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Thanks for the epic reviews, you guys! I'm glad you're all enjoying the story. I work hard to please both myself and each and every one of you. Hope you enjoy this chapter! Another long one just for you. Ten chapter mark! Yay!

Learning To Fall
A Twilight fanfic by Starfire Star

Chapter Ten: All I've Ever Known

"So why'd you come here?" I asked Edward as we sped down the highway in his Volvo, on the way to the airport in Seattle to pick up Mrs. Whitlock. That day had finally come, and the tension in the house was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Alice had bought all-new curtains, silverware, plates, bedspreads, pillows, you name it. She also bought herself a new outfit, and much to my displeasure, outfits for Rosalie and I, as well. I now tugged at the new cardigan and skirt she stuffed me into.

"I thought we went over that already," Edward sounded just slightly surprised, giving me a quick glance before looking back onto the road. He looked comfortable in the pair of jeans and long-sleeved buttoned shirt Alice had forced onto him as well. I shook my head at him and folded my arms. "We didn't."

"I came for Alice. She needed me," Edward explained, shifting in his seat. "Forks was just another town she thought she wouldn't live in for very long. After awhile, it really grew on her. She hated to leave, so her parents agreed to let her stay here. Of course, when my parents found out, they were completely appalled. They couldn't understand why Mr. and Mrs. Brandon would leave their daughter in a town all alone. Luckily enough, my father was eagerly accepted as the new doctor of Forks. So we all moved here. He was transferred back to Chicago, though, so that's when I started living at the boarding house."

I nodded slowly, trying to absorb the story. "Alice's parents don't sound too… parental," I said, trying to fit the right word in. Edward shook his head. "They're not. I don't understand them at all. All I knew was that I had to help my best friend any way I could." I tried not to press the issue. I knew Alice didn't like talking about it much. I didn't think Edward would be too appreciative of it either.

"Do you always do that?" I murmured, not looking at him. I could feel his eyes on me as he asked, "Do what?" I shook my head in disbelief. "You're always saving people. Playing the hero." I wanted to come out as regular teasing, but by the expression on Edward's face, I could tell he took it quite seriously. "I'm no hero," he said, his voice suddenly dark.

"It doesn't seem that way to me," I replied, a bit surprised at the sudden edge in his voice. "It's like you have some kind of damsel-in-distress radar." I saw him stiffen, and a lump appeared in my throat. I wanted to take that back.

"You don't know what you're talking about," he said sharply, still not looking at me. "I'm no hero, Bella." He placed emphasis on this repeated line.

"But you try," I said softly as I sank in my seat. "That's more than enough." I sneaked a peek at his face. His eyes were wary, confused. He opened his mouth and was about to say something before he quickly shut it again. I sat up straight in my seat as his eyes met mine. I was willing to let the subject drop when he opened his mouth again, his face hesitant. "If I were a real hero, things would be entirely different right now."

"How so?" I asked him quietly as I stared at his perfect features, his own eyes still watching the road. "For starters, my mom might've still been alive," his said in a low voice, avoiding my gaze, as if he were talking to himself. "I could've done something to stop my father. I could've intervened. My mom wouldn't have been scared all the time. I wouldn't have heard her crying every night…" his face turned stony as he turned to me, his eyes wide as if he had only just realized I was sitting right there.

"Edward, stop," I whispered. "Stop beating yourself up over a situation in which you were completely helpless." His face softened as I let my hand rest on his arm. "You're right," he said. "It was in the past. But I wasn't completely helpless."

"Yes, you were," I protested. "You were young—you didn't know any better."

"I'm guessing Alice gave you all the details?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. I nodded timidly before continuing. "You can't let this kind of thing eat away at you." He shook his head before a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Silly Bella. It's easy for you to say."

Surprised, I stared down at my hands and said nothing. As I looked back up, Edward was staring at me, his face apologetic. "Whoops. I was completely out of line to say that. I guess even heroes make mistakes," I could hear the teasing in his voice, and I couldn't help but stifle a laugh. I smiled at him as he chuckled along side me.

