A/N: thanks for the follows, I think I'm finally getting the hang of this publishing thing. Now if I could only write coherent stories. Hang on though, it hopefully gets better.

Ch 4

Jessica devoured her plate of bacon. I was finding out that she was obsessed with food. After two days of salad she had discovered the hot food line and I learned she had a hearty appetite, often finishing Angela's tray of French fries. I dreaded her newborn stage.

She was chattering about her first week of school and the fight she had gotten into on her first day. She had been right, Peter was proud.

"The coach even asked me to join the wrestling team, but that takes up too much time. I wish days could be longer so I could. Wouldn't that be great?"

"It sure would, Kitten," Peter agreed. I smirked. Our days were endless.

"I joined the yearbook club and I'm trying out for volleyball in January, so that should keep me occupied. Are you in any sports?" I assumed the question was directed at me and I shook my head.

"You're so tall, I bet you'd be great at basketball," she offered.

"Yeah, maybe, I just can't seem to pass the sports physical," I joked.

I didn't expect her to grab my wrist. I was horrified when I realized she was checking for a pulse. Peter was gripping the table trying not to laugh.

"Wow! Must be really low. Can't even find it. Maybe your blood's just frozen. You're so cold. Like them." I followed her wave towards Pete and Char. "It was a blessing in Texas, it would get so hot, but here, not so much."

I snorted unable to contain it. She looked at me curiously but then shrugged. This girl was the opposite of curious. She was oblivious. I noticed she didn't let go of my hand, though. Choosing to lace our fingers together.

"I bet you have a herd of boys chasing after you," Peter remarked, changing the subject effortlessly. I almost roared with jealousy.

"No doubt. They're so annoying. This one boy, Mike Newton, I swear he has to be part golden retriever. I guess he'd been sniffing up Lauren's tree before I came along."

I did growl then. According to Edward, Mike was pure perversion. More concerning was his complete lack of deep-seated emotions. They were always on the surface ever changing. A sociopath for sure.

Jessica patted my hand. It helped to calm me and she continued talking, unaware that Peter's smirk was directed solely at me. Smug bastard.

After the late breakfast, Charlotte declared that it was girl time and took Jessica into town after giving her a more appropriate outfit.

"They'll be fine," Peter assured me. "You have to remember. Your mate had a whole, entire, mostly independent life before you. She's not used to answering to people and hates being smothered. So calm yourself and don't blow it."

He was right, again. I had only been in her life a week, he and Char had years on me. I didn't even fully know her yet, and she definitely didn't know me. I had volumes of history.

"Thanks for saving her," I said, still watching where the car had disappeared.

"It was a close one. She lost a lot of blood. I had to give her a back alley transfusion," he recalled the process with a haunted look. "But the good news is that she survived. Her donor, sadly, did not."

I shuddered, unsure if I would be able to do the same for Peter. There was a lot of risk of exposure he had to endure.

"How's her home life?" I asked, wanting to know everything about her.

"She's independent, like I said. There's love, but they put a lot of pressure on her to succeed. She turned to drugs early, Marijuana, mostly. That's how she got into the situation with the newborn, but she had traces of Xanax in her blood. Still smokes the devil's lettuce occasionally, but doesn't seem to have an overwhelming addiction.

It wasn't abnormal for preteens in the city to get involved with drugs. Peter had saved her life in more ways than one.

"Mostly her parents leave her alone now, as long as she meets their expectations. It really killed me to send her to Forks with them."

"About that," I interjected. "She said you wouldn't go because of all the vegetarians. Did you lie about not knowing we were there?"

"Absolutely not," Peter answered offended. "I couldn't exactly explain how the treaty the Cullens have with the Quilettes doesn't extend to me."

He was right and I felt bad for doubting him. I had probably put him through hell after disappearing with Alice. Sure we had each other's phone numbers, but I hadn't put any effort into staying in contact with him.

The girls returned as the sun was setting, loaded up with shopping bags and a few bags of groceries. "Its so she has supplies when y'all visit again," Charlotte explained, though it felt like a threat.

Charlotte and Peter expected to see us both more frequently. I hoped Jessica had her weekends cleared of activities.

Charlotte helped her put the things away while I endured Jessica's increasing exhaustion. When they had finished, Jessica emerged from the bedroom with my boxers and t-shirt again.

"I don't wanna sleep," she yawned settling on the sofa next to me.

I didn't want her to sleep either, but with reluctance, I increased her lethargy. In a matter of minutes, she was passed out against me, cocooned in a quilt Peter had made.

Charlotte moved her to the bed and didn't stop me when I climbed in beside her. After all, it was bad enough she knew we didn't eat without adding the no sleep with it. For the first time since changing, I slept too. Damn, it feels good to be an empath.

