Author's note: Thank you thankyou everyone for you amazing comments. you make me so happy. i have 99 now so thats close enough. This chapter is some fluff i guess. it serves to develop the characters' relationships. I hope you like it. plz dont get bored. i have aplan for it i really do but im just soooo swamped with schoolwork and sportsday preparations ( im a prefect at school) that i have no time to write more. i wrote chap 12 long before but im stuck on 13. enjoy.

oooh could sum1 explain the difference between "hits" and "visits" please thankyou

on with the story

Chapter 11

Chess and Training

Emmett was busy setting up the quad-board and briefing Alice on the custom rules- he was convinced that Edward would be beaten- when Carlisle walked through the door. "No don't use the four boards; this one should be done traditionally. Besides, Alice will be at too much of a disadvantage when I bring in the complication." He instructed.

Edward had just kissed Esme on the cheek and turned to smile at Alice. He was comfortable. Either he didn't think Alice could beat him or he didn't care. He looked at me said, "It's just a game Jasper."

Carlisle disagreed, "No,no, this is more than a game, this is a training session."

"But we all already know how to play chess," Emmett reminded him.

"Ah, but we aren't learning chess, we are learning vegetarianism," he replied, taking in our confused expressions. "The rules are simple, Alice and Edward will play chess and everyone else will watch. Easy?" And he smirked. "Now for the complication, this is good practice for all of us… Emmett, there is a box in my car trunk, bring it."

I was very interested. How does one train to be a vegetarian? Just watch them play chess? Alice and Edward sat on the floor with the board between them and everyone else sitting on the sofas and chairs. My back was to the door so when it opened and a breeze wafted in, I froze. What was a human doing here? I spun around to face the door, as did everyone else, and in came Emmett carrying a box. There was no doubt about it, the box smelled human.

Carlisle took it and dumped the contents onto the floor. It was just a pile of clothes. "This is the complication," I understood his strategy now. It had been around two weeks since I'd last had a satisfying meal and the heap of fabric made it difficult to concentrate. It was not very bad though, I'd had a deer two days ago and besides, it was just cloth. There was no warm-blooded body radiating heat, no thump-thump of a wet heart and definitely no traces of adrenaline.

Everyone was settled now, determined to pay perfect attention to the game. Alice played first and Edward moved without hesitation. They went on like that for a couple minutes while I tried to work out what was happening in their heads.

Alice would predict Edward's next move and decide her own but Edward would hear Alice's next move as well. This game was moving fast and everyone was intrigued. Alice had four of Edward's pieces and he had six of hers. The fact that they both were able to tell the next move and its effect, made the game fair. It was all up to tactics and Edward obviously had better tactics.

There came a point sometime later when nobody moved. It was Edward's turn but he did nothing but stare intensely at Alice's face which was creased in severe concentration. Ever so often, their moods swung from hopeful to disappointed to frustrated to triumphant and then back again. This went on for a long while. That penetrating gaze Edward focused on Alice made me uncomfortable. It was like he was searching for her weakness…which indeed he was, just regarding chess. I fought to control my thoughts but it was hard. I kept seeing Edward attacking her in my head and I was sure he could see it too or maybe he was not paying attention to me. Rosalie was getting bored.

"Edward, stop staring and play!" she hissed. Then Edward laughed and Alice's face fell. She opened her eyes and flipped over her king. The board still stood in pause and everyone was confused. I was preoccupied with the way Alice looked when she was sad. Her mouth pinched up at one side and her eyes were dull. It tore my insides out just watching her face. Her aura was another thing entirely; she was hurt, not deeply, just a fleeting disappointment. She had wanted to beat him.

"Why'd you give up, Alice?" Emmett demanded.

"We were playing, just, in theory," Edward explained, it got to a point where one move would turn the game in her favour or mine…and it was my turn. At first I decided to use the knight," he spoke swiftly, as he arranged the board to show us what had occurred in their minds, "but then she saw that due to that move, all the odds would turn in her favour, so I used the queen instead…and here we are." He smiled apologetically at Alice.

Alice was telling him something in her head to which he replied, "Thank you, but I've had a lot of practice. I'm just glad I have a partner now, no-one ever wants to play with me," and he made a sad face. A pause. "Just strategy," he answered the unspoken question.

Emmett huffed. "That's going to get really annoying. Can't you two just speak aloud for our benefit?"

I had moved to sit behind Alice on the floor and now I wrapped my arms around her in response to her disappointment. She kissed my hand and leaned into me.

"You okay?" I asked

"I'll get him next time…maybe you could teach me some of your moves," she whispered in my ear. Oh the innocence again.

We were all still aware of the mildly appetizing scent in the room but it was easy to think over it. As if to confirm my thought, Carlisle said, "So, see how after a while, you become desensitized to the scent? It takes a while and a lot of concentration but, one day, you all will be able to do anything around humans,"

I tried to imagine that, being around human blood and not giving in. It was unfathomable.

"I think Alice and Jasper will be able to go to school with the rest of you in about a month. Meanwhile, we will have these sessions everyday," He finished.

"Edward!" shouted Alice, happy again, "We have surprise for you," she jumped up and grabbed his hand as Esme nodded at her. I was still on the floor as she dragged him off toward the new door.

"Why, what is this?" he asked in mock surprise.

I could hear Alice prattling all about what we had done today as she showed him the features of the room. I could tell that she liked Edward very much and coupled with what we had learnt of his character today, she seemed to take a special interest in him. She was so kind. Would I ever be able to deserve her?

Author's note: so i hope you werent too disappointed. i swear it will get better as the storry progressess. plz give me ideas as to where i could go with this ...my plan is to tell the story of when maria came to visit ...how do you think that went down????

love

taz