad, pulled the cast iron skillet from the oven, and set it gently on the stove top. "Take a look at this, dad!" The girl directed, eager to share in the culinary excitement she had grown with her mother, with her father.

"It looks incredible! You were right about it puffing up. Do you want some coffee with it?" Charlie reached into the cupboard to pull down the coffee beans. "That, I know how to make," Charlie added somewhat sheepishly.

"I will definitely be needing coffee. I decided I'm going to get my laundry done and finish 'Wuthering Heights' today, if it's the last thing I do!"

"Well, I certainly hope it isn't the last thing you ever do, Bella."

Bella groaned dramatically, "Really? Haven't you grown out of dad jokes?"

"Hmm, not quite yet, I don't think," he pretended to consider her question.

"I swear, I can't take you anywhere," Bella muttered darkly, though her grin betrayed her. It felt good to joke with her father.

"You seem to be in a good mood today," Charlie noted after grinding the coffee beans and plopping a filter into the coffee maker.

"I suppose I am," she answered without having to think about it. "After making it through the first week, I'm feeling hopeful that this next one will be easier, if not more familiar." Bella viewed her upcoming school week with more confidence than she had the previous. "At least I know I'll have friends to sit with at lunch."

Charlie hit the brew button on the coffee maker and turned to face her. "I'm really glad to hear that, Bells. Maybe this weekend you can do something with those two?"

He sure is set on me hanging out with my friends, Bella observed. "Yeah, I figured I would ask the girls if they want to do anything that doesn't revolve around going to Port Angeles over lunch tomorrow."

"That's a good idea," Charlie answered as he pulled two mugs out of the cupboard. He poured them both some freshly brewed coffee while Bella dished their plates up. The two of them took their places at the small kitchen table, and fixed up their coffees; Charlie poured a dash of french vanilla creamer and dropped one sugar cube into his mug, while Bella opted for a much larger splash of vanilla caramel creamer and selected two sugar cubes for her own.

Aside from a, "This is fantastic!" from Charlie through a mouthful of pancake, the two ate in companionable silence, sipping on their coffees and trading pages from the Sunday edition of the Forks Forum.

Snagging the front page from his discard pile, Bella was sad to see that Charlie hadn't been exaggerating or blowing the situation in Port Angeles out of proportion. The headlining article detailed the lives of the 12 people that had been reported as missing as far back as September.

"...Authorities could not be reached for comment at the time of this printing, however, popular public theories range from animal attacks, spurred on by recent wolf sightings, to the possibility of sex-trafficking."

No one over the age of 30 had been taken, all women, save for two of them. Bella's mental hackles rose, causing the hair on her arms to stand on edge. What the hell is going on out here? This isn't the same old, boring Forks I remember.

Bella set the paper down, feeling disheartened, and studied her father. Dark crescents had formed under his eyes and the corners of his lips were turned down, ever so slightly. He looks tired, she realized. Charlie probably hasn't been getting enough sleep, even with going to bed early. I'm sure he's exhausted from these cases.

Before she could be caught staring, Bella stood to clear the dishes and put the leftovers away. The plates had been washed and rinsed by the time Charlie finished the paper and his coffee. "Thanks for breakfast. It was delicious."

"No problem, dad. I know you like apple pie and this recipe was about as close to dessert as breakfast can get."

Charlie chuckled in response and headed back to the table. "You done with the paper?"

"Yeah, thanks. Are you heading out soon?"

"I think so. It's getting on 10 o'clock now and by the time I get there it'll be 10:30. That's around when Harry was expecting Billy and Jacob. You remember Jacob Black, don't you?"

"I think so...we used to play on the beach?" Bella asked uncertainly.

"That's right. Anyways, Jacob will be there today. You want me to say hello for you?"

"Uh, sure, Ch-dad," Bella answered awkwardly.

"Sorry, I might be overstepping, I just don't want you to be lonely here. I want you to make friends and be happy here."

Bella could only nod for a moment, emotion pricking at the backs of her eyes. "Thanks dad, that means a lot to me." She picked at her nail beds, unable to meet his eyes. "I think things are going to be okay here," she tried to reassure him.

"I hope so, honey. Anyways, I have to get going. You have a nice day and if you need me, I left Harry's number on the fridge and you should have my cell number programmed in yours."

You can give the cop a day off but you can't take the cop out of a father, Bella thought with a grin. "Thanks, dad. I'll see you tonight."

The sound of Charlie's car pulling out of the driveway filled her sensitive ears as Bella finished cleaning the kitchen. Noting the cloud cover outside, she heaved a sigh and mentally prepared herself for a rainy evening. Deciding to make the best of the afternoon, she settled in on the couch with a cozy blanket and her book.

