Third chapter!

To be honest I still don't know how many chapters this story is going to have, it all depends on ... well, every single person in this story. They always do whatever they feel like doing and that's making it a tad bit difficult at times ... oh, well.

Thank you all for reading and reviewing and adding this story to your alerts and favourites! I'm always getting really excited when I see that people enjoy my writing :D

So ... have fun!

Grocery shopping usually didn't take awfully long, because when you don't eat, you don't really care for nutrition facts or comparing brands and prices. Esme still found it to be more realistic if she would act like that, but whenever she took something from the shelves, Alice immediately grabbed it and let it drop into the shopping cart. She had volunteered to push the cart, but only so that she could put her elbow on the reel and cup her chin in her hand.

She looked absolutely bored.

And gloomy.

Esme had hoped that she would be in a better mood after their talk in the car. Besides, Alice usually enjoyed going food shopping, especially when they were also planning on going clothes shopping afterwards. But she was awfully quiet now, so that meant that she wasn't all right and that her sadness over her husband's solitude at home was not diminishing in the least. Sadly, Esme didn't see any way to help her as part of her glumness was because she sometimes had trouble accepting that No meant No.

Rosalie had only joined them because she had seen a pair of boots last week that she really had to have, and since neither Esme nor Alice seemed to be much fun, she excused herself to go shop at the cool stores that were conveniently situated opposite the supermarket while Esme and Alice could spent some more time buying gross food for humans. Also, she didn't know what to say to cheer Alice up or just make her accept that Jasper didn't want to go to a party, and she didn't want to spent another minute at a boring and smelly supermarket, so it was quite clear to her that she would not waste her precious time with anything that seemed much too unpleasant for her at the moment.

Unfortunately the boots she really wanted to have were already sold out and so she just strolled through the store to have a look around. The things she saw didn't really appeal to her, but she refused to join her mother and sister at the supermarket again.

She spent a little while just walking around the store and pretending to be interested in this and that, when suddenly her mother and sister were standing right next to her. She really hoped they were done with the food shopping.

Luckily they were, but when Rose sensed that they wanted to shop together with her now because they were just standing there looking at her, she realised that she had to come up with something that she could use as an excuse to get away from them as she was really not in the mood hearing Alice complain about Jasper or watching her sulk.

"I think I'll go look for something for Em," she said casually, hoping that nobody would see through the little lie.

"You barely ever shop for Em, you said he can pick out his own clothes," Alice remarked, squinting her eyes at her as though she found that Rose was acting a bit funny.

"Well, yes, but today I feel like surprising him. That's not a crime," she countered.

Alice gave her a sweet smile. "I'll join you."

Oh no, you don't. "No, it's quite all right. I don't want to bore you with it, and it will be very, very boring," she pointed out, hoping it would be enough for Alice to decide against joining her.

Shrugging her shoulders, Alice said, "I don't mind."

Esme seemed to like the idea, because a smile appeared on her face and she patted Alice's as well as Rose's upper arm at the same time. She thought it would be a wonderful idea for her girls to spend some time together, as it might help Alice get her mind off things. Shopping with her sister was perfect for that. "That's a great idea!"

Rose gave her mother and sister a fake smile, before heading for the men's section, her little sister in tow.

"You two have fun," Esme called after them, then turned around to go look around the home decor section of the store.

After a few steps Rose started to feel bad for having tried to get rid of Alice, because now she realised that maybe she just wanted to talk to her or that she just really needed her sister right now. There are some things you don't talk to your mother about and Alice seemed to be really sad. She would probably feel the same way if Emmett would refuse to go out with her and only stayed home all day.

But Emmett didn't stay home and whenever he had slipped up, he had bounced right back and forgot about it. Sure, Jasper was a lot more sensitive than her big goofball of a husband, but sometimes she had the feeling that he was overdoing it. He had been in the army, hadn't he? He had killed people and it was his job. So why had it been so much easier for him back then, but now it seemed that he was slowly falling apart because of it?

