I've never been happier.

No one is lucky as us.

We're not at the end, but we've already won.

No one is as lucky as us.

Where the Lines Overlap - Paramore

. . .

The cat was the devil incarnate, or at the very least a high-level, mojo-possessing demon. There was no way it was in any way earthly. Of course Bella and her superior, human intelligence had decided that a cat on a motorcycle was a good thing. Well, duh, it was. What could go wrong? Oh, right, she could get the absolute fuck scratched out of her and have to stop to plaster bandaids all over herself. Y'know. That could be a thing. All across her arms, her chest, her neck, and her stomach scratches laid. Of course, bleeding - even in a minor fashion - in a vampire's house would be fantastic. What could go wrong? Well, other than being eaten? Typical day for Bella. Fucking cat was out to murder her, or at the very least get her killed.

Tiny, sudden kitty was fucking ferocious.

A trip that was supposed to be about six or seven hours - she thought - turned into a twelve-hour fiasco. At least she hadn't been on the highway. She couldn't imagine how bad that would have been. By the time she'd neared Houston, it was nearly two o'clock in the morning. She just wanted to sleep. Fucking evil, devil-spawn cat. Stopping a gas station-covinent-store-fast-food-restaurant hybrid outside the city, Bella - with the kitten tucked into her side - walked to a pay phone, putting in the coins and dialing Jasper's number.

"Howdy, kitten," was the greeting in his familiar southern drawl that came through the speaker.

"Hey, yourself, cowboy," she said tiredly, scratching the kitten's ear softly as it nuzzled against her.

"Oh, now I've got a nickname, have I? Where are you?"

"Mm. Just outside Houston."

"Jesus. You had a long trip."

"You have no idea. I wanted to stop earlier, but I promised myself that I'd at least get into Texas. And then it was Houston, and now I'm positive if I go another hour, I'll die. So I'm just saying I'll be in tomorrow…or rather today. But later, as I need to sleep. Ugh. And I'm starving. I didn't even stop for lunch." The cat meowed, its tongue flicking against Bella's cheek. Obviously hungry.

"Have you passed through Houston or not?"

"Yeah," Bella responded tiredly, leaning her forehead against the edge of the phone box.

"Well, I'm outside Galveston; I can be there to pick you up in an hour and a half, if you think that you can stay up."

Ugh. Dilemma. Banging her head lightly against the phone box, she shook her head a bit. Realizing that he couldn't see her, she sighed. "I can't, Jasper. Sorry. I'm worried I'll fall asleep. See you tomorrow?"

"Okay, kitten. I'll see you tomorrow." Was she imagining that or was there disappointment in his voice?

"Yeah, bye, Jasper," she said absently before hanging up.

Cuddling the kitten to her, she walked over into the fast food restaurant and got herself a burger and fries. Honestly, she could not wait to be in a kitchen. Hopefully Peter and Charlotte had a kitchen. It wasn't actually like she knew. And if they did, she hoped they wouldn't be opposed to her cooking human food. Hoping for the best, food in hand, she walked into the convent store.

Typically they had little cans of cat food. It would probably be expensive, but the cat really didn't need to be eating people food. Espeically the food Bella was eating. Hell, she shouldn't even be eating it. But whatever. Success was found in the third aisle, and she paid for the two cans, one for tonight and one for the morning.

Once back on her bike, Bella drove to a motel a mile or so down the road. Evidently, the (still nameless) kitten had gotten used to the motorcycle, and once they got there, Bella wasn't covered in scratches. Victory. The motel was extremely sketchy, and she was really not fond of the guy who was smoking out front, leering at her.

Keeping her back straight and head held high, she stared forward, walking into the building. Fortunately, the rooms were reasonable, and she gave the allotted mount before walking down the hall to her room. Once she was inside, she let the kitten down, and it instantly went around to inspect. Bella dropped her duffel bag on the ground and eased herself into the chair in front of the desk desk.

Taking the can of cat food first, she opened it up and put it on the floor. Instantly, there was a grey and white blur and the kitten came to a stop in front of the food, shoving its face into the can. Laughing easily, Bella reached down and scratched its forehead gently.