It wasn't before long that I realized my hand was still rested on his arm. I stared at it for a split second before Edward looked at me and saw the same thing. I immediately blushed and turned away, lifting my hand to clasp it with the other in my lap. "We're almost there," Edward said, most likely to break the awkward silence that followed.

I nodded. I couldn't stand the silence between us, so I finally spoke up. "How's Tanya?" I had seen her and Edward once when Rosalie, Alice, and I had went to catch a movie in Port Angeles. It wasn't at all awkward—more like embarrassing on Edward's part when Rose and Alice had raised their eyebrows at him and made teasing 'ooh la la's.

"She's been doing well," Edward's response was perfectly innocent, as if he were talking about the weather. "I'm guessing Charlie hasn't found out who set her house on fire?" I shook my head. I hadn't spoken to Charlie after the phone incident, and I wasn't planning to anytime soon. "I'm not exactly the person to go to if you want to find out information on it," I confessed. "You can just go straight to Charlie." Edward nodded knowledgeably—I had already told him about the Charlie situation. Trying to steer the conversation in another direction, I went back to the only topic I didn't want to talk about.

"So, I'm guessing after the teasing that Emmett and Jasper gave you, that you're happy about finally being with her after all this time?" my voice was shaky, as if I didn't want to know the answer. "I've liked her a long time," Edward said simply. He glanced at his watch. "Jasper's mother should be arriving in half an hour."

I was glad for the subject change. For some strange reason, I found it difficult to really like Tanya. She was sweet, polite, with beauty that rivalled Rosalie's, but there was something about her that got in the way of me wanting to know her better. I nodded at Edward. "You've met her before… right? How is she? Nice?"

He shrugged. "She's perfectly respectable. She took a great interest in knowing about my parents, though. Or my aunt and uncle, I should say. The only thing I don't like about her is the way she treats Alice." I was concerned about this. Nothing could crush Alice's optimism on Jasper's mother liking her. Like I said before, she had pulled out all the stops for this visit. But Alice had mentioned that she thought Mrs. Whitlock didn't like her because she thought she was a spoiled brat. I couldn't help but think that buying a lot of new, sometimes unnecessary items for the home wouldn't exactly make things better.

"I'd just hate to see Alice hurt."

We arrived at the airport with twenty minutes to spare. In the few minutes that we were inside, I managed to trip over some poor old man's suitcase. I winced in pain, my hand burning from when I used it to try to break my fall. Edward was immediately at my side, crouching down with an outstretched hand, offering to help.

"I hate being so clumsy," I murmured, my cheeks pink as I accepted his hand and pulled myself up. The old man looked at me wearily, deciding I was fine, before walking away. A crooked smile was painted on Edward's lips now, and he held my hand for a moment, whispering, "I think it's quite charming." I blushed, feeling a wave of excitement rush through me.

We were suddenly surrounded by a wave of people as a crowd exited from the nearest gates. One woman, short but taller than I, was waving at us with a smile. As we walked to meet her, Edward called, "Mrs. Whitlock! How was your flight?"

"It was fine. You're looking well, Edward," her voice was soft but firm. She stared straight into Edward's eyes as she spoke. Edward nodded. "I am. And yourself?"

"Just lovely," she said with a hint of southern accent.

Always the gentleman, Edward reached forward to grab her suitcase. I stood there, wondering if I should introduce myself. Before I could open my mouth to speak, Edward interrupted. "Mrs. Whitlock, this is Bella Swan."

"Hello there," she smiled warmly at me. The impression she gave led me to wonder how someone like her could possibly hate Alice, one of the nicest people I'd ever met and whose warmth could match her own. Nevertheless, I shook her hand.

The drive home was quiet; Edward kept polite but casual conversation with Mrs. Whitlock in the front. I was sitting in the back, my head pressed against the window, staring at the roads and cars as they sped past. Occasionally I would respond to one of Edward's or Mrs. Whitlock's questions, but I never really had anything to contribute.