Rose walked around the store and looked at men's clothes, and whenever she touched something, Alice was getting on her tiptoes to look at it over her shoulder. Then she distorted her face and made a sound of disapproval until Rose put it back and grabbed something else. Alice didn't say a word, and it was starting to slightly annoy Rose, making the guilty feeling she has had before about trying to get away from her sister slowly fade. "Alice?"

"Uh-hm?" she asked, staring at the big shirt Rose was holding in her hands.

"Are you sure you don't want to get something for yourself? They have very pretty new skirts, you'd love them, I'm sure," she told her and put the shirt back, then pointed in the direction of where she had seen the new arrivals.

Alice shook her head and crossed her hands behind her back. "No, I'm fine," she replied, rocking back and forth on her heels.

Rosalie was starting to lose her patience. Esme was nowhere to be seen, so if Alice truly wanted to talk to her about something in private, she would have done so long ago. No, clearly Alice was getting bored or just wanted to annoy the crap out of her. At the moment both options seemed very likely.

"But … you love shopping," Rosalie pointed out to make her do something apart from looking over her shoulder at whatever she was holding up. "Just have a look around, I'm sure you'll find something you like."

Again, she shook her head and eyed the shirt in her sister's hands with distaste. "I'd rather help you."

"I think I can handle my shopping just fine," Rose replied and put the shirt back, then picked up a leather jacket that looked like Emmett might like it. It was a bit silly because he already had one and he always claimed that he loved it so much that he would never wear another jacket ever again, but she really did not care at the moment. She would buy ten of those if Alice would just stop annoying her.

"Doesn't look like it," Alice muttered under her breath while giving the jacket Rose was holding in her hands a pointed look. Emmett would surely like it, but that didn't count. If you'd ask Alice: he had absolutely no clue when it came to fashion.

Rose, having heard what Alice had mumbled, gave her a sharp look before putting the jacket away and looking for a different one.

Her growing annoyance with her sister was getting more and more obvious, so Alice tried to tone it down with her criticism and explained why exactly she wouldn't leave her alone.

She skimmed her hands over a few shirts, enjoying the feeling of the smooth, silky fabric underneath her fingertips, while saying, "It's not like I'm going to a party anytime soon, so I don't need new clothes."

A look of confusion spread out over Rose's face and she turned to look at her. "What about this weekend? I thought you really wanted to go."

"Jasper is being stupid," she told her with a wave of her hand. "I'll try again later to convince him to come, but-"

Rose groaned at hearing that, because Alice was seemingly still not done pestering her poor husband. "Alice," she said warningly, "give him time and don't push it. He doesn't refuse to go just to anger you, you know." There was always tension in the house when Alice decided to pester him. Besides, Jasper was old enough to decide for himself what he wanted to do and what he didn't want to do.

"You can just say it if you don't want him to come," she replied sharply and folded her arms over her chest while narrowing her eyes at her sister.

But Rose wouldn't have any of that. Nobody twisted her every word. "Don't play that game with me. I wish him to find his confidence to go out again and spend more time with us, I really do, but as long as he doesn't feel comfortable when outside we shouldn't try to talk him into going to parties and shopping. If he joins us even though he isn't ready for it yet, it's just going to be stressful for all of us."

Alice scoffed. "No, it isn't."

Rose groaned. "He is projecting. And he is also projecting other people's emotions. Feeling like Edward was the grossest experience I ever had, and I would prefer not having to go through that again."

Alice was aware of that little problem. Her husband was so preoccupied with holding his breath and trying to make himself not think about all the beating hearts and the pulsing veins of the humans surrounding him, that his control over his ability tended to slip a little. "Why am I even talking to you?" she asked and glowered at her. Hearing that nobody would back her up was a stupid feeling and she really didn't like it.

Rose raised her eyebrows and slowly shook her head. "I have no idea."

With that, Alice stomped off, leaving Rose on her own.