"Maybe you are a boy after all."

Almost as if it had understood, the cat looked up to her and licked its lips, its wide blue eyes looking up at her. Nudging the can a bit, she dismissed it, letting it go back to its meal, and Bella took out her own meal. Fast food was getting extraordinarily boring. If her stomach wasn't making such horrific noises, she wouldn't have eaten.

. . .

Bella awoke with a start, sharp pains emanating from her leg. What the fuck? Looking down, she discovered the kitten was clawing at her leg. Reaching down, she lightly pushed a finger against its forehead, easing it away from her.

"All right, all right. I'm up."

Grabbing her room key and the kitten, Bella walked outside and let it do its business. The motel wasn't any less sketchy in the morning, and she had the strangest feeling that someone was watching her. Cutting the bathroom break short, Bella headed back inside, sitting the kitten - who still needed a damn name - on the bed and pulling out some fresh clothes and toiletries. As an afterthought, she put out the can of food for the cat before hopping into the shower.

Although she wanted nothing more than a hot shower with perfect pressure to ease her aching muscles, Bella instead got a cold shower that hardly even worked. Half an hour was spent just rinsing out her shampoo. Pissed off by the time she got out of the shower, she changed into a pair of capris and a tank top. Wetting a washcloth in the sink, she brought it out and pulled the kitten into her lap. Gently, talking to it in a quiet tone of voice, Bella scrubbed its fur, cleaning it. Surprisingly, it didn't make much of a protest, actually leaning into her. Strange cat. She even added a bit of soap. The cat actually fucking liked it. Finally, the kitten was dried off, its fur all fluffy. It practically strutted around the room, flicking its tail. Strange little thing.

Dialing Jasper's number, she smiled as it jumped into her lap. Stroking its spine, she let out a laugh as it shivered almost violently. She hummed absently while she waited for Jasper's familiar southern drawl to greet her.

"Howdy, kitten." And there it was.

Almost instantly, a broad smile broke across Bella's face. "Hey. So, I'm awake and clean and the devil spawn is fed and clean. I think I'm about to hit the road. Where exactly am I going?" Jasper said something in a blurred buzz and Bella blinked, pulling the phone back from her ear, making sure it was connected properly. "Run that by me one more time?"

"Sorry, kitten. I was just excited." He was excited to see her? Butterflies tickled at Bella's stomach. He supplied the address, and Bella looked at her map, smoothing out the worn edges. It had gotten a lot of use on her road trip. Feeling that it was safe to do so, she marked in a path, memorizing the first few roads and turns.

"Are you gonna make good on your promise?" she asked absently, folding the map up and tucking it into her back pocket.

"What promise was that?"

"Silly, forgetful vampire. The one you made to me to not let your friends eat me."

There was a smile in his voice when he spoke again. "I'll protect you from the big, bad vampires, kitten."

"And my actual kitten?"

There was a bit of a ruckus before a different voice greeted Bella. It was the same tone as Jasper's, but slightly slower with a more pronounced southern accent. "Hi, Bella. It's Peter. I'm just informin' you that I will leave your cat alone. You, on the other hand, I might just have to eat." Jasper's familiar laugh - albeit a bit muffled - came from the background.

"Well good, at least my corpse will have a cat."

Their loud laughter combined, and the receiver clattered around. Rolling her eyes, Bella gently moved the cat off her lap. "I'll see you guys soon. Really excited to meet you, Peter, and Charlotte, too." With that, she hung up.

A thin layer of sunscreen went on Bella's shoulders and upper arms. Hopefully, it would be enough for the - evidently - hour and a half drive to the place Peter and Charlotte lived. Looking to the kitten, she pressed her lips together.

"What am I going to do with you?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. The kitten meowed at her, going to wind itself around her ankles. "I guess I could put you in my bag. I'm not wearing a shirt today, so I can't just tuck you in there." She tapped her chin, sighing softly. "Will you go in my bag, pretty please?" The kitten mewed at her and butted its face against her leg. "Well, I'm taking that as a yes. Just please don't launch yourself out of it."

