Disclaimer: Nobody's perfect.

xoxoxo

Jasper's POV

Carlisle had us lined up in his office, four out of five of his vampire 'children,' three out of four of us sporting crimson eyes, so unlike his own. Esme leaned against the desk next to him, arms crossed over her chest as she watched Carlisle pace back and forth, her expression troubled.

He was clearly disappointed, just looking at the four of us. Not that any of us could blame him. Carlisle had saved the majority of us from death, and had accepted others of us into his family gladly. He and Esme treated us all the same, whether we had his venom running through us or not. All he asked was that we at least tried to refrain from drinking humans. Did we try? Sure. Did we stop? Nope.

Carlisle was one of the oldest vampires I had encountered, clocking in at upwards of three-hundred years old, coming quite close to four-hundred. He was also one of the most controlled, as well. He had, save for the four humans he saved, never drank from a human, and was a doctor. Something which went against everything that one would consider for a vampire. Who could allow themselves to be around humans day in and day out, many of them spewing blood, and never even sample them?

I know I couldn't. And I wasn't alone, either. Esme and Rosalie were the only two that adhered to Carlisle's diet, and even Rosalie wasn't perfect about it. She had never tasted human blood, but she had spilled it, a thousand times over. As a human, Rosalie had been brutally raped and murdered by her fiancé and his friends. As a vampire, she had taken her revenge on him, murdering them in cold blood. However, she hadn't stopped with that act of vengeance. Even now, she prowled the streets of New York at night, routinely killing rapists, often in gory, rather violent ways. In the three years that Rosalie had been ripping apart men, tearing their hearts from their chests, and ripping off their cocks, stuffing them down their throats until they choked, she had made a name for herself among the New York Police Department.

She never left any evidence behind, and no one ever saw her working, save for her victims, and her victim's victims, and they were all too grateful and terrified to reveal any of the details they might have known.

Emmett worked in similar circles to Rosalie, in that he only went after those committing crimes, but he simply drained the bodies of criminals, leaving them intact rather than tearing them to pieces. He was better at disposal of the bodies though. He'd dispose of them in the New York Harbor, stuffing them into weighted plastic bags and swimming them a few miles out into the waters that were rarely traversed.

Alice and I fed whenever necessary, aiming for criminals as well. We had some sort of conscious when it came to our feeding, which was more than we could say about Edward.

Edward was a sadistic little bastard on an entirely new level. He liked to go for the innocent co-eds who couldn't resist his charm, and who didn't know they were doomed until they were nearly dead. He attended one or two night classes a semester, just to stake out the prospects of NYU. Granted, we were all careful with our hunting patterns, and Edward was no exception. However, he was reckless, even when he was careful. Not establishing patterns of hunting, but going for those who people would notice missing.

Even now, as Carlisle had us lined up, Edward was missing from our ranks, undoubtedly making his next move. Carlisle sighed heavily, taking in our faces, showing signs of stress.

"We may need to move soon. " Carlisle said without preamble. Rosalie was the first to react, snarling quietly as her hands balled into fists.

"Move from this house, or move out of New York?" She demanded, anger pulsing about her. Carlisle wasn't phased by her show of anger.

"Relax, Rosalie." He held up his hands, observing her calmly. "Just out of this house. New York is more than large enough for us to remain settled here without suspicion, but we've been in this house for too long without many changes and we're bound to start drawing some question." Alice's forehead wrinkled at that. I could practically see the wheels turning in her head as she considered his statement, her eyes glazing slightly as a vision overtook her.

"You mean the Martins are becoming suspicious." She said drily, and we all looked toward the ceiling. Our house was more of a large apartment, with two floors of each family. We were directly below the penthouse, and Courtney and Jackson Martin. The Martins had been trouble since we moved in, asking far too many questions, wondering about the family that lived below them in a manner that went far beyond normal neighborly curiosity. Carlisle nodded to Alice, before lowering his voice even more.