Alice was growing frustrated that nobody would be supportive of her idea to make Jasper come. How could Jasper ever feel confident enough to leave the house again if nobody was believing in him? No wonder that he doubted himself. It was just so-

"Oh. My. God!" she suddenly exclaimed, making a few people turn around and look at her weirdly. For such a small person she had a really loud voice.

Rose looked over at Alice who was standing with her back to her and started frowning. "What?" she asked.

"I cannot believe it! This is … ," she said loudly, then covered her mouth with her hand and spun around to look at Rose. Her eyes were wide but did not show the previous annoyance and dissatisfaction anymore. They were shining with joy and when she let her hand drop back to her side, a little squeal escaped her lips. "I'll find him the best outfit ever – he'll look fab!"

The frown on Rosalie's face deepened. "What are you talking about?"

"The vision I just had!" Alice said it like it was the most obvious thing.

"Would you keep it down?" Rose whispered through clenched teeth and shot her one of her looks. Alice just shrugged her shoulders, then skipped over to her. She pratically beamed with joy and her usual hyperactiveness seemed to come back full force at that moment.

"Jasper is coming to the party with me!" she told her and clapped her hands in delight.

Uh... "You are not forcing him to come, now are you?" Rose asked carefully, not planning to accuse her of anything. But if she was going to try that, she would have to tell her that she was absolutely against it. Just like everyone else.

Alice shook her head and the smile on her lips grew wider – if that was even possible. She looked like she had just won a million dollars. "No, I'm not! I'm so excited, we need to find him something proper to wear. Eeek! Party! He's going to have a blast! I have to tell Mom!"

Knowing that Alice didn't really want her to help find something for Jasper, she just continued to skim through the men's clothing in search of something for Em even though he didn't really need anything. The confusion and surprise she had felt just moments ago were vanishing and instead a sense of relief was making itself known. It would be great if Jasper would join them again and maybe even go to school with them. Finally he found the courage to face humans again, finally he would overcome his bad conscience and self-doubts.

The thought brought a smile to her face and she started getting excited herself. She was happy for Jasper and, of course, for her little sister, who seemed like her excitement was unquenchable right now. It would be great to see Jasper relaxed again.

Raking up the grass clippings into a little pile, Jasper felt extremely cheated out of his freetime. "I cannot believe it … thanks, Emmett."

"What's your problem? I didn't do anything, blame Edward!" Emmett retorted while trying to rake up the dead grass like his brother was doing. He didn't try very hard, and maybe that's why he wasn't very successful.

Jasper gave him a sideways glance. "You're still convinced that this is Edward's fault?"

"One hundred percent," he proclaimed and nodded his head, then let the rake fall into the grass because he really didn't feel like doing this now.

Jasper, however, wanted to get finished as soon as possible. While he didn't have anything special planned that he couldn't postpone, he still didn't feel like spending half of his afternoon raking up grass – it was such a tedious task, just like mowing. Boring, pointless and -

"You broke the lawnmower on purpose," he suddenly concluded. And the way he said it made it clear that there was no doubt in his mind.

"Huh?" Emmett asked, blinking at him like he hadn't caught a single word his brother had just said.

Jasper made a sound of disbelief, then fixed his eyes on his brother and narrowed them. "Why would you do that?"

"Huh?"

A groan left his mouth before he motioned at their lawn and all the dead grass that was lying around, waiting to be raked up. By them. "Just look what happened. That was a stupid plan, Em, really stupid."

"It was not stupid. I think it's very likely that I would break something like that," he replied and suddenly grinned at Jasper. "Besides, how should I have known that Carlisle would just use that old, rusty reel mower? He could have just waited for Esme to come home and then tell her that the mower is broken and that from now on we just won't mow the lawn anymore."

Somehow that explanation annoyed Jasper even more. Emmett was prone to do stupid things and act without thinking - it was just his way of living. He enjoyed every moment and worried about it later. But that he would break something on purpose because he was sure he could get away with it by making it look like an accident was a bit too much for Jasper at the moment. Emmett acted stupid on purpose because he knew that he often acted stupid. That was actually pretty evil, especially when others had to bleed for it.