As Bella had predicted, the day passed by uneventfully. She had finally finished "Wuthering Heights" sometime in the afternoon and got a start on "Pride and Prejudice," her second favorite book. There was just something in the way that Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy verbally sparred that thrilled Bella. Granted, Mr. Darcy certainly had his flaws, particularly in the way he had treated Elizabeth in the beginning, she thought that the story did a good job of representing two very different people from separate and distinct backgrounds coming together and compromising to make the love they had work.

Around dinner time, Bella pulled the remaining fish and fries from the fridge and decided to heat them up in the oven to avoid making the breading soggy. Having spent the afternoon absorbed in her books, she hadn't had time to worry about Jasper or the Cullens all day. Waiting for her dinner, however, gave her plenty of time.

So, let's recap: Jasper is very, very strong. He's also playful. He doesn't seem to want to harm me. He knows that shifters exist, but, in turn, I know that whatever he is, exists. Unfortunately, there is only one of me and potentially five of them, at least that I know. I wonder if the doctor and his wife know what their adopted children are. And that brings us to...what the hell are they?

Bella couldn't come up with any supernatural creatures that encompassed the criteria of fast, excellent hearing, and rock hard flesh. Beautiful, too, her brain added. Oh, yes, they're all lovely, can't forget that, she rolled her eyes sarcastically at her own observation.

He seemed to want me to come back tonight. Maybe he's lonely too, though that would be hard to believe, considering he has such a large family. Unless Edward isn't back from wherever. Maybe that's what is bugging him. Jessica had said that Jasper and Rosalie had been annoyed by his leaving. I suppose it isn't any of my business, though.

Bella sighed and rubbed her temples, already frustrated with her lack of progress in the exploratory mission she had set out on the night before. I wish there was a way to communicate, she thought bitterly. Not unless I want to shift back and expose my identity. Oh, and let's not forget, I'd be stark naked and completely vulnerable. What a great conversational ice breaker.

She wondered briefly if she could pack a change of clothes and carry them in some kind of bag, but tossed the idea out just as quickly. Because, again, why would I expose my human identity. Shifter rule number one, don't expose the existence of shifters. Rule number two, don't expose yourself as a shifter. Rule three, never harm a human, it's just not fair. That's it. Three cardinal rules and I have already broken one. Great job, Renee would be proud, Bella told herself sarcastically.

The timer for her food went off and saved Bella from spiraling down the path to self-loathing. She removed her dinner from the oven and waited for it to cool before fixing herself a plate. She finished her meal quickly and washed the single plate, baking sheet, and fork she had used. A glance at the clock told her it was almost 7:15.

Heading to the living room, Bella flicked on the television and started stretching. Stretching should almost be rule number four, she thought with a grimace. I pity any shifter that attempts the change without warmed up muscles.

Charlie arrived home close to 8 and filled Bella in on the details of the games they had watched. Noticing her lack of interest, he smiled guiltily and changed the subject. "I heard from Jacob that some of the kids from the reservation are having a bonfire this coming Saturday evening. I was told that you and your school friends would be welcome to join. 'The more the merrier, just bring your own marshmallows,' was the exact message."

Bella laughed, "Well, I think we can manage marshmallows. I'll talk to Angela and Jess tomorrow and let you know what they said."

"Good. Now, I hate to rush off to bed when I just got home, but I have to be to work at 5 tomorrow morning."

"Why so early?" Bella asked with wide-eyed surprise. "I thought you guys had a morning staff?"

"We do, but Dawn won't be in tomorrow. She called me this afternoon to let me know her little boy is going to be at home tomorrow and possibly Tuesday. He's pretty sick and I guess her husband is visiting his parents in Idaho."

"That's too bad. I hope her boy feels better soon."

"Me too, Bells. As much as I don't mind covering, I prefer waking up at 5, not getting to work at 5."

"No kidding. Well, sleep tight and have a good day tomorrow."

"You too."

Charlie trudged up the stairs, leaving Bella alone with nothing but her thoughts and the television. She changed the channel to a mindless sitcom and waited another 45 minutes before heading up the stairs to give her father time to get settled and fall asleep.

She rushed through her normal nightly routine – wash face, moisturize, brush teeth, get in bed, and wait for the house to fall silent aside from Charlie's deep sleep breathing. After another 30 minutes of pretending to fall asleep for good measure, Bella pulled back her covers and slipped silently from her bed. She locked her door in the event Charlie got up in the night and check on her, only to find she wasn't there. Finally, after propping up the window, she removed her pajamas, and flew out the window.

The seemingly relentless rain had halted earlier in the evening, clouds parting here and there to allow shafts of silver moonlight to spread across the meadow below. Waiting, dead center, waves of hair glowing around his head like a halo, stood Bella's newest friend.

Showing off just a bit, Bella made her descent, landing smoothly in a deep bow. She stood fluidly, transforming into a snowy fox as she did. And Isabella Swan earns a perfect 10 for her flawless transition, she thought, letting out a tiny yip of excitement.

