Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual events is purely coincidental. The original characters belong to Stephenie Meyer.

A/N Lou and Sally, thank you again.

Previously:

"Now we call the police," Bella announced, looking at Carlisle's opened door. "I'm sure it was locked."

"It was," Edward confirmed.

"No, wait!" Jasper grunted. He snatched the cellphone from Bella's hand and threw it against the wall. "We're absolutely not calling the police."

His companions stared at him, wide-eyed.

"I'm sorry." Jasper raised his hands in a defensive gesture. "I'm going in to have a look inside, then we're going upstairs and I'll explain."

He bent down to pull at his trouser leg and uncovered a boot and a shiny gun strapped around his calf. He removed the gun and something clicked while he straightened his body and turned on his heels.

"Wait here."

Chapter 8

"Wait here, my ass!" Edward mumbled a few moments after Jasper's disappearance. He pushed Bella out of his embrace and spoke to her in what he thought was a steady voice. "You don't have to be clinging at me so desperately, you know. I'm sure whoever produced that noise is long gone. I'm going in now too, but you'd better not. Just in case. Up you go." He patted Bella's back and tried to will her away. He hadn't noticed how they'd ended up wordlessly hugging each other after Jasper's startling outburst and deliberate destruction of Bella's old-ish but very useful cellphone. Not to mention Jasper's ownership of a gun, which was enough to scare the shit out of not only a young girl but also of a fully-grown and rather courageous man, which Edward believed he was. "Up you go," he repeated and squared his shoulders. Only vague traces of his dizziness had remained somewhere behind his temples; they paled in comparison to the worries and what-if's which suddenly invaded his mind.

What if they're not gone? What if they're still inside and Jasper is ambushed or attacked? Disarmed? Captured? Helpless?

Within the blink of an eye, he stomped decidedly through Carlisle's goddamned, horribly gaping door, thoughts of Bella, who stubbornly stayed behind all on her own, vanished into thin air. Once inside, he stopped in his tracks and listened for noises and any sign of where Jasper might be. A strange ruffle behind a closed door right in front caused a somersault of his insides, the taste of fermented pizza compounds climbing up his throat until bile filled his mouth. Not a sound could be heard after.

Now, he's knocked out, Edward imagined. Or worse …

With a strangled puff of air from his inefficient lungs, Edward marched forward. Thankfully, his imagination wasn't inventive any more; it missed the opportunity to draw a picture of Edward himself being captured, or knocked out, and he was idiotically fearless. He only thought of Jasper in that moment and refused to believe he could be late and rendered worthless.

When the door he was approaching suddenly cracked open, he froze. But Jasper's boot, followed by a jean-clad knee then the golden mess of his hair, captured his attention, and he sighed, shoulders sagging, bile desperately calling to be swallowed back.

"Edward …" Jasper was unable to finish his sentence, busy with the effort to breathe normally. It was hard for the man to breathe, Edward realized, because he had thrown himself at the Texan and held him tight, arms encircling broad shoulders, chests flush, their ribs nearly cracking.

Dizziness returned full-force. Edward mostly felt, rather than heard, Jasper's giggle-snort against the bare skin of his neck. He loosened his grip a little, not letting go of the other man's body, which felt warm and so pleasantly firm and alive.

"Now you choose to develop fondness?" Jasper asked, mockingly shaking his head. Edward was sent into a burst of shivers by the tingling sensation of hair and skin brushing along his collarbone. A palm ghostly stroked his back.

And his other hand is busy holding a gun, he brusquely recollected.

Only now, he allowed himself to feel stupid.

"Nothing," Jasper said to a very annoyed Bella, who had waited for them with her arms crossed under her breasts and lips pursed into a thin line. "You care to explain this idiocy? Why didn't you go upstairs, Bells?"

"Oh!" Bella bristled. "I'm the idiot here? What about him?" Her chin was pointing at Edward, eyes still glued to Jasper's slightly reddening face. "Don't you dare get mad at me! I am the one with the right to be mad!" She was now shouting. "Who are you, at all?"

Jasper noticed tears welling up at the corners of her eyes.

"I'm not mad at you, Bells." He tried to sound calming, but he knew the growing redness of his cheeks gave up an entirely different emotion; there was a bit of madness, indeed, about Edward stepping behind him. There was also the comfort of being protected and cared for, and there was also the uncomfortable realization he now had to tell them some bits and pieces about his real occupation.

Carlisle woke in his hospital bed, and his first thought was about Emmett. He searched for his phone and found it in the night table drawer, right next to his pillow. Thank God, he thought, that didn't cost much effort.

But it wasn't Emmett's voice that answered.

"My dear friend! What a happy surprise! I'm so delighted to hear from you."

Carlisle felt a sharp spasm up his spine.

"Aro. You've got Emmett's phone."

"Precisely, Carlisle. Still a good sport to state the obvious. How's your health?" The last word was spoken with an audible hiss. Carlisle sensed the threat clearly.

"Aro, let us discuss things as we used to. In a civilized manner."

"Fair words, Carlisle. But a little out of place, given the robbery you were attempting. Where are you?"

"Fuck you, Aro."

"You know I can find—" Carlisle hurried to disconnect. He had heard about those satellite cell tracking devices.

"Right." They were seated back in Bella and Jasper's kitchen. Emmett was awake, and Jasper was about to tell them his story. Only he didn't know which part to tell them exactly. "Guess you have questions. But for now, I'm asking you not to voice them. I'm going to share what I'm, well, able to share. To begin with, I'm not applying for children's day care. I have a full-time job. I work for the government. Have been working for them for more than three years. Back in Texas, and now, here. My current assignment is connected with an intrusion into the MOHAI archives. Our old man, Carlisle, happens to be the brains of that operation. Emmett here is his accomplice." Jasper lifted his gun for good measure. "Sorry, Emmett. You have to stay where you are. Don't make me cuff you."

Emmett huffed as his slumped shoulders seemed to carry a heavy burden. He sat back, after having just jumped to his feet, but had to obey the gun pointed at his head.

"Oh, man." Emmett gulped twice and buried his face in his palms.

Edward blinked and stared into the empty air next to his left elbow. The meaning of the whole situation evaded him. What now? Was he supposed to be afraid of Jasper? He lifted his gaze to try and look behind the blond's eyes, to understand. He was even more confused because Jasper fucking smiled.

"Don't worry, Emmett," Jasper said. "I know you're the good guys. We will just have to prove it."

Next, Emmett broke down and cried.