.A/N: First I want to thank "edwardlover4" so much. Thank you so much for leaving a review on all of my stories, and they were all so amazing, I teared a bit in most of them. You were anonymous, so I couldn't reply. So I'm hoping you read this story so that you could know how your reviews touched me. This chapter is dedicated to you. Thank you so much again.

Secondly, I'm so sorry for the delay guys, but I have tons of studying. Hope you can forgive me.

Thirdly, this chapter should be better than the others since I got a beta she's the best! Her penname is runaway xo you should certainly read her stories and I assure you she'll leave you breathless with her incredible style. THANK YOU MEGAN! YOU TOTTALY ROCK!

Recap:

Call him and tell him to meet you somewhere, if he refuses promise him that you'll tell him what's going on. And you will but after you do what I tell you. Please Bella call him now.

Alice.

I gulped. "Jasper!" I whispered.


4. Answers

EPOV

I was still sitting on the pillows, staring blankly at the ebony screen of our newly acquired television, waiting for Bella to get the movie. I could hear her nearly silent footsteps against the carpet of our bedroom and I closed my eyes, trying to picture her face, all irate and adorable as she glared at the movie selection. Even as a vampire she loathed the idea of the amount of money I spent on her.

I was just about to get up to go find her, maybe even catch a glimpse of expression, when I heard her low intake of breath.

"Jasper!" she whispered. I was confused. Was Jasper here? Had I been so lost in my mind's eye that I had missed his arrival? Then again, I couldn't seem to find his thoughts anywhere nearby.

"I swear she's joking," Bella whispered, and it sounded like she was speaking to herself. I heard the distinct clicking of numbers on her cell phone and I stopped breathing. I waited too. I didn't like to intrude on her privacy like this but I couldn't help it. My mind was churning, trying to figure out this puzzle she had created.

"Alice?" She whispered, I think she was trying to keep her voice low enough to prevent me from hearing but she was failing quite miserably.

"Are you kidding me Alice? What can I do? It's pointless. There is nothing in my hands," her whisper was starting to raise with her panic. I wished that I knew what she was talking about.

"What do you mean you'll explain when I meet him? Why don't you tell me now?" Him who? Jasper, I assumed, but I couldn't be sure. I gritted my teeth and clutched my hands into fists as I tried to calm myself down and be reasonable. The urge to run up there and snatch the phone from her and finally end this ridiculous little game Alice had begun was almost painful.

Bella was silent for a while, listening to whatever Alice was telling her, I wished I could hear what she was saying. It was no more than a hum on the other end and I knew Alice was doing it on purpose.

Bella sighed, "Fine, send me Jasper's number so I can call him."

She paused for another second, "Of course not, I won't take it from Edward… no, listen Alice... he's being too understanding, he agreed that he won't ask me about anything... that doesn't mean that I would keep teasing him that I have a secret he doesn't know. He's appearing to be calm about it but I know it's driving him insane. I won't ask him for Jasper's number," and her tone was final. I had to smile. She really was the only person who understood me completely.

I sighed, finally running up to our room because now that I knew that they were talking about Jasper I didn't have much reason to steal the phone from her. I assumed Alice would just hang up on me anyway.

Bella stiffened once she saw me standing in door frame. I smiled, yearning for forgiveness as I intruded.

Once inside the room, I snatched a piece of paper from the drawer of our bedside and a pen. I wrote down Jasper's number for her and handed her the paper, raising an eyebrow to let her know that I was curious, but keeping my promise and not asking. She gulped and looked at the paper. When she looked back at me, her eyes looked they would be sparking with tears if that were possible. I almost rolled my eyes but refrained. Didn't she know that she could ask me for anything?

"Thank you" she mouthed. I leaned down and gave her a kiss on the forehead. And then before I left the room I said in an intentionally loud voice, "Alice, don't drive Bella insane please." And with that I was out of the room. I trusted her. No need to know why she's doing all of this.

