A/N: So this chapter is a little different, in that it is all Jasper! The line halfway through just separates time periods, not POVs. Also, I've jumped ahead time wise about a month. The next chapter will be all Alice, and should be up within the week. If you are a fan who reads my other fic, Win a Date, look for the new chapter within 24 hours!

Disclaimer: I am not trying to steal anything from SM…!

Jasper POV:

I hate space. I don't know why everyone thinks it's so great anyway. Closed, tight areas…that's what I like. Okay, so that isn't exactly true. At least, not when applied to the general public. But when applied to Alice, definitely want to get as close as I can. Which makes this "giver her space" crap that Charlotte fed me unbearable. I mean, really. It's been a month! Hasn't she forgiven me yet? And how do I know that I have giver her enough space, and its okay to try and talk to her again? They should have a rule book for this crap. I glanced up from the bookshelf in Barnes and Noble that I had been scanning, checking yet again to make sure no one from Forks High was present. The last thing I needed was for the guys from the team to see me in the relationship section.

Peter had informed me last night that we were going out to the Cullen house tonight. I was going to seize the opportunity to test the waters with Alice away from school and her two best friends. Those three were scary, like a pack of wolves. There is no way Kate and Marlane are ever going to let me get close enough to Alice to make any headway. Did I mention that Kate had recently added to her look with a lip ring and black streaks in her fiery hair? I'm not so sure these girls are a good influence on Alice! And they have been keeping her super busy with their band and shopping and girly slumber parties. Okay, I admit it; I eavesdrop on their conversations occasionally. Just enough to make sure they aren't going to get themselves in trouble. It's my duty as a gentleman to make sure they stay safe. Also, I'm hoping I can speak to her away from that big guy who drives her into school some days. I don't know who he is, but I don't like him. He's all, I'm a muscley guy who has dark hair and am clearly overcompensating for something with my giant he-man jeep! So if any of these books can help me convince Alice I can be her friend, then the time taken to read them is well worth it.

I grabbed several promising titles and headed to an enclosed corner. If I was going to read these at vampire speed it wouldn't do to have some unsuspecting human witness it. I looked up and saw the devil's handmaidens heading my way. (Maybe that's not fair of me…but I'm bitter!) I tried to detour away from them, but it seems they were on a mission to speak with me. I quickly set my stack down on a shelf and then leaned in front of it, hoping they wouldn't be too curious about my reading selection.

"Jasper," Kate addressed me tersely, not even glancing toward the books. I heaved an inner sigh of relief and cocked my eyebrow at her inquiringly.

"What, exactly, are you trying to do to Alice?" she demanded of me.

"Excuse me?" I choked out. I had given her space! I was being good. What the hell are they talking about?!

"First you single her out on your first day to sit with, then a week later you ignore her like she doesn't exist!" Kate ground her teeth together and her eyes were spitting fire.

"Yeah, at first we thought you two had been in a tiff, but then you continued to ignore her for a month!" Marlane added in a huff, "Just apologize already so you two can be friends again!"

"Yeah, we are sick of it!" Kate crossed her arms and glared at me in defiance.

I pondered this for a moment. Clearly whatever Alice had told them made them think she wanted to patch things up. From the sound of it she was even impatient for it. Who was I to deny her?

"Don't worry ladies, I plan on taking care of it this very evening," I flashed a smile at them, winking at Marlane. Kate just humphed, but Marlane's eyes glazed over and she looked dazed. The smile left my face…the very last thing I needed was to have Marlane think she liked me. Especially when two minutes ago, she very clearly disliked me.

I affixed what I hoped was a bored look to my face.

"If you ladies will excuse me?" I nodded at them curtly and walked away.

I glanced behind me in time to see Kate elbow Marlane in the side and hiss, "Snap out of it!" at her.

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We pulled into the Cullen's driveway just in time to see Alice pulling out, Kate and Marlane in the back seat and the blond Amazon waving cheerfully from the passenger side. I glared. These girls don't even make sense. I didn't feel any better when I looked up to see the big WWF vampire gazing longingly at the retreating vehicle.

I growled... I just couldn't help myself. Peter didn't look at me, but I could feel his distress.

"Do not start a fight!" he whispered fiercely.

"I won't," I said lowly, opening the car door and hopping out before he could add anything. I paused then, waiting for Peter and Charlotte to get out of the car. In the short time this took, Carlisle and Esme had made it out of the house and into the yard.

"Jasper, it's so nice to see you again," Esme said, hugging me. Carlisle clapped me heartily on the back, before moving on to shake Peter's hand.

Esme gestured to the giant on the porch, and he loped down the steps and came to a halt in front of me.

"Jasper, this is Emmett, my son," Esme introduced him. Great. Her son cause he's Alice's mate? Her son cause he is her brother? I need answers!

"Nice to meet you," Emmett said, taking my hand in a death grip. Had I been human, my bones would have been dust. As it was, I gave back as good as I got. Emmett was grinning widely, but I could feel some reservation and dislike from him.

"Maybe you boys can do something together while we visit," Carlisle suggested as he led the others into the house.

"Will you show me your car, Jasper?" Emmett phrased it as a question, but it was an order. He probably did not want to have the conversation we were destined for in the house where everyone could hear. It occurred to me that it was probably not a good sign that I was once again being kept out of the house by a member of this family.

"Sure," I responded, for the benefit of the adults. We walked back to the car, but when he heard the front door close, Emmett stepped in front of me.

I stopped, eyeing him warily. I had the skills to defeat him, large though he may be, but I figured Alice wouldn't take too kindly to it.

"I don't think I like you," Emmett stated, "You upset my Alice."

"Your Alice?" I focused on the part of that statement that mattered most to me, "What, exactly, is she to you?"

"My sister," Emmett looked confused now, "What else would she be?"

"I don't know, your mate?" my voice dripped with sarcasm.

"What?! Ewww, gross!" Emmett exclaimed, gagging.

"You should be so lucky!" I was pissed. Five minutes ago I wanted nothing more to know that they were just friends. Now I was actually insulted that he didn't want to date her. Ugh.

"Alice is my sister," Emmett enunciated each word carefully, "I do not see her that way!"

"Oh," I was embarrassed, "Good."

"My sister who you hurt," Emmett brought the conversation back to his original point.

"I apologized multiple times," I told him, "Besides, that blond glamazon led me to believe she might have forgiven me."

"You talked to Rosalie?" Emmett looked confused.

"Was that her name? I was so glad to still have my man parts after our conversation that I couldn't even remember her name," I cracked a half smile.

"Yeah, that's my Rosie," Emmett got a goofy grin on his face.

"So I take it she's your mate?" I asked him.

"Yeah," Emmett answered. "So you like Alice?" he added, smirking.

I had a split second to decide. Would telling Emmett ultimately help me or hurt me?

"Yeah," I decided for honesty.

"I think she likes you too," he reached out and pulled me into his side in a weird man-hug. I was jumping up and down and screaming like a little girl on the inside, but I worked extremely hard to control my facial expression, permitting myself only a small smile.

"So how do you feel about Call of Duty?" Emmett asked, releasing me and heading back to the house.

"I feel like I will dominate your ass!" I caught up with him in one stride. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship…