Happy New Years, guys!

A week passed. It was the first official day of summer today. Today I had to figure out a way to get Charlie to agree to the trip.

Alice was going to help me. We had an elaborate plan set up, but she isn't sure if it's going to work yet or not.

She smirked while she opened the door, whispering to me, "I'll do all the acting, Bella, so you don't mess it up." Nudging me playfully she helped me hobble into the living room, and Charlie was sitting on the couch. I engaged the plan.

I sighed, "I don't know, Alice. I'll just be back in the brace again. I'll only slow you down."

She helped me onto the couch and smiled, "Nonsense, Bella! It will be more fun with you there. I already have to live with too many boys, I couldn't stand spending half the summer without you around."

Charlie leaned a little closer to us and asked curiously, "What are you girls talking about?"

I tried to downplay it, like planned, "Oh, it's nothing really."

Alice hopped across the room and plopped down into the seat between my dad and me. Her eyes were round and innocent and I could almost see him visibly melting.

She pouted a little bit, "I'm going to visit Mississippi with Edward and Jasper this summer, for a private family-related reason. It'll be for a few weeks, and Rosalie is going to be off in college."

Charlie didn't even ask about Jasper's college. He was too preoccupied being putty in Alice's tiny little fingers of manipulation.

He glanced at me, "Don't you want to go, Bells? You'll be near Mississippi anyway, visiting Renee. You have a whole summer to spend, why waste it here in Forks?"

Alice's face lit up and she grinned at me, her eyes twinkling with mischief. She played along, "Yeah, Bella, don't you want to come?"

I decided to mess with her a little bit. I shrugged, feigning indifference. "I don't know, it'll be an awful long time to sit in a car. And what if my leg starts to hurt while we're out?"

I was amused to see uncertainty flicker across my best friends face. She had not been expecting me to do this. Haha.

She promised, "We'll stop whenever you need us to, Bella. And we'll only be doing stuff you can do, too, of course."

She sounded very sincere. I suddenly felt a little guilty, she thought I was serious!

I smiled at her, "Well if you want me there, I'll come."

Charlie patted my shoulder from behind Alice's back, "You'll have a good time, Bells. Traveling is always a great experience."

I had to wonder how he knew that. He's rarely ever left Forks.

We made small talk with Charlie before he had to go: fishing with Billy.

As soon as he was gone Alice glanced at me, "We can have Carlisle send some pain medication with us if you think your leg will bother you."

I grinned deviously at her and started laughing, "I was just messing with you, Alice."

Alice's anxious face fluttered with surprise, and then she started laughing with me.

After a couple of seconds she admitted, "You scared the hell out of me! I thought maybe you were having second thoughts."

I asked, "Why would I wait until we're with Charlie to tell you if I was?"

Alice leaned back against the arm of the couch and smirked, "Simple, because Jasper isn't here."

I wasn't expecting that answer.

I frowned a little, "What's that supposed to mean?"

She smiled again, "Think about it, Bella. Jasper really wants you to come. If he was around, do you think you'd be able to tell him no?"

I grinned and admitted, "No, probably not."

Two days later, school was over.

Three weeks after that, Rosalie and Emmett were married; again.

It was the night before we leave for Florida, and I was nervous.

I can't even tell you why.

It wasn't because I would be virtually alone with three vampires for the next two months.

It wasn't because I would be exploring bits of uncertainty with the three people closest to me in life.

I sighed and flopped down onto the bed beside Jasper. He scooted closer, setting his head on my shoulder. "What's the matter, darlin'?"

I sighed, "I'm worried."

He chuckled, "Yes, I know. What about?"

I struggled to find the right way to tell him. After a moment I rolled around, my face an inch away from his. "You and Alice. What you guys might find."

I whispered, "What you might not find."

His eyes got a little darker and he scolded me, "Bella, don't worry over that, of all the silly things!"

I protested, "It isn't silly, Jasper. I just don't want you, either of you, to be disappointed."

Jasper kissed me and I melted against him, loving the feeling of his cold body on mine.

After pulling away he wrapped a blanket around me. "Alice has zero expectations, so she can't possibly be disappointed."

I pressured, "And you?"

After a moment he must have decided to be honest with me. "I'll be a little bit upset, I suppose, if I don't find anything. I had two brothers, and two sisters. There should be someone."

He started playing with the ends of my hair, which he often does. After a while he concluded, "I've said it before, though. Even if I don't find a thing, I won't care for very long. The Cullen family is my family now. They are the only ones I want."

I pouted playfully and whimpered, "I'm not a Cullen, don't you want me?"

He wrapped his arms around me and rolled onto his back, resting me on his chest. I chuckled a little bit and he kissed me.

His eyes smoldered, taking my breath away, as he peeked up at me through impossibly long lashes. He lifted his head again and kissed me. I eagerly returned the gesture, deepening it as much as was possible before he had to break off the contact.

His hands ran up my back, under my shirt, and made me shiver. My cheeks tingled with heat and he grinned. "Bella, I don't want you, I need you."

I rested my head against his chest and asked, "Forever?"

His voice was startlingly intense when he promised, "Forever."