Hi, thank you to my first four reviewers: SailorJupiterFan'96, ArleneValdez, badrose7 and shanny101. I promise I'll keep on going. Don't worry badrose7 – you're gonna get what you want in this chapter or the following one (depends on how long I make this one).

Disclaimer: I do not own The Twilight Saga.

Chapter 2: Pain and Comfort

Bella's POV

It had been two weeks and Jasper had been locked away in his room with Alice the whole time I was in the house. This saddened me and I couldn't tell Carlisle or Esme; I didn't want to hurt them with the disappointment caused by their stubborn son. And this was my entire fault anyway. I was with Edward in his room and again, he was organizing some of his stuff; this time it was his sheet music. He was trying to protect me from something which I didn't want to be protected from. He was trying to protect me from the supernatural but I didn't want to be protected from it.

"I miss Jacob," I said softly, "I want to talk to him. He must be so mad right now and probably hurting too."
"I don't care," he told me, "As long as you're safe with me I don't care about anyone or anything else."
"How could you be so selfish?" I suddenly asked in a rage, "You don't even let your brother near me anymore! I'm not your slave Edward. I'm independent. I can do whatever I want. I thought you loved me and trusted me enough to know that. If you love someone you have to let them out of the cage."
"Well I can't afford to do that. Both Jacob and Jasper are stronger than you are and they can easily hurt you."
"Neither one of them would hurt me. You would see that for yourself if you gave them a chance."
"Look Bella," he said, "you're mine and that is never going to change. You're not going to go off with Jacob."
"What's that got to do with anything? Jacob is my best friend; he's like a brother, and that does not settle the Jasper issue. Jasper is a part of your family just like Alice and all the others and it's not fair on him."
He looked at me as if I had said the stupid thing possible and I scowled at him. How could he treat me and his brother and my best friend like this? This had to stop. He had to learn somehow that I was independent.
"This is not 1918 anymore Edward. Things have changed. And don't blame Jacob for your jealousy or your lack of faith. You were the one who left me alone to crumble in despair while you were gone. And he was the one to pick up the pieces. I should at least be able to see him; I owe him that much."
"You're never gonna let this go are you?" He asked between gritted teeth, "You're never gonna let me forget."
"Maybe it's because you need to remember Edward, that all of this has happened because of you. Jasper used to be nice to me and now because of you he doesn't even speak to me any longer. Alice must be hurting because of this. You don't trust her enough to know that she would see if something would happen, and you don't trust Jasper enough to know that he can control himself. It's not his fault that he smelled my blood and wanted it. You want my blood all the time. You don't act upon it cos you're so damn stubborn and full of stupid morals. Otherwise you would have drained me of my blood on my birthday and Jasper would have been the one to pull you off of me along with Carlisle and Emmett and with Alice screaming at you to stop and Esme helping me out; maybe even Rosalie. Your family cares more about me than you do. And I care about them. So don't push them away."

Suddenly he was standing right in front of me, our faces touching. I hadn't even had the chance to see him changing position. This meant trouble. If he was using vampire speed, he was really angry. His eyes were rimmed with red. It was like all of the fury inside his heart had been released like one of those mountain lions he enjoyed draining of blood. He was mad at me and right now I couldn't see any love in his pitch black eyes. He was too mad at me to feel anything except rage, hatred and thirst. He was inching closer to me and I was with my back against the wall. My words had triggered his thirst and he was all animal right now. His lips were already parted and I could swear that he had just hissed at me. I felt nothing but fear at that moment; no regret – I had stood up for his family…my future family…and my best friend. And I would do it all over again if I ever got the chance. He was not touching me but I knew that his teeth would sink into my skin at any moment now. I didn't know why he was taking this slowly. Was he just trying to frighten me or was he really going to do it? My heart was breaking and I realized I was no longer looking at my Junior year Edward. I realized that I was looking at the monster he so often compared himself to. But not all vampires were monsters; the rest of the Cullens weren't. It dawned on me that the Edward I had known and loved had left me the previous September after my birthday and a stranger had returned to replace him. My heart tore out any love I had felt for him. I wanted to slap him but I didn't want to trigger his anger. Sure, I wanted to become a vampire, but I didn't want him to kill me. Suddenly there was a flash and instead of facing Edward, I was facing someone else's back. I looked up and I saw a head of honey blonde curls. Jasper was here. What was he doing here and so close to me? Edward would kill him. They weren't speaking but I knew that Jasper was communicating with Edward in his mind. I looked from behind him and I could see that Edward was infuriated. So Jasper was standing up for me, and Edward hated it?