BPOV

I was frozen when Edward entered the room. I knew Alice was holding her breath on the other side of the phone and I almost reacted by dropping the innocent – and vastly expensive – little silver device. But what shocked me more was when he gave me Jasper's number. I looked in his eyes, and they weren't pained or mad like I had expected. They were kind, understanding…trusting... only mildly curious, which I'm sure didn't acquire as much energy as it would have if I was in his place. And then I was wondering what I ever did to deserve him? When I looked into his impossibly molten ocher eyes and saw the emotion in them I wanted nothing more than to cry. I might lose those eyes, and what they always showed me. His trust, his honesty, his happiness, his sadness, his pain, his excitement but most of all...his love. How could I live without those? I couldn't. I wouldn't.

But at that moment I was so overcome with a startling combination of both pain and love that I had to drop his gaze.

"Bye Alice," I whispered into the phone after a long moment of staring blankly at the carpet.

I hung up soon after. I still didn't understand when she told me that she couldn't send me Jasper's number because she had to turn off her cell in a few seconds, I would ask her when she called me again.

Edward left silently, placing a chaste kiss on my forehead and disappearing downstairs. I tried to play the whole fiasco back in my mind, busying myself by attempting to comb out of hair. It looked like a haystack but was easily tamed so I didn't complain, just another benefit of being a vampire I guess. Luckily, I was already dressed. I took my coat. It was supposed to be pretty cold outside, though I would surely fail to notice the change it temperature, it was important to keep up appearances.

I descended the stairs slowly, not sure what to say to Edward. When I was on the last stair I saw Edward waiting for me, leaning against the threshold of the living room. He looked up his eyes shifting from my face to the coat in my hand. His face fell.

"I didn't know you had plans," he whispered, trying to sound light in his musings though I could almost feel the curiosity tainting the air between us. His gaze feel to the floor.

I didn't speak. What should I say? He looked up at me when I didn't speak.

"Love, I won't ask what's going on... but would it be to selfish to ask if you could tell me…..eventually?" He asked in a small voice as he came closer to me, his hand reaching out as if he wanted to wrap me up in his palm and keep me safe inside of his pocket. It didn't sound like such a bad idea but I had to concentrate, remembering Alice's words.

"Eventually" I muttered. It was not a lie, ifwhen he is saved, I would tell him everything.

He nodded slowly. "I trust you" He said stated simply. His gaze made eyes flutter, trying to get the image of him – so trusting and concerned – out of my mind. But before my mouth could betray me he was turning his back to go disappear into the living room. On impulse, I put my hand on his shoulder and he stopped. I turned him around so that I could face him. I lowered my head to meet his gaze that was locked with the floor. I looked at him through my lashes, "You know I love you." I said it because it was the truest and truth and because I wanted to make that concern in his eyes vanish.

He lifted his head up a bit. He gave me a small smile that didn't touch his eyes, pretending for me, and I realized too late that my declaration of love would only worry him more. "I know. You know I love you too," he murmured.

I put a hand on his cheek. "What did we talk about?" I whispered fighting back the sobs that were threatening to break through my chest again.

He didn't answer.

"I thought we agreed that you won't ever hide your feelings from me. That you would stop forcing your lips to smile when you are feeling low" I reminded him, though I kind of wanted to pretend too. Pretend that I was keeping something this monumental from him, and pretend that we may or may not have to fight for our existence in the near future. Because the idea that I would continue to exist without Edward was laughable. I didn't even consider it an option.

He stared into my eyes for a long time before answering.

"I'm sorry, I'm just worried about you, my love. One second Alice is gone, the other she's here and you're crying and I don't even know how to soothe the pain. Then she runs away, and now you're going out. I'm just so lost, but can you blame me? You're my life," he said the last part forcefully his hands reaching to squeeze my upper arms with emphasis. I saw his eyes tighten and he must have caught an expression on my face, though I couldn't be sure which one. I was feeling so many things at once that my head was spinning and I wondered if that was normal for a vampire. I quickly rearranged it though, hoping for blankness. Realizing that that was hopeless, I stared down at my feet as I spoke.

"Look, Edward. I can't tell you everything, but I can tell you part of it. The other part I'll keep for...later. Would that make you feel better?" I had made that up entirely but as I spoke I found truth in the idea. That would ease the pain! Right?

He stared at me for a while then he took a deep breath. He slowly nodded, bracing himself for whatever he was about to hear.