I woke up the next morning refreshed and ironically full of life. It was hard not to feel Jessica's emotions so I stopped trying to block them. Happiness. Contentment.

Jessica choked down a bowl of Charlotte's oatmeal, as politely as one could eat a bowl of sticky goop. After exchanging fifteen minutes of hugs we headed toward Forks with promise from me that I would check with Alice to see what the forecast for this next weekend would be. Peter knew I meant more than the weather and sent me some gratitude. It hurt him as much as it would hurt me to be separated from her.

Charlotte was a saint to put up with her mate having a pet. Usually solo vampires only took pets. Typically these pets were other solo vampires, but human pets weren't unheard of. The level of love wasn't exactly that of a mate, but the pull was there. It would be hard for Charlotte not to rip the pet to shreds out of rage and jealousy.

We arrived back in Forks, around dinner time and I dropped her off at her doorstep. Once she pulled her helmet off she took mine off too and gave me a brief kiss on the lips.

It lasted a moment, but I was in heaven.

"Can I pick you up for school in the morning? It's going to rain, but I have a truck." I asked, helplessly in love already.

"I'd like that, Mr. Whitlock." She whispered. I died all over again when she winked at me. I was definitely giving her my last name once I changed her. Jasper Hale would be dead.

She gave me another quick kiss then waltzed inside, shutting the door. I was so close to knocking it down when arms wrapped around me.

"Good to see you, big guy," Emmett greeted me. Alice and Edward appeared from the tree line and hopped on my bike riding off towards our house. "I reckon we're walking."

To say the least, Rosalie was infuriated when Emmett and I returned home. As soon as I entered she was on me screaming about exposure and the risks I had taken.

"You took a human on a cross country bike ride!" Rosalie shrieked.

"It was hardly cross country. You acting like I took her to get married in Vegas," I argued back. Hey. That was a thought.

"You can't marry the human in Vegas," Edward groaned.

"Listen, Rose," I began. "She was hurting. That mark is more than decoration. She feels a pull to Peter like you do to Emmett."

Esme gasped in Carlisle's arms.

"It's not like that," I clarified. "It's more familial than a mate bond, but its there. We have to respect it."

"So why didn't he take her to Montana with him?" Rosalie asked in a huff.

"Because she's my mate."

Dead. Ass. Silence. No one spoke, no one moved. I suspected Alice already knew due to her distinct lack of squealing.

Carlisle cleared his throat, breaking the tension. "How do you know?" His tone wasn't accusatory, I only felt genuine curiosity from him.

"When Lauren scratched Jess, it drew blood. We're lucky he didn't claim her then. I blame shock," Alice answered the question for me. I hadn't even realized it then.

Rosalie was unsatisfied with this answer having had her life stolen from her. "Leave her be."

"Rosie, you know he can't," Emmett said trying to comfort his mate. "All he can do is let her live out her senior year as normally as possible like Peter said."

Emmett was right. That was all I could do. For now. I had to give her space.

I thought of the image Peter had painted in my mind. Racing towards Jessica, sucking out the venom, transferring blood, syringe by syringe, from a passed out homeless man in a dark alley until the needle broke. Him pulling it out with his teeth and finally the bite, sealing her fate as his pet.

Edward looked horrified. "Peter did all that?"

I nodded. Swallowing. Esme and Carlisle were still in the dark about our conversation with Peter and where I had been all weekend. So I caught them up to speed. Leaving out Peter's threat of our doom, if she were to die. No need to worry them and the less who knew, the better.

"That's quite-" Carlisle spoke unable to find words to finish.

"Dark." Rosalie supplied helpfully. I could tell she still wasn't sold on Jess, but I could feel her outrage melting away.

"So many things could have went wrong, your mate could have been lost forever," Esme spoke voicing my own fears.

I roared in agony. Peter could have been too late, the 'donor' could have been the wrong type, she could be sick, Peter might have not been able to stop himself once all the venom was out of her body. Or worse, Peter having to destroy her, being to young to control herself. I didn't even want to think about her being a perpetual 12 year old were she even capable of controlling herself.

Everyone endured my misery. I was the only one to have experienced the agony of losing a mate. Alice had a stalker when she met me. I killed him easily enough but the pain I felt from his redheaded mate shortly before I ended her existence would haunt me for the rest of my days. I knew they were feeling it now. I was too far gone to control myself.

"Jazz, it's okay. You're safe. She's safe. We're all safe. She's going to walk out her door tomorrow and see you parked in front of her house and be so happy. Then you're going to drive her to school and everyone will be green with envy," Alice spoke in a gentle cadence bringing me back from the brink.

I had to pull it together, for Jessica.