This hurt more than the realization that he was about to kill me had hurt me. I wanted to die on the spot. I slid down the wall and started to cry silently. How had it ended up like this? I closed my eyes and I suddenly felt calm. My eyelids fluttered open and I realized that I was no longer in Edward's room. I was in Jasper and Alice's room now. I looked around me and realized that Jasper was sitting down across the room and he was concentrating on me.

"Thanks," I said, "For coming in there and for projecting calmness over me. Don't think I didn't notice."
He smiled at me. "Edward's mad at me," he told me, "He said I shouldn't have intruded."
"Why did you?" I asked, "I mean you didn't intrude, but you came in there and stopped him from doing it."
"I feel very protective of you Bella," he told me, "I think it's mainly because of the guilt I feel for what happened."
"Jasper," I said, "Please stop. None of it was your fault. I hate it when people feel guilty for something that was my fault and mine only. Jasper I hate to see you like this, and Alice probably hates it too."
"I guess," Jasper replied. He seemed unsure of what he was saying. I saw him hesitate and then he said, "I know you're in pain. I could feel it. I'm sorry Bella. It's not my fault that I'm an empath, but I could help you. You know that right? And Bella, thank you for standing up for me with Edward. I appreciate it."
I looked at him. His Southern accent had slipped on 'appreciate' and butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I could feel my heart pounding against my chest as a blush crawled up my face. I had never realized that Jasper's smile and his accent were so warm and endearing.

Jasper's POV

I looked at Bella. I could hear her heart pounding in her chest and a sweet blush crawled up her cheeks. I worried that she was afraid of me. But there was no fear coming from her. I wondered if she was trying to mask it but all I could get from her was a mixture of jumbled emotions and I couldn't decipher them. I could feel rage coming from Edward's room.

"What did you tell Edward?" she asked me, "I'm not a mind-reader. I didn't hear your thoughts." She smiled.
"I just told him that you were afraid of him. He whispered that it was the intended effect and when I asked why he said that he wants you to stay away from anything supernatural except for him. I reminded him that the idea hadn't worked out very well when he had done it in September and he wanted to kill me. I could feel it. He hates it when we bring that up, but I couldn't not bring it up," I said. My accent slipped again and if I had the ability to blush, I knew that I would be a beetroot red by now.
"You're projecting embarrassment," Bella said, "What are you embarrassed about? You only said nice things."
"My accent," I said. She suddenly laughed and without knowing why I felt hurt. I didn't want her to laugh at me. "I know it's stupid," I said, "But I can't help it." She looked at me and suddenly stopped laughing.
"I don't think it's stupid," she said, "I wasn't laughing at you Jasper. I was laughing at the fact that you were embarrassed of it. I think your accent's sweet…kind of warm and endearing. It suits you."
"Thank you then," I told her. Ok I would definitely look like a tomato had I the ability to blush.
"How old were you Jasper…when you were changed?" she asked me. She was curious. She wasn't trying to pry. She was just trying to get to know me a little bit better. I was the only Cullen she hadn't gotten to know very well, apart from Rosalie who despised her. "You don't have to say if you don't want to."
"No," I replied, "I want to. How old do you take me for when you look at me?" She looked at my face.
"Eighteen…nineteen at most?" she asked me. She had been pretty close. I smiled at her.
"I was twenty," I told her, "and now I'm a hundred and sixty seven years old. I'm very old."
"I don't think you're old," she told me, "You're frozen at twenty. That doesn't make you old."
I had never seen it that way. I smiled at her, "Thanks Bella. That was very kind of you. Carlisle was right."
"About what?" she asked me.