"Okay," I whispered, suddenly wondering what the heck I was going to tell him. I took a moment rearranging my story, editing what I knew I couldn't say. "Alice… had a vision about... something…" I said hesitantly and I could feel the pain that spread on my face when I said that, his eyes tightened when he noticed so I looked away as I continued, "We need to prevent this vision from happening. But it wouldn't help if any of you found out what it is. Alice thinks I can help. I don't know how, though... she said she'll tell me today. So she's telling me what to do in order to….stop her vision from coming true," I said slowly, carefully picking my words but I felt like more like a child trying to beat her way around the bush. I let my eyes wander around the house for a while until they had no other choice than to meet his anxious, fear-filled gaze.

"Can I ask why she left?" he whispered, and I could see that he was afraid but trying to hide it. Of course telling him that much would only cause his worry to increase. I sighed pathetically.

I thought for a while to give him an answer that wouldn't give anything away. "It… wouldn't help …if she was here," I said slowly. I knew this made no sense to him, but there wasn't any other way to answer his question.

He stared at me for a while, his eyes so intense that I found myself unable to break myself away from his gaze.

"Can I ask one more question, please?" He pleaded eventually. From the look in his eyes I understood that it wouldn't be a question I would want to answer. But I decided I would hear it first.

"Oh…kay" I said reluctantly.

He looked intently into my eyes as he asked his question.

"Does this vision by any means relate to me?" he asked carefully watching my reaction.

I froze and stared at him wide eyes. "W…why do you think that?" I barely mouthed, already smacking myself in the forehead. I was the worst liar on the face of the planet.

"The last time I saw you like this..." He began and I knew exactly where his mind had wandered. Italy.

I winced and felt my knees weak, I gulped but didn't talk, I just stared at him horror-struck because he was so close and because the reminder felt like it had opened up a floodgate in my usually silent heart.

"Bella?" Edward asked alarmed. I didn't realize that I was sobbing again. My sobs were horrible, loud, tear-less and heartbreaking even in my own ears. My legs failed me and I collapsed. Edward quickly caught me before I hit the stairs. He carried me into the living room and sat me on his lap as he hugged me close, just like before.

And I knew immediately that he knew. It was obvious. Stupid Bella! I shouted at myself. But I couldn't help myself.

And then I was mad at him for being so innocent and for knowing me so well that he could get it out of me without even trying, but I knew that was irrational the moment the thought squirmed itself into my mind. Edward hadn't been intentionally breaking down every barrier of lies I had. He was just trying to help.

"Bella, love," he cooed and it was almost frantic. "I'm right here. I won't leave." And I was unconsciously twisting his words in my mind to soothe myself. You're not going to have to live a day without him.

EPOV

"Bella," I soothed quietly, forcing my lips to softly hum her lullaby. I was alarmed. What had Alice seen that would make Bella react that way? Did she foresee that I would leave her again? No. I dismissed the thought before it even really planted itself. My devil deeds were done. Bella was a vampire and her soul was sold and I was blissfully chained to her for an eternity.

Then what could it be...

"I…I have to g…go," Bella whispered shakily in my arms.

"Bella…" I tried to protest but she cut me off.

"Please Edward, I need to go now" She pleaded. I didn't push her. I let me arms fall to let her free. She stood up, still trembling, and then started walking towards the door. I stood up ready to catch her if she fell. Her walk was so shaky that it worried me. She stopped as if she forgot something then in an instance she was in front of me.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and I wrapped mine around her waist. She hugged me tightly before whispering fiercely, "I love you Edward Masen." And the look in her eyes was almost blank like she was hiding her emotion from me.

"And I love you, Isabella Sw…"

Her eyes finally shifted, sadness blending with the gold. I smiled sadly, letting her know that I realized my mistake.

So I corrected myself, "Masen. Isabella Masen."


A/N: OK, so I was planning on making this chappy the meeting between Jasper and Bella but the moment between Edward and Bella took longer than I thought lol. I hope it was good enough for you guys. And BIG THANKS TO MEGAN MY BETA!!!!!

A/N from Megan, runaway xo, beta, whatever you want to call me: Hey readers :) I don't have much to say because TouchMyGoldenHeart came up with the whole shebang, I just tweaked it. I'm still working on my grammar so I'm sorry if they're are still little mistakes. I'm really excited to work on this with TouchMyGoldenHeart and all of you! REVIEW HER! She deserves it! :D