"Alice is right. They're asking far too many questions about us, and I think it's time for us to move on. I won't require any of you to enroll in high school, but I do strongly suggest you sign up for college courses this time around." Carlisle looked at all of us one by one, his gaze stopping on me. I dropped my eyes, looking down at the thick carpeting. Out of all of us, I was usually the one most reluctant to attend school. After the third time through college, it got pretty old, and I felt no urge to obtain another degree I'd only use for a few years.

"Where are we going then?" Emmett asked, pulling a now sulky Rosalie closer to him. Carlisle looked to Esme, who pushed herself off the desk.

"I've been checking out real estate in upstate New York recently. It's less populated, but closer to wooded areas, which is a positive." She said brightly. "Carlisle and I have agreed on a house and signed the lease on it. It should be ready for move in by Monday. I know it's a bit far out from the city but-" Alice cut her off, her crimson eyes darkening dangerously.

"It's a plus for you, Carlisle and Rosalie, you mean, because you wouldn't have to travel as far to feed." Alice pointed out, and Esme frowned. "It would also mean that the rest of us would have to commute to continue our usual diet, or turn to the vegetarian diet full time."

Alice glanced at me for support, and I nodded, seeing her point. "And we wouldn't be able to stay there as long. It's less populated, like you said, but that means there would be more chance for exposure because people are usually buying houses, not renting apartments. The turnover rate for real estate must be non-existent. They don't move; they're settling down with families." Face it, you're just looking for an excuse to push your lifestyle back on us. I thought bitterly, and Esme's face hardened.

"Those are indeed valid points, Jasper, Alice," Carlisle began, his serene expression slipping, "but the fact of the matter is that-" Alice cut him off, leaping to her feet from the overstuffed settee we were all perched on.

"Fuck! Edward, what are you doing?" Alice snarled, leaping to her feet and running out of Carlisle's office. We remained frozen, listening to the normally cheerful Alice curse up a storm as she ran throughout the apartment.

I motioned to Carlisle, indicating that I would help Alice and he nodded, relieved. It was easier to deal with us in pairs, rather than one large group. Less opposition.

xoxoxo

I jogged after Alice, following her scent to one of the back stairwells. There, I found her screaming at Edward, pointing into the corner of the stairwell, then pointing at the huddled, shivering mass on the stairwells. The mass was sobbing quietly, confusion and terror shrouded about it. The scent of blood, sweet and delicious was heavy in the air. Looking up, I saw a crushed mass of plastic and wires. Stepping closer, I found a small, circular piece of glass on the ground and rapidly put the pieces together.

"Jesus fuck, Edward! Were you going to fucking feed off of her right here in the hallway, with the cameras rolling? And then what were you going to do? Dispose of the body and go right about your business, forgetting all about the fucking cameras? By the time you got around to it, they'd have fucking reported you!" Alice whispered harshly.

Edward had brought one of his conquests home, rather than taking care of his needs, whether they be to feed or fuck, in an out of the way area like he normally would have. The girl's blood, which I saw leaking from a cut on her palm, smelled clean and untainted by venom. He had probably gotten a little too wound up, launching his initial attack, disguised as lust on the staircase, cutting her hand open for a taste.

From Alice's words, she had probably seen him taking it too far, murdering the girl in the staircase, all while the camera filmed. And I'd bet Edward would have never noticed that the camera was even rolling. The dumb bastard thought with the head in his pants, not the one on his shoulders.

"Fucking reckless," I swore at him, pushing the pair apart slightly and kneeling next to the bleeding, shaking girl. "Both of you." I continued, and Alice scowled down at me as I tore off a long strip of fabric from my shirt, winding it around the girl's bleeding palm.

"What do you mean, 'both of you?' Alice demanded as I tied the end of the fabric tightly, hopefully slowing the blood flow. The girl stared up at me through glazed eyes, her lips moving soundlessly.

"You're talking about Edward feeding off of the girl right in front of her, for God's sake." I replied, and Alice's eyes widened slightly. "I wonder how much she's figured out, especially once you mentioned disposing of the body." Standing, I pulled the girl to her feet with me, before wiping my hands on my jeans.