"Carlisle told me that you were very gracious about us vampires," I told her. I looked at the time. It was around seven thirty in the evening, "Speaking of which, do you want me to get Carlisle to take you home? Your father will be worried if you don't get there soon. You've been at our house since nine in the morning." As soon as I mentioned Carlisle's name, fear and uncertainty erupted from the pit of her stomach.
"No," she said, "Carlisle and Esme can't know about what Edward was going to do. They'll be so disappointed."
"Bella," I replied, "What he did was wrong. He got angry just because you reminded him that he was like us too. What were you saying about Jacob? Even during the last confrontation with Edward, you mentioned him and said that Edward had pushed him away and you warned him not to push us away too."
"Jacob came to see me at school but Edward made me choose and Jacob left. He must be in so much pain."
I handed her my cell phone, "Call him Bella," I said. I heard a hiss coming from Edward's room but I replied in my mind. It's your fault. You should have allowed her the freedom she desired. You didn't.

Bella dialed Jacob's number and he picked up on the second ring, "Who is this?" I didn't mean to overhear but it's not my fault that I have superhearing. Do you want me to leave you alone? I mouthed. She shook her head and projected fear. She was afraid of Edward. I needed to stay with her or at least get someone else. But I had nowhere to go. I could afford to spend a few more minutes with her.
"Jake it's me," she said, "Don't hang up. I wanted to call you but he didn't leave me alone for one single minute."
"Whose phone is this anyway?" I heard Jacob ask her, "It's not your number or Charlie's. And I have a feeling that it's not his either. So whose phone are you calling me from?"

"It's Jasper's phone," she said, "Jasper lent me his phone so that I could talk to you."
"A bloodsucker?" I heard him asked, "So they're not on his side? I thought Jasper was the blonde one, his brother. They used to be pretty good friends. Or was I mistaken Bells?" I could tell that the use of his old nickname for her made her feel happy, accepted and welcome. And I was happy for her.
"Well, Edward doesn't want me with them either. He wants to be the only supernatural being in my world."
"Possessive much?" Jacob asked, "Don't let him tell you what to do Bells. I know you love him but-"
She cut him off, "I don't…not anymore…he changed. Jake, he's not the same guy I loved last year. He left and the old Edward stayed away. This guy here is a stranger." I could hear him catch his breath, and without knowing why, something inside me moved when she had said she didn't love Edward anymore.
"We're still just friends Jake," she told him, "I mean you're like my brother. I can't bring myself to have different feelings for you. It's not because of him. I would never love someone and leave them for someone else. But you're like a brother to me and I love you like a best friend. And that's how it will stay."
"It's ok Bells," he told her, "I was just going to say how happy I was you didn't love him anymore. I hate the bloodsuckers but any one of them would be better than him. He was controlling your life."
"I know," she told him, "But not anymore. Now we can be friends again Jake. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Ok," he replied, "See you then. Take care Bells. I can't watch out for you on your right side of the line."
"I'll be fine. He won't pull anything with Charlie around," she told him and then realized she had said too much.
"What do you mean. Has he already hurt you?" Jacob asked. I could literally feel the anger in his voice.
"No," she said, "he hasn't. I'm just saying. Just in case or something. He wouldn't, not with Charlie there."
"Ok," he told her, "If you need anything call me. Screw the line. Or call your pixie friend or something."
"Her name is Alice," she replied, "And she'll know if something were about to happen. She'd call me."
"Ok," he replied, "good night Bells." She said goodnight to him and handed me the phone.
"I'm sorry for wasting so many minutes," she told me. I could see the blush forming on her cheeks again.
"Bella," I told her, "I don't care about the minutes. You haven't spoken to him in ages. It's ok."
"Thank you Jasper. This is so nice of you," she replied. "Come on let's get you home," I said.
"Don't tell Carlisle."

Edward busted into the room. "I'll take you home. I won't hurt you," he told her, "I promise." He was projecting honesty. I looked at her and nodded. She nodded back and mumbled a thanks and then followed him with her eyes glued to the floor. I hated seeing her like this, and then I felt a warmth stronger than I had ever felt before, even long before my secret divorce from Alice when I had loved her. It was different and I hoped that Edward had not heard my thoughts.