. . .

An hour and a half her fucking ass. Between making sure that the cat wasn't dying in the bag, pulling over to look at the map, and then driving with one hand when the cat demanded her to hold it, the trip had turned into three hours. For miles, she'd been driving on a tiny dirt, country road. A total of two houses had popped up in the last thirty miles. Finally around six, Bella was pulling up in front of a ranch house.

The second she turned off the engine, a blur came across the front yard, and cold arms were slinging her from the seat and crushing her to a chest just as cold. Squealing, the cat clawed at Bella and managed to get on the ground. A strangled laugh left her lips. Silly cat. The familiar scent of summer and fresh cotton invaded her senses. Jasper. A broad grin broke across her face, and she wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face gently into the crook of his neck. God, she'd missed him.

Finally, she was released, and she grinned up at him. Still gold eyes. It worried her a bit. The beast was still caged. Maybe he'd gotten a full handle on it, but Bella seriously doubted it. They just stared at each other for a moment, and finally, Bella pulled a face. Jasper broke into laughter, giving her another hug.

"Missed you, kitten," he said brightly, laying a kiss to her cheek.

"Missed you, too, cowboy." Frowning a bit, Bella looked around. "I had a cat. Where's my cat?"

Her eyes caught on two blonde people, a man and a woman. The man was tall, about six feet tall; he was a tad bit more compact with a bit blunter facial features and lighter hair than Jasper, but surprisingly, they were quite similar, though Peter's hair was shorter than Jasper's. The woman was of average height, probably about 5'4 (Bella's height.) and wore her sun kissed, blonde hair down her shoulders in messy waves. The man held her (still fucking nameless) cat in his arm, scratching its head. Bella recognized the woman from the picture on New Year's. Charlotte. So the man must be Peter.

Smiling easily, Bella waved. "Hi," she greeted only mildly awkwardly. "I'm Bella."

"Aw. She's so cute," Charlotte said with a broad smile, showing off her teeth.

Momentarily, Bella was stunned. She wasn't used to vampires smiling in that manner. The Cullens never showed off their teeth in such a manner. It was refreshing. Charlotte darted forward, and Bella nearly stumbled back, their noses nearly touching. Bella smiled back, and Jasper noticed the subtle wrinkle at her nose and at the edges of her eyes, an indication of a real smile. Too often, he found that when she smiled, it was forced. It was obvious that she already like them. Jasper was absolutely elated.

While Charlotte and Bella hugged, Jasper took the moment to find the differences in Bella. A year had done her well. Very well. His beast purred in appreciation of the subtle widening of her hips, the extra pounds added to her rear, giving her a full, round bottom. It - and Jasper - couldn't wait to see the way her hips looked when she walked. They pulled away from each other, and his eyes were drawn to yet another new feature. Breasts. Oh, God, yes. Bella had never been exactly well endowed in the chest area, but he'd be damned if she didn't have the best pair he'd seen in ages. Perky and full, he couldn't help but want to poke them, touch them, hold them, bite them, lick them. Ugh. His beast was practically salivating at the idea.

"What's its name?" Peter asked as he walked forward, pressing a kiss to Bella's cheek.

"That's actually a very good question. I've been asking it, but the damn thing just meows."

Bella's bottom lip pushed out in a pout, and her hands went to her hips as she looked at the cat who was purring loudly in Peter's arms, nuzzling its face against his strong bicep. Peter laughed, and Bella smiled back at him. It was strange for Bella to feel so easy around people she'd just met, especially vampires, but she wasn't protesting. They were much like Jasper, laid back and easygoing. They weren't perfect, like the Cullens seemed to be, and they realized that. They didn't try to act human. Bella very much liked.

Turning back to Jasper, she smiled broadly. It felt so good to smile; it had been such a long time since Bella had done so. "You look good," she informed him.

"As do you." Snatching her bag up, he slung it over his shoulder, winding an arm around Bella's shoulders, starting to lead her inside.