"Way to go, Edward. Now you're really gonna have to kill her, since she knows you were planning on it obviously." I spat, and shock raced through the girl, and she immediately tried to make a break for it, launching herself back down the stairs. I reached out, effortlessly catching the back of her shirt and pulling her back, frowning as she let out a high-pitched scream of terror. Automatically, I covered her mouth, muting the scream and pulling her toward me as she struggled.

Edward buried his face in his hands, swearing steadily underneath his breath as Alice darted forward, a growl forming deep in her throat. She took the girl by the shoulders, shaking her gently.

"Quiet!" Alice hissed, and the scream died in the girl's throat as she took in this tiny pixie of a girl, shaking her as if she was a rag doll, her eyes glowing red with anger. "If you'll just relax, maybe we won't have to kill you." The girl whimpered deep in her throat at the word, and Alice rubbed her temples, before nodding to me.

"Take her upstairs, but move fast. There isn't any chance of us being spotted I think, but we need to avoid the cameras." She instructed, and I nodded, taking the girl up into my arms and running up the stairs quickly. Alice darted around me, opening the door to our floor, before running ahead and opening the front door.

In all, we were back in Carlisle's office in less than ten seconds, the girl already on her feet as Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie and Emmett stared at her. Edward stood just over the threshold, his face impassive as he stared at the girl. She swayed visibly, her face pale, before she leaned forward, throwing up all over the carpet. Alice groaned, stepping forward to pull the girls' hair out her face as Carlisle became the first to comprehend the situation. His topaz eyes darkened as he stared from Alice and the girl, to me, then over my shoulder at Edward.

"Which one of you would care to explain just exactly what is going on?" He asked, in a deadly quiet voice. Alice and I exchanged a look, before pointing to Edward, who looked almost ill. "Edward?"

xoxoxo

Her name was Bella, she was twenty-two years old, and terrified beyond anything I had ever seen before. Edward had picked her up on the subway, the one that they both rode. Not for the first time that night, I had to quell the urge to take Edward out back and put his head through every piece of concrete I could find until I knocked some sense into him.

Thanks to his carelessness, we were now left to clean up his mess. No doubt about it, the girl was going to have to die, that much was for sure, but Carlisle was reluctant to kill her, and even more reluctant to change her, although those were our only two options.

Carlisle had really taken Edward to task, something I never thought I'd see. He had ushered all of us from his office, leaving the human with Esme, before verbally tearing Edward a new one. In the forty-odd years I had been with the Cullens, I had never heard Carlisle curse before tonight. Edward was the prodigal child, the first vampire Carlisle ever changed. And for Edward to do the things he does has to be a blow to Carlisle. Edward's behavior had become more erratic recently, as he grew cockier. And finally, it came back around to bite him in the ass.

Personally, I was happy to see Edward taken down a couple of notches, that smug little son of a bitch.

Esme sent Emmett and me out to pick up something for Bella to eat. Bella was currently on our living room couch, flanked by Esme on one side, and Alice on the other. Esme's attempts at comfort were useless at best, however. Bella had gone silent, refusing to answer any of her questions, flinching away from her touches. I suppose the knowledge that you probably won't survive the night can do that to a person.

Alice was lost to her visions, looking for a solution. Since joining Esme and Bella on the couch, she had buried her face in her hands, murmuring to herself as she searched the future for the outcome. It was apparently slow-going. Rosalie was in the room as well, leaning against the wall far away from the couch, taking in the scene. Her face was impassive, but her anger was overwhelming. Whether it was at Edward, or the human girl stupid enough to fall for his charms, I wasn't sure.; I'd hazard a guess that it was at Edward; she continued his usual methods of feeding to be taking advantage of helpless girls. But everything about her, from her stance to her expression to her emotions screamed fury and promised pain.

Emmett and I, after a bit of argument, set off for a burger joint a few blocks from the apartment. It reportedly had decent food, not that either of us would know. We walked slower than we normally would, discussing the events.