He growled in annoyance, then took a few steps to get away from his idiotic brother while furiously pulling the rake through the grass.

"Breaking it won't get you out of raking up," Emmett remarked with a grin, but quickly picked up his own rake when Jasper shot him a glare.

For a few minutes neither one of them said a single word, until Emmett started feeling very uncomfortable. He didn't like it when someone was mad at him ...

Jasper wasn't surprised when Emmett carefully asked him if he would rat him out - he had felt his growing uneasiness like it was one of his own emotions.

"No," he snorted, finding the thought of tattling on his brother to be absolutely absurd.

"Great, let's fight!" his big brother exclaimed and held the rake in both hands, ready to strike at Jasper.

Shaking his head, Jasper just focussed back on the task at hand instead of wasting his time playing with Emmett. He was already aware of the fact that he would be the one having to do most of the work, so he didn't want to waste any time and just get it done with.

"Oh come on, don't pull an Edward on me. Get ready and fight like a man!"

"No, thank you."

"Flake," Emmett grumbled, then picked up a handful of grass and threw it at him.

Jasper did not react, as he saw this as a way to test his self-control again. He was half-tempted to give Emmett the fight he was asking for, as it was quite a bit more fun than yard work and it was great to show him that tactic was more important than sheer physical strength. But he couldn't let him provoke him into fighting all the time. Heck, they had fought not even ten minutes ago!

But the more handfuls of grass landed in his face and hair, the more he felt his plan falter.

And when Emmett dared to stuff a handful of dead grass down the back of his pants, his patience snapped.

"Fine, you want a fight?" he asked, then tackled his laughing brother to the ground. They rolled around on the ground for a bit, then managed to get back on their feet and slowly walk backwards to get a little space between them in order to have more room to attack.

Jasper blew a strand of blonde hair out of his face, then crouched low and curled his fingers at Emmett. "You're first, greaser," he smirked.

They fought for half an hour straight. Carlisle had heard them laughing and throwing punches, so he had looked out of the window in his office to see what exactly was going on. He watched them from for a while, but did not feel like telling them to stop because he figured it was good for Jasper to fool around with his brother. Besides, Esme would be back soon, so she could take care of telling her boys off and reminding them of their chore.

When the car turned into the driveway and came to a halt, the boys were still going at it. Jasper looked up as he saw his little black-haired pixie walk towards him with a beautiful smile on her face, and at that moment Emmett pounced on him and pressed his face into the grass.

"Ha!" he yelled and jumped up, punching the air with victory. As if that wasn't enough, he grabbed a discarded rake from the ground, held it in both hands over his head before breaking it in half over his knee in triumph. "Yes! I told you I'd win!"

"Emmett!" Esme suddenly creeched and hurriedly climbed out of the driver's seat while giving him a look of disbelief. "What do you think you are doing with my rake?!"

Jasper glanced at Emmett, but paid him no mind because his eyes were fixed on his sweet wife and the breathtaking smile she was giving him. He felt her joy and excitement, and it rippled through his system like a vitalising power. She suddenly giggled, then covered her mouth with both her hands in an attempt to control her emotions but it was futile as he would feel it anyways. He pushed himself up from the ground and approached her. She chose the same moment to run towards him and then she leapt right into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and taking his face in both hands, giving him a peck on his lips. She gazed deeply into his eyes, and her big, honey-coloured orbs showed the same excitement and happiness that Jasper felt coming off her in huge waves. "I knew you'd change your mind," she whispered and kissed him again.

Haha, somehow I have the feeling that this story is slowly turning into a 'Nobody likes Edward'-story. Maybe I can even manage to not let him appear in this one ... but now that I said that, I'm sure he'll weasel himself into the next chapter. Yay.

Thanks for reading everyone! Next chapter should be up sometime next week!