When she looked back up, she discovered with a start that Peter and Charlotte were already gone. To Bella's dismay, the inside of the house was not air conditioned; it was just as hot as the summer sun outside. But then again, they had no need for it. They were vampires; they didn't feel discomfort from the temperature changes, so why should they?

Bella was just so used to the Cullens' human accommodations: a kitchen, a dining room, air conditioning. It was strange seeing an actual vampire house. But then again, why did they live in a house if they didn't need to sleep or tire? Countering herself, she supposed that they could want a house because the human instinct to want a home, some place that they could call theirs without a doubt was still there. It was a gorgeous place

Bella was surprised, though, as she and Jasper walked into the living room, to find that it was, in fact, furnished. It had a rustic, country feel with the ceiling beams exposed and unfinished wood floors. Since there was no need for a dining area or kitchen, they had simply left it open and airy, extending the living room until it transitioned into an art room. Although she had no doubt that they could afford anything and everything they wanted, there weren't state of the art supplies. They were basic supplies with generic names with an easel built out of rough wood, no doubt handmade.

"Char and I aren't a huge fan of fancy things. We prefer having the necessities and no more," Peter said, suddenly behind Bella. Jumping slightly, Bella looked to him, smiling at him, her eyes tracing along the walls of the house. She liked that. It made them feel more…relatable, more human than vampire, actually.

Pictures of Peter, Charlotte, and Jasper (dating back to probably the forties or fifties) that laid in picture frames on the shelves with the numerous books among the paintings on the walls. One caught her eye. It used vivid tones and flawless brush strokes. It was obviously of a woman. She was siting down, topless, her milky skin bared, blonde waves spilling down her back. Silvery highlights in half-moon shapes, slightly jagged in some places covered her back and what of the arms could be seen. She overlooked a sapphire lake that seemed to glitter, even in paint. Bella was momentarily stunned.

"That's of Charlotte." Peter, again.

"It's stunning," Bella breathed.

"Why thank you."

"Of course."

They used colors that fit the landscape. Beige and creams and golds but with pops of sky blue and turquoise that brought it to life. It felt like home and she'd only just walked in. Turning around, Bella thought she'd seen all there was to see, but then she actually looked through the windows the covered the entire back side of the space. The house overlooked an expansive lake, and she instantly recognized it as the one from the painting of Charlotte.

"God, this house is amazing," Bella said to herself.

"Now, if you're done gawking, I can show you to your room." Charlotte, this time.

Looking back at the blonde vampire, Bella smiled, unapologetic. "I'd like that."

Taking her bag from Jasper, she walked with Charlotte down the hall into a bedroom. It was simple; the walls were white, and there was an unmade full-sized bed tucked into a corner, a wardrobe across from it next to the door, and the wall to the left was nearly completely of window. It showed a perfect view of the lake and the large trees in the backyard.

"Is the entire back of your house windows?" Bella asked, incredulous.

"Yes," Charlotte agreed. "We really love the view. We don't want to lose that just because we're indoors." Turning to walk out, she gestured around the room. "Feel free to do whatever you want with the place. We'll have to go into town to get you some stuff, so we can get you some paint while we're there to liven the place up a bit. The bathroom's across the hall-" Bella was suddenly very glad that they did have that human amenity. "And…well, that's it. I'll let you be." With that, she left. Blunt, to the point, yet friendly and warm. Bella liked her.

Finally.

Finally, she was free.

But more than that, she was happy.


A/N: Hi, guys. I know that this chapter didn't have a lot of Jasper, but there will be in the future chapters, no worries. Um, so, now you've met Peter and Charlotte, and we're ready to have some fun at their place.

A few things:

ONE: I have a new story out. Some of you may have already read it and reviewed it, and to those people *mwah* thank you. But anyways, it's called Savior, and it's a Bella x Jasper story. I would appreciate it if you'd check that out!

TWO: I've made a blog for my fanfictions. FF is blocking me from writing it here, so it's my username/pen name with blogspot . com at the end. Or it;s on my profile. All chapters for all stories will be posted there in addition to here. It's just a precautionary measure in case for whatever reason my stories are pulled from FF.

Until next time,

Claire