"This is just insane, man. " Emmett said lowly, looking around the dark, but still busy street. We were stopped at a corner, waiting for the light to change.

"Tell me about it," I murmured back, closing my eyes and rocking back on my heels. "Fucking Edward is an idiot."

Emmett's amusement flared up. "An idiot, but an idiot with good taste. Light changed, bro." I opened my eyes and started across the street, looking over to Emmett.

"Rosalie would do a number on you if she heard you say that." I pointed out, and Emmett laughed loudly, frightening a couple of the tourists in front of us. I couldn't blame them; seeing this mammoth of a guy, who looked like he could snap you in half just by pinching you between his fingers, laughing madly was beyond disturbing. "You know it's true."

"Psh, Rose wouldn't do shit to me," he boasted, and I shook my head as we came upon the burger joint. "Seriously though. The girl's pretty damn hot for a human, and she smells good to boot. If Carlisle doesn't want to finish it, I have no problem doing it." He chuckled as we joined the line, and I just shook my head at his morbid sense of humor.

I didn't see the appeal in the girl. She was a bit scrawny, with the permanent "deer caught in the headlight" expression. Her blood did smell good, I'd grant that, but it was probably just the adrenaline dumped into her blood stream from her near brush with death. We made it to the front of the line after about five minutes of waiting and checking out the menu. The teenager behind the register greeted us with a slightly apathetic expression.

"Welcome to the Shake Shack. How can I help you?" He asked, looking up briefly from the register. I glanced up at the menu one last time, before adjusting my sunglasses, feeling every bit like a douche. I just couldn't wear contacts though, those things itched like crazy.

"Can I get a Shack Burger, a single, an order of fries, and…a Shack Attack Shake?" I finished with a shrug. Might as well get the girl a treat before she dies, I suppose. The teenager punched up the order, before looking back up at me.

"Is that all?" I nodded, and he hit a key, before telling me the total. I swiped my card and took the receipt before standing off to the side, next to Emmett.

"What do you think Carlisle is gonna do?" He asked after a couple of minutes. Before I could reply, the order number was called, and I collected the bag of foul-smelling food and the icy cup, before heading out.

"I don't know what he's gonna do, but I think it's safe to say he's not gonna give her to you." I said finally, when we were nearly home, and Emmett sneered at me. "Honestly? Carlisle's a pushover; if she agrees to absolute secrecy, he'll probably let her go, and just hope the Volturi never finds out." We entered through the front lobby, taking the elevator back up. Emmett tensed slightly at the mention of the Volturi, before shaking his head himself.

As soon as we got off the elevator, we heard raised voices, angry ones. Carlisle's and Edward's, overlapping each other, and Esme's, quieter, calming. We exchanged a glance, before Emmett unlocked the door.

What we walked in on was utter chaos. The flat-screen TV lay on the floor, smashed and emitting sparks. Edward stood over it, glowering at Carlisle who was just feet away, looking for all the world like he was going to hit Edward. Esme was between the pair, her hands pressed against their chests, separating them. Alice had shifted protectively in front of Bella, who had sunk even farther into her blankets, just her eyes peeking over the edge. Rosalie was nowhere to be seen. Everyone looked over at us when we walked in; Emmett was dumbstruck by the scene. I held up the bag, taking a step back.

"Uh, I brought food?"

xoxoxo

Oh, Jazzy. How I love you, and your unabashed hatred for Edward. This story is an exercise in angst, and the occasional break from 'Allow Me To Introduce Myself.' I've sincerely become sick of that story, all the happiness, blargh. But, I'm still working on it, I'm just taking a step back to allow the lovey-dovey muse a chance to recharge while I get rid of all this annoying angst I'm feeling. But, for the most part, this is gonna be part crazy-angst, part humor, and a smidgen of romance, maybe.
Posting schedule is as follows: I start school on Monday (fml), so the plan is to update every Saturday. That's if life doesn't get in the way. So, we can look forward to chapter 3 in one week! Considering I get chapter 4 done by then; I like to have the next week's chapter done by the time I post.

Review? :)