Maria's POV (Stranger)

I pressed my lips to his, delicately at first. He didn't react, he didn't push away but he didn't respond. Time was passing slower than usual. It had barely been a fraction of a millisecond, the family hadn't moved. So I put my whole body behind the kiss. I threw all my pent up love of Jasper into it, my arms wrapped around his neck and I buried my hands into his soft hair.

His family stood there, in shock, none of them moved. They didn't breathe or even blink. My eyes met Jaspers; they were cold and black, filled with anger. He broke away and slapped me across the face, bending his wrist backwards in the process. I was thrown off balance and I stumbled against Emmett. He held me in an iron grip, Jasper stood in front of me trembling from head to foot. If looks could kill... I opened my mouth to speak but he shook his head and I clamped it shut. I could smell the venom pooling in his mouth, I watched every muscle tense, and anger ebbed from his body throwing waves of emotion over me. My knees buckled, I didn't want this, and I wanted him to love me. If vampires could cry real tears... I tried to slip to the floor, but Emmett held me up.

He didn't have to speak, I had been rejected by the one I had spent so long searching for. He could tear me apart and I wouldn't care. I felt a splintering along my long dead heart. I stood there, my knees shaking, held up by Emmett's huge bear hand. The splintering had reached the half way point and something screamed in my head. I listened carefully, as my brain stopped the splintering down my heart. NO. I can't just let him reject me; I brought my hands to my heart and held them there, as if protecting it. I pictured myself kissing Jasper, him kissing back, his hands moving down my body lovingly, enjoying every second. I felt Edward flinch and the family watched him glare at me just like Jasper. I made the image louder, and so much more passionate. Edward was shaking and mouthing foul words. Bella grabbed his hand and they ran out of the house as fast as their vampire strength could push them.

There eyes bored into me, I chuckled.

"What did YOU do?" Jaspers voice was like a knife, stabbing me through the protective barrier of my hands. I chuckled again, Emmett gripped my throat and squeezed tighter. My throat gurgled slightly before I realised I didn't need to breathe. Rosalie drifted towards Emmett and wrapped her slender arms around his waist. He weakened under her touch and let me fall to the floor. Jasper continued to glare at me, he began pacing round the room and finally settled to standing by the bay window and turning his back to me. Esme and Carlisle withdrew from the room with the strange child.

"What is that?" I blurted out without thinking. They all turned to me, fresh stoniness to their glares.

"SHE is Renesme, and you do not touch her!" Rosalie growled from behind Emmett's broad shoulders. She moved forward suddenly as if to attack but Emmett held her back, this time his touch softened her. He gathered her up in his huge arms and held her close as she regained her self control. I could sense I had stepped over some invisible barrier, Rosalie didn't have a connection with the child physically but there was a strong emotional connection, love ebbed from her body. Love? Why could I feel this? This wasn't my power! I wasn't Jasper.

Emmett gazed into Rosalie's eyes and their lips crashed together. Passion deepened their kiss and they were practically having sex through clothes. Emmett ran up the stairs with Rosalie still in his arms and a door slammed shut from somewhere upstairs. Jasper turned, he was alone with me in the room, he took half a step towards me and almost extended a hand to pull me off the floor. But he changed his mind and clamped his feet to the floorboards and swung his arm back into a limp position. His eyes met mine, I tried pouring all my passion into him through our eyes. He almost ran towards me and picked me up in a tight embrace. My head was over his shoulder and I laughed inside, he had fallen for it. I had manipulated him into forgiving me. Now all was needed was to convince him to love me like I loved him.

The stupid mongrel was still nowhere to be seen or heard, or even smelt.