Chapter 6 at last!

sorry i haven't updated in about...two weeks i think. the internet connection screwed up in my house and i haven't been able to update. but i'm back and so is fi. And thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. the constructive criticism was very helpful x

Anyway, hope you all like this chapter. Surpringsly, It took a LONG time

Disclaimer: Don't own it...still

JPOV

In the mere second it took Edward to leap through the space between us, I had already realised how impossible it would be to bring him back to sense.

What he was doing was a foolish reaction to his denial, as well as based on the hurt he felt from me snapping at him when his only 'crime' was fearing over Alice's vision of my future - or lack there of.

And I knew all about the repercussions of a senseless fight between two vampires; I held the evidence as dozens of crescent-shaped scars spread across my body. But I also knew how Edward's anger or hurt could spin wildly out of control when he let it, and that was exactly what he was doing now.

Alice's cry of fear pierced through my ears as Edward crash into my chest.

I was thrown backwards by the force, plummeting through the Cullen's front door at an incredible speed. There was a crash as pieces of wood rained down around me, showering my hair and clothes in splinters.

Edward appeared in the remaining fragments of the doorway a moment later, edging forward and growling frenziedly. In a single swift movement I pushed myself into the air, landing in a low crouch and snarling. I stepped back slightly, preparing to defend myself if he were to leap at me again.

"Edward!" I hissed, enraged. "You're acting ridiculous!"

"I am?!" He roared disbelievingly, launching himself at me again from across the room. He grasped my shoulders this time, latching onto me as we hurtled through the glass wall. We landed outside again - I briefly thought at least the house had remained mostly in one piece.

I hit the ground on my back, with Edward holding me down with his hands gripping my forearms. He perched himself on my chest, a leg on either side of my body, glaring down at me. I couldn't find the will to return the scornful expression, though. I watched him with undisguised anguish. It was all the worse that I could feel the fury emitting itself from him, as well as his own angst. When he spoke, it was like every word was revolting to him. "You've just been handed a death sentence, Jasper," he sneered, his nails digging into the unbreakable skin of my arms. "And you want to defend the person who's giving you the ticket to hell?"

I sighed, attempting to free my arms with several rough tugs. But, for once, Edward was stronger than me.

"Alice isn't going to be the one killing me!" I pointed out, my voice somehow breaking. I could feel Edward's shock also. His grip on my arms loosened somewhat, but not completely. "Right now, it's you who looks ready to tear my head off," I went on, gritting my teeth. "Stop blaming this on Alice, and stop trying to make out like I don't care if I live or die. I wouldn't have come back if I had any intention of dying; and the whole reason I came back was for you, you absurd excuse for a vampire! So get the fuck off of me and stop trying to carry out my slaughter yourself!"

Edward gasped and threw himself backwards, landing several metres away from me. I sat up as soon as I was free, straightening out my ruined shirt. I looked up only seconds later to meet Edward's astonished gaze, his chest rising and falling quickly as if he were exhausted.

"Edward?" I barely whispered his name, but he heard me perfectly.

He was on his feet swiftly and standing in front of me, his hand extended to help me up. I couldn't feel a trace of anger from him anymore, only regret, grief and guilt. An equal amount of each. But I thought the regret was needless. I'm not sure where the guilt was placed.

I reached out and took his hand. I was standing again with an empty hand faster than even a vampire could comprehend. I looked at Edward but he refused to meet my eyes. He remained staring at the ground, his mouth opening and closing every so often. I could tell it was because he wanted to say something, but he obviously kept changing his mind at the last moment.

I was unsettled by his feeling of trepidation.

"Edward? I don't care how you say it, just do."

He didn't look surprised when I spoke, he just looked anxious. He turned his head towards the trees, as if he thought they might tell him what to say. As it turned out, they seemed to.

"I guess there isn't any good way to say this," he muttered, his voice hollow, "so I'm not going to try to think of one. You have a right to know, I suppose. Although it's a sick way to have to tell you-"

"Jasper! Edward!"

Fabulous timing.

Alice seemed to materialise beside us at once, her white face masked with terror. She took almost no time at all to take in the complete figures of me and then Edward, in which she remained completely stiff.

