For the next eleven days, I spent a lot of time with mom and Phil.

I was happy doing things with them, but 80% of the time that the others were invited they declined the invitation.

Edward kept trying to tell me that I should have fun with my mother while I was with her. He was absolutely right, of course, so I did. I had a great time.

However, it was now the 17th, and time to leave.

Edward carried my bag out of the house, Alice's hand connected with his as they approached the car.

Jasper was with me saying bye to mom. Phil was at practice.

Mom kissed my cheek, "You have to come see me again soon, honey."

I suggested, "I can come for Christmas or Spring break." I could come for both, if she wanted me to.

She shrugged, "I'll check Phil's schedule then let you know."

I smiled, "Bye mom, I'll email you as soon as I get back to Forks, alright?"

She nodded, and then took a step closer to Jasper. She swooped down and gave him a light hug. His shoulders stiffened and he awkwardly set his hands on her back.

Mom announced, "I hope to see you, Edward, and Alice again sometime, too. You're all such great friends to Bella."

Jasper shot me a pleading look through his dark eyes as he responded, "If you'll have us, we'll be happy to visit again."

I carefully nudged my way in between them, setting my hand on Jasper's chest. Edward honked the horn from outside and shouted to us, "We're on a time schedule!"

We escaped mom and we both got into the back of the truck. Jasper exhaled slowly once we were there, "Thanks for that."

Edward just shrugged. He never liked to draw un-necessary attention to Jasper's less than satisfactory level of control.

Alice assured him, "You were fine, Jasper."

Jasper decided, "I know that. It's uncomfortable though, having someone so close to me."

I asked curiously, "What about me?"

His eyes met mine and he gently took my hand. He promised me, heart-felt, "I'd never want to be away from your scent, Bella."

I smiled pleasantly and set my head on his shoulder.

A lengthy drive later we were in Biloxi. I followed Jasper into the hotel of his choice, standing at his side as he checked out two separate rooms. He handed a key to Edward.

Alice looked suddenly very forlorn. I don't think I have ever once seen her look as… shaken, as she does right now.

I walked over to her and asked gently, "Are you worried, Alice?"

First thing tonight she and Edward were going to break into all near-by asylums and they were going to try to locate her file. If there were no picture, they'd match her by the name 'Alice' and a physical description.

As soon as they find that, we're all going down to the old graveyard. She wants to find the stones that belong to her parents, just out of curiosity.

Alice admitted, "Not worried so much as anxious."

Edward liquefied behind us and made me jump when he suddenly spoke, "Alice, we have some things to attend to before we leave."

He nibbled on her ear and she grinned, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling his head over her shoulder so she could plant a kiss on his throat. It wasn't a chaste kiss either, despite the fact that we were in the middle of a lobby. She was practically gnawing his neck off.

Jasper scoffed, "You have a room, guys, go and use it!"

Alice giggled as Edward pulled her close to him and they disappeared.

Jasper took my hand and led us down the same hall, to a door at the very end of the corridor. He slid the key and we entered. Our bags were already inside, to no surprise. He's always ahead of me.

He helped me onto the full sized bed in the center of the room. He asked, "Do you need anything? Are you hungry, does your leg hurt? Are you bored?"

I was used to his over-worried questioning.

Rather then telling him to slow down I answered, "Yes, no, no, yes."

He sat down beside me and asked, "What kind of entertainment do you want."

I smirked and grabbed his hand, pulling him down beside me. I snuggled close to his chest and sighed, "This is good."

He started playing with the ends of my hair, "This barely counts as fun, sugar bear."

Says who? I like nothing more then this. Just the simplicity of holding him close to me, lying in his arms. The way I love to feel his body get a little warmer because I was pressed against it, the way our breathing eventually coordinates so perfectly you'd think there's only one person in the room.

Maybe it's not entertainment, but it's anything but boring.

I looked up at him through my thick brown lashes and smirked, "Just shut up and kiss me, cowboy."

When night had fallen, we slipped out of the hotel to go and see the lighthouse. It's the thing that Biloxi is most famous for.

It was tall, and white, and had a flag attached to it. A few palm trees were by its base.

I tilted my head slightly, "I don't get it."

Jasper grinned at me, "Well, you light that large bulb up on the top so the sailors ca-"

Chuckling I punched him in the arm. Not hard enough to bruise myself, but hard enough for him to at least feel it. (Even though it couldn't possibly have hurt.)

He kissed my cheek, "Sorry, darlin'. Tell me what you don't get?"

I leaned back into the grass, "Why is it so important? It's like every other lighthouse."

Online it says this one is one of the most photographed things in Mississippi. It just doesn't make much sense as to why.

Jasper explained, "It was the first one made from cast iron, built in 1848. I remember that shortly before I joined the Confederacy, the Union captured this town from us and used it as their supply port."

I looked at him and asked, "How much do you remember, of your human life?"

He's told me some things, but only the really important stuff. Like why be wanted to join the Confederacy, and what he could remember about his family. He's never said too much.

Even Carlisle remembers things!

Jasper smiled a little, "More than I should."

I asked curiously, "Why is that?"

He was silent and thoughtful for a second before sighing. "Well, you remember how I told you Rosalie wouldn't stop thinking about her memories, so not that many slipped away from her? Compared to the normal vampire, like Esme?"

I nodded, he sighed. "I sort of did that, too. When Maria went away with Nettie and Lucy to get more newborns, just a few weeks after I was bitten, it gave us all a lot of time to sit around. There wasn't anything else for me to think about, so I guess I just retained more."

I asked, "Why do you think Alice forgot?"

Jasper frowned, and he was quiet for a long time. Suddenly he pulled me into his arms and set his cheek on my neck. "Maybe she didn't have anything good to remember."

Well, we'd find out sometime tomorrow. Alice and Edward were scheduled to come home before dusk.