When Edward turned the radio on, a familiar tune filled my ears. I closed my eyes as shivers were sent throughout my body, making me remember and ache. All I could hear was Jacob's voice now…

"Aw, Bella, you actually like this song? I can't believe you can stand this popular crap," Jacob complained as I hummed along to the song. I stared at him, surprised. "This song isn't really that popular, you know," I replied, a bit stung.

He looked at me and smiled. "Sure it isn't."

I turned away, not caring to hide my hurt. "It's one of my favourites."

Jacob laughed, turning to brush the hair out of my face. "If you like it, then I like it," he promised. I smiled at him. "Great. It'll be the first song played at your birthday party." He groaned and then leaned in to kiss me.

I suddenly felt cold. Shivering, I leaned against the window and closed my eyes. When I opened them, I saw Edward in the rear-view mirror take a swift glance at me then adjust the air conditioning. It didn't help.

"Leave me alone, Jacob," I muttered under my breath before I felt myself getting drowsy. Despite me spilling everything about Jacob to people I had just met, it did nothing to block the memories and dreams I occasionally had about him. My eyelids started to droop, and I gladly slipped into unconsciousness.

-

The next thing I knew, a velvet voice was at my ear, whispering that it was time to come inside. "Bella," Edward whispered. "Let's go inside. I would carry you, but just as I was about to do so, I saw Mrs. Whitlock stare at me rather disapprovingly." I was half-awake.

"Umm," I mumbled, shifting in my seat. I heard Edward sigh. "Clearly, this isn't going to work," he muttered. "Screw it. Mrs. Whitlock can think what she wants to think." The next thing I knew, I was being scooped up by a pair of strong arms, bridal-style.

"No, no," I protested. "Let me down, Edward." My words sounded like mush.

I didn't know how he managed to comprehend what I said, but he gently set me down on my feet. I wobbled for a minute, my eyelids still painfully working against me to keep themselves shut, before I felt my legs buckle beneath me.

Edward caught me just before I hit the ground. "Whoa, whoa," he said, trying to set me on my feet like a limp rag doll before giving up and pulling me back into his arms once again.

I felt the movement of his legs carrying me into the house, with a curt "Thank you" from Edward as I could feel the soft leather of the couches sink ever so slightly below me. I heard whispers and voices, and then a "Hello, Mrs. Whitlock!" from an enthusiastic soprano voice.

"What happened to her?" I could hear Emmett standing over me, his voice amused but concerned at the same time. "I don't know," Edward admitted. "I saw her in the rear-view mirror, staring out the window. Then I put on the radio, and she was knocked out cold."

"Emmett! Come here—we need to fix up the kitchen! Alice made a mess all afternoon trying to make the perfect dinner. The least we could do is help her out," Rosalie hissed from somewhere further away. I heard Emmett groan and stalk away.

I could feel one of my legs slipping off the couch, but Edward, with precise timing as always, caught it and put it gently back onto the couch. I wanted so badly to open my eyes, but once again, I felt paralyzed. I didn't feel like moving even an inch in his presence. I could feel him watching over me, his breathing steady and even.

My leg slipped again, and he put it back with my other leg, more carefully this time, as if not to wake me. But my reaction surprised him, and myself, I'm sure. I was known to talk in my sleep, reported not only from Renee and Charlie, but my new housemates, as well. Emmett thoroughly enjoyed bringing it up in conversation.

"It's okay, Jacob," I mumbled, a voice far away that I refused to believe was coming from me, not the conscious me, anyway, the real Bella. "Leave me alone. I'm fine." I heard Edward shift his position. He was close to my face now; I could smell his sweet fragrance.

He stroked the hair out of my face, a feeling that was only too familiar now. I was so accustomed to it; I didn't dare tell him to stop. The words that came out of my mouth were the complete opposite. "Ow, Jacob," I whispered, my voice mumbled and broken. "That hurts."

There was a moment of silence before I could feel his breath on my face, the words whispered into my ear, "I'm not Jacob, Bella. I would never hurt you."