Then she turned and slapped me.

It barely even hurt, but the shock stung more than anything. I gaped in disbelief at Alice as she glared at me, her eyes boring into mine. I could have sworn I saw a look of amusement pass across Edward's face out the corner of my eye, but when I looked at him he just looked stunned.

And then Alice stepped towards me, her eye blazing with anger…

And she threw her arms around me.

"You scared the hell out of me, Jasper Whitlock!" She fumed, tightening her grip around my waist, her head barely reaching my chest to rest against it.

My eyes grew impossibly wider as I looked to Edward for an answer to her behaviour. He was frowning at Alice, his forehead creased deeply in confusion. He hadn't seen me looking at him yet. I used my thoughts to ask him what was going on inside her head. He stared at me quizzically for a moment, then he mouthed my answer.

She's terrified of losing you

I wasn't entirely sure what to make of his answer. I could feel her fear myself, but I could also feel her affection towards me. It was so strange. It was Alice who made me leave in the first place, because she had a vision of me with Edward. Was she scared that the vision was now coming true because I was back? Did it make her change her mind? I knew Edward could answer my questions, but not while Alice was desperately clinging to me.

I placed a hand on Alice's back, in an attempt to return her unusual spout of affection, gently resting my other hand on the back of her head, slowly moving my fingers through her short hair. She nestled her head against my chest, tightening her hold on me still. It was oddly comforting for a while, that was until I felt the wave of anger from several feet away.

I looked over to Edward who was flexing his fingers slowly, his eyes trained on Alice murderously. I gasped and tried to step away from her, but immediately sensed her despair. She grabbed fistfuls of my shirt in her tiny hands, sobbing tearlessly.

"No," she choked out. "I can't lose you again. It's not my fault. It's his fault!"

I frowned, bewildered. Edward froze for a moment, a momentary statue, before charging forward and pulling Alice away from me with a single haul.

She cried out frantically as I disappeared from her reach, stretching her arms towards me. "No! It's your fault! You can't blame me! You can't!" She continued to scream at Edward as he tried to keep her away from me. She took several thrashes at him, clawing at his face which she would never even scratch. Midway through her rant, she looked at me and gasped. "I'm sorry, Jasper! I'm sorry I was so horrid to you when you came back. You have to leave, but I don't want you to. I never wanted you to! If you leave, you'll have a future. You won't die. He won't kill you! Please!"

"Alice!" Edward growled, spinning her to face him. "Shut up. Shut up now!"

"No," I snarled, causing them both to turn to me. Edward looked fearful, Alice hopeful. Edward quite obviously didn't want me to know what was going on, but Alice seemed set on telling me. I didn't want to hurt either of them…

I sighed sadly, facing Alice. "What did you mean, Alice?" I asked softly. "Who's going to kill me?"

Edward cursed bitterly as he released the small vampire, shoving her aside recklessly. I didn't have time to glance at his face before he was gone, swallowed by the forest. I felt a terrible pain in my chest, as if my heart was still beating to ache.

Alice seemed to skip towards me, taking hold of my hands and staring into my eyes. She would always be an angel to me. She saved me that day in Philadelphia. But she wasn't my angel anymore.

"Did Edward tell you anything that happened with us while you were gone?" She asked quietly, obviously diving straight in. I shook my head. She went on straight away, "well, there was some trouble in the town. A pair of vampires arrived, the usual kind, and they'd found a comfortable home in the forest. They were picking people in town, one by one, killing them all. The towns population started falling, after four months they were down by thirty percent. We were all furious. In short, we tried to make them leave but they refused.

"So Edward took things into his own hands." She shook her head once. "They were mates. He killed the girl, and the man fled town. The man was furious. Edward came back and told us all what happened, and that they wouldn't be a problem anymore."

I was sure I had already guessed what Alice was leading up to, but I needed the confirmation. I squeezed her hands comfortingly. "Tell me."

Alice smiled sadly at me, her eyes lifeless. "The man is called James. He's coming back to kill you."

I know! How original is THAT??!

haha! anyways, please review and let me know what you thought.

Remember! reviews make a happy writer. and a happy writer makes a faster update :] (oh god, that was terrible...)