"Impressive," Jasper remarked. "I'm not sure I'd feel good tackling a fox, though. Just doesn't seem right, does it?"

Bella huffed grumpily and suddenly barked out a laugh. She shifted into a massive white tiger, lips curling back from her sharp teeth in a mock grin as she whipped her tail back and forth playfully. Jasper stood in awe of her once more, eyes wide with shock before grinning at her. "Very, very impressive. Are you ready?" he asked, spreading his legs into an attacking stance.

Bella charged him in acknowledgment and thus, the two started their game. He dodged right as she neared, causing the tiger to swing around on the defensive. Unfortunately, with the new distribution of bulk, she wasn't as quick as she would have liked as Jasper started in on his own attack. Instead of coming at her head on the way she assumed he would, Jasper launched himself into the air and landed behind her. With inhuman speed, his arms were close to encircling her neck.

Frustrated, and not about to be outdone on round one, Bella decided that shifting mid-fight wouldn't exactly be against the spirit of their game, considering they had not set limits or rules. Her split-second decision had her scrambling around on the ground as a mouse a fraction of a second later. She darted around the clearing, leaving Jasper to dive at her repeatedly, always failing to grab her.

She finally transformed into her most comfortable form, the mountain lion, and faced her opponent once more.

"Your speed is something else," Jasper noted with a nod of approval. He grinned deviously and added, "Almost as fast as me."

Bella blinked and missed it. She felt a cold grip under her front arms and was twisted and flipped, somehow gently, onto her back. Jasper held her front paws together, waiting for her to submit. "But not quite as fast," he boasted cheekily.

Bella swung her hind legs up and over his head and used her back paws to launch him off of her and into the treeline. Had he seen it coming, she was sure that would have never worked. Having fallen to his attack, she could feel the restraint he had used on his own strength. Panting from the effort she had exerted, she raised one paw as the universal show for a time out while Jasper righted himself.

Jasper sat down a few feet across from her so she could compose herself. "You're pretty strong too," he offered as he looked down at his shredded black t-shirt.

Bella gasped and trotted over to him, nudging his hands out of the way with her nose so she could inspect him for fresh lines of blood. There were none, however, which was extremely puzzling. She sat back and whined softly in concern, studying his face.

"No, you didn't break the skin."

She raised a furry brow in response, still skeptical.

He sighed softly and hesitantly moved to take off his shirt. Entranced, Bella couldn't look away. Random swirling patterns, thick in some places, splattered in others, dotted his arms, chest, neck, and torso; she suspected there were plenty more hiding under his jeans. The markings became clear as a break in the clouds allowed moonlight to spill onto the meadow once more. Moments passed and she finally sucked in a breath, unaware she hadn't inhaled in some time.

Jasper had been absolutely ravaged. More than once.

Her eyes glossed over with angry tears as she leaned in to confirm her fears. Jasper shifted away, almost defensively, causing the girl to realize how close she had gotten. Her gaze met his and they studied one another for what felt like a long time. Gauging from his expression, Jasper was feeling uneasy, perhaps unsure of what she might think or how she would react.

Bella lowered her head to indicate she wasn't going to hurt him, then proceeded to rub her face along his shoulder, the feline seal of approval. He slowly raised one hand in response, giving her time to pull away if she needed to. When she didn't, he offered his fingers for her to nuzzle against. Bella did so, purring contentedly as he rubbed her cheeks and head.

"You're something else," he whispered softly into the night air.

She pulled back to read his expression, not sure what he was referring to.

"Most beings would have been terrified or taken it as a threat and reacted aggressively."

Because he's the one that survived.

Bella paused for a moment and sat down more closely than she had been previously before, and raised her shoulders in a shrug to answer him.

Jasper smiled warmly at her, his eyes softening as he relaxed back onto his elbows. Studying the night sky, he abruptly changed the subject. "You ever wonder what's up there?"

She took a moment to glance upwards as well. If creatures like us can exist, I wonder what else could. Gesturing her paw back and forth between them a few times, then pointing up, she hoped her message was conveyed.

"Exactly. If you and I are here, alongside the human race, there is no way we are the only beings in the universe."

Bella huffed in agreement and turned her attention skywards. The pair laid sprawled out, cold stone against fuzzy warmth, in companionable silence until she remembered that sleep would be helpful if she wanted to stay awake in school the next morning. She sat and nudged her face against his watch to get his attention.

Taking the hint, Jasper raised his wrist to check the time for her. "It is now midnight. You need to head home, Cinderella?"

She snorted at the apparently persisting nickname and rubbed her cheek along his shoulder as a goodbye.

"See you again tomorrow?"

Bella nodded in the affirmative and shifted into a dark brown hawk. With a final wave of one wing, she took to the sky to go home. I certainly have a lot to think about.