-

I awoke to the sounds of Alice swearing, the mixer being turned on, and then off again. I sighed and got up, massaging my stiff neck with one hand. I glanced at the clock. I had been asleep for a good hour and a half. I made my way to the kitchen—I could sense Alice needed help judging from her angry cries and colourful language.

"I feel like I've been grating carrots for ages," Rosalie complained, her hair tied up in a bun, a grater in one hand, carrot in the other as she and Emmett sat at the island. A variety of ingredients were strewn in front of them. Emmett had an apron on which was covered in flour, his face smeared with what looked like butter.

"I can't believe Edward just left like that… the bastard," Emmett growled as he cracked two eggs into a bowl. Alice sighed once more and turned around to glance at them. "You guys," she said. "It's for a good cause. Just help me this once, 'kay?" Rosalie and Emmett both grumbled in response, and she smiled lightly before seeing me leaned against the doorway.

"Oh, Bella, you're up!" Alice chirped as she turned the Kitchen Aid mixer on once more.

"What are you making?" I asked, taking one more look around—Rosalie was grating carrots, Emmett was mixing dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, and Alice was mixing something before sticking a finger in to taste it. That could only mean that they were making—

"Carrot cake!" Alice replied cheerfully as she tasted whatever she was mixing. "Needs more sugar," she said to herself, grabbing a measuring cup. "I'm making the frosting, and Rosalie and Emmett are making the actual cake." I raised an eyebrow.

"After cleaning up the kitchen, we just have to mess it up again," Rosalie grumbled, tapping the carrot lightly on the grater. Emmett rolled his eyes. "Where's Edward and Jasper?" I asked, sampling the cream cheese frosting Alice had attempted to make. I reached for more cream cheese and dumped it into the mixer.

"Jasper went out with his mother, and Edward is out with Tanya," Alice said, giving me a careful look. No doubt that today's incident gave her tons of ideas. I nodded, keeping my face blank. "I see."

"I haven't talked to Greg in three days," Rosalie sighed. "He said he had some sort of business trip. I don't understand why he couldn't have called me." I was grateful for this sudden distraction for Alice. But Emmett was the one who jumped in first.

"He shouldn't leave you hanging like that—even I don't do that," Emmett told her, shaking his head as he mixed the dry ingredients with the wet ones. Rosalie shrugged, clearly looking uncomfortable. "He's an older man. I can see that he has his priorities straight—I mean, he has a whole career to work for."

"Whole career my ass—" Emmett began, receiving a silence with Alice's hand. "We have precisely—" she checked her watch. "One hour to get this finished. Let's move team!" I laughed. Alice's voice made her sound like a cadet. I looked at her, but she wasn't laughing. Her face held anxiety, and I put a hand on her shoulder. "Alice, it's going to work out fine."

"No, it won't," she said, her voice low. "Mrs. Whitlock hasn't said one word to me, other than 'hello' and 'thank you'. She didn't even notice the decorations or new furniture." I stared at her helplessly as her face crumpled up, ready to cry. "I'm so tired of putting on a brave face, Bella. I'm so tired of looking happy for her when all I want to do is scream and shout!"

I was surprised. So this happiness that Mrs. Whitlock was coming—it was all an act. Was Alice really tired of looking happy for everyone? Trying to impress Mrs. Whitlock?

"She's going to love everything, Alice. You'll see. All the effort you put will be rewarded," I said, managing a smile. She let out a shaky, nervous chuckle.

Sticking some more sugar in the mixer, I managed to salvage the frosting. Rosalie and Emmett had mixed all the ingredients together and put it in the cake pan. Alice took it and slid it in the oven.

"Rosalie, would you mind setting the table?" she called, setting the timer. Rosalie grabbed the stack of new, beautiful plates and was about to head out to the kitchen when the door suddenly swung open, knocking one of the plates to the ground.

Edward and Tanya stared at the ground in horror as Alice started hyperventilating, her eyes filling with tears. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. The plate clattered to the ground and cracked, luckily not shattering. Alice, startled, dropped the bowl of frosting onto the floor, letting the contents spill out. Rosalie immediately looked at Alice in horror.

"Alice, I'm so sorry—" Rosalie began. A key turned in the door, the screen door pushed open as Jasper called, "We're home! It smells great."

Alice fled the room, tears streaming down her face. I stared at the ground, speechless, before immediately grabbing the mop from the little cupboard and wiping the frosting. I stared in panic at the beautiful but overpriced plate that lay cracked and helpless on the floor. Rosalie sighed and sat down, putting her head in her hands.

Jasper stared after her in horror before opening his mouth to speak. "Don't bother," Rosalie said in a low voice. "I'll go after her." She got up and quickly exited the room. Mrs. Whitlock did not look amused. Emmett folded his arms as Tanya tugged on Edward's shirt.

"I better go," Tanya whispered to him in a voice that was barely audible from where I was cleaning. I stared at what was left of the frosting, my eyes boring holes into the floor. I gripped the mop tightly in my hand. Edward nodded. "I'll take you—"

"No, Edward," Emmett glared at him, his arms folded across his chest, his eyes flashing. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Your best friend is up in her room, crying, while you decide to bring home a gi—"

"Enough, Emmett," Rosalie said softly as she gracefully entered the room, only to sit down and prop her chin on her palm. "Alice doesn't want to see me. I don't think she wants to see anyone."

Edward shook his head. "No, Emmett's right," he said, his velvet voice suddenly pained. "She's my best friend. I have to at least try and see if she wants to talk." He turned to Tanya, his face apologetic, it was almost heartbreaking. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to go home on your own. I'm sure you're quite capable."

"It's bros before hoes," Emmett muttered under his breath, just loudly enough for me to hear. I was so caught up in the current situation that I didn't even remember that Mrs. Whitlock was standing right there, behind her son, with a look of disapproval. Tanya politely pushed past her and out the door, Edward staring after her with an unfathomable expression on his face.

Jasper picked up the plate on the ground before slowly making his way through the room, toward the exit where Alice had left. But his mother interrupted him before he could get any further. "What on earth is wrong with Mary?" she demanded, shaking her head. "A little dramatic, don't you think? No use crying over spilt milk."

I couldn't hide the shock on my face as I stared at her. Emmett looked equally confused, almost angry. Rosalie looked up, her eyes flashing. Jasper turned around, looking as if he'd been slapped. He stared at his mother for a long moment before saying, "Her name is Alice. She hates being called Mary. Why the hell don't you know that by now?" His words were quiet but just as fierce. Mrs. Whitlock cringed back, staring at her son in horror.

"Don't use that tone with me," Mrs Whitlock said, frowning. "Jasper, what has gotten into you? It seems as though ever since you've met, that, that girl—"

"Life has been good for me," Jasper said quietly. "She saw me for who I really am. I'm not just some guy who hides behind his books. She saw past that. She's able to finish my sentences. She can make me laugh. I've never met anyone quite like her."

"That's good," Mrs. Whitlock tried to say. "But Jasper, you've changed."

"No," he said. "No, I haven't. She has nothing to do with me changing. I've come to realize that life is better than just trying to make you and Dad happy with my success. I can succeed, but I can be happy as well. These people—" he gestured around him, "they're my friends. I've finally found my place in life."

"You can't just throw your books away, Jasper!" his mother cried, fighting to get a word in. "You're going to Dartmouth on a scholarship! Do you know how important that is? This gives you the opportunities we've never had. And we can't let you just throw it away for some girl."

"She has a name," Jasper said, his voice quieter than ever now. "And you better start using it, because she's one part of my life that I'm not about to let go anytime soon. She's taught me more than any book can ever teach me." I watched as Rosalie set her head down on her arms, which were folded across the table. Emmett moved forward to sit next to her, snaking both arms around her shoulders.

"I'm not going to throw my scholarship away," Jasper continued. "You know me better than that. I, however, am not about to let one of the most important people in my life go. She's worked so hard just to make you happy, and you can't even acknowledge it. She's not just some spoiled party princess like you think she is. She's brought out a lot in me that I can't thank her enough for. That's… that's why I love her."

A hush suddenly fell upon the room as I gasped, my eyes widening. For a brief moment, Edward's eyes met mine, and then fell upon Jasper as he stared at the ground. Rosalie's face crumpled up, as if she were about to cry, and Emmett rubbed her shoulders, looking as shocked as I was.

Suddenly a voice was heard from the hallway. "You… you what?" asked a shaky soprano voice, stepping out from behind the shadows, her eye makeup streaked across her face, black hair tousled and sticking out every which way. We all turned to stare at her as her face crumpled in tears. Then, as if she were a blur, she stumbled (which was difficult to believe) toward Jasper as he gathered her in his arms.

I was sure that they would've kissed. At that moment, the timing, everything that Jasper had said, everything seemed to fit, like pieces of a puzzle. The one, lone, unique piece was his mother. He turned to face her. "It's about time you saw things my way," he told her, his face neither angry nor sad. Somewhere in the middle, where you couldn't decipher it, but where you could feel emotions of your own with one look.

The way he looked into Alice's eyes was something I'd seen before. It was as if, staring at them, I saw a truly magical connection. An unbreakable bond. The kind of love that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy just by witnessing it. It seemed like a private moment, on display for all of us to see. I watched as Mrs. Whitlock turned her face away, looking ashamed.

Jasper broke away from Alice for a moment, toward his mother, who was a head shorter than he was. "Mom, I love you. I'll always work hard at everything—it's part of who I am now. But so is Alice. You just need to take the time to get to know her." Mrs. Whitlock slowly nodded.

Then Alice, being Alice, gave me a small smile before launching herself toward Jasper's mother, wrapping her in the biggest hug her small arms could muster. "I promise I won't be a distraction! Jasper is really smart; I wouldn't want to get in the way of reaching his full potential."

"Thank you," Mrs. Whitlock's voice sounded choked, although she didn't shed a tear. She excused herself to go to the bathroom. Rosalie hugged Alice and apologized again about the plate, and even though Alice wasn't happy about it, she was relieved she bought two more plates than we needed.

"Group hug?" Alice asked as she let go of Rosalie, Alice's arms still outstretched. Edward looked at me. I looked at Jasper. Jasper looked at Emmett. "Fine," Alice huffed. "Some friends." Emmett sighed than wrapped Alice into a big bear hug. "You're a good kid," he said to her in a southern accent, winking at Jasper. Jasper rolled his eyes.

-

Dinner was a polite, good-natured event. Edward spent more time indulging in conversation with Jasper, Alice, and Mrs. Whitlock—I could tell he was still thinking about Emmett's earlier comment. Emmett cracked a few jokes at the table, even nicknaming me 'B.S.' and using it as a stand in for the actual word. ("You tripped today? That's total B.S.!") Rosalie seemed a bit put out, and I was wondering if she still felt horrible about dropping one of Alice's plates. Everything turned out alright, though, so I wondered if she had other things on her mind. I caught her text messaging under the table, her gorgeous face pulled into a frown.

The highlight of the entire evening, though, was Jasper and Alice. At one point, the conversation at the table seemed to die down a little, and I looked up from my plate only to find Jasper gazing at Alice from across the table, a look that I only faintly familiar with. It was as though their connection was so personal, that he could probably spot her from miles away. It was as if she was the only one in the room, and everyone else was either non-existent, or just a background, fuzzy buzz in the air.

I felt my heart lurch from the way he was looking at her. It was so new to me; I didn't know it had the power to tug at my heart. For a second, just faintly, I felt as I had seen someone look the same way before. I couldn't remember if it was at me, or at someone else. All I knew was that Jacob had never looked at me that way. Ever. I couldn't help but feel that maybe, just maybe, I wanted him to.

-

Thanks for reading, you guys! Sorry for the late update—even though it's summer, my schedule is quite hectic. I'm thinking that this story is going to be quite long—probably over fifteen chapters. I hope you're all enjoying it so far. At least one of our favourite couples has gotten together so far! XD As for the rest of them… you'll just have to wait and see wink

Much love!