Esme POV
"They're home!" Alice shrieked downstairs.
I looked out the upstairs window. Carlisle's car was in the driveway and Peter was carrying Jasper from the car.
"We got the venom," Emmett said. "Now we have to take it to Aro."
"But Jasper can't go!" Alice was insisting as I went down the staircase. "He's too weak to make the trip to Volterra again."
"But isn't it best that he gets the cure as soon as possible?" Peter argued.
"No! It might take months for Aro to make it! So what would be the point of him even going?"
"Stop fighting," I said. "You're upsetting Jasper."
They paused and looked at him. He was still in Peter's arms, but he looked distressed and confused. To my dismay, his dark eyes were dull and cloudy. He was getting worse.
"I'll take him upstairs," Peter said softly, glaring at Alice and walking past me.
"What happened with Maria?" I directed my question at Carlisle, who had just come in. "You got the venom?"
"Yes." He held up a small vial filled with a silvery substance. It had a faint bluish tone to it.
"So that's what our venom looks like?" I asked curiously.
"Well, yes, but Maria says that the blue is only in the venom of gifted vampires."
I turned as Peter came back. "Jasper is asking for you," he told Emmett. My son went up to Jasper's room.
"So he will go with us," Peter said.
"No!" Alice said irritably. I knew she was just worried about her mate, but her sour attitude was starting to annoy everyone, including me.
"He wants to go."
"It doesn't matter what he thinks he wants. He's too sick to make rational decisions. He doesn't realize that the journey could kill him."
"It won't kill him!" Peter snapped. "It will save his life."
Alice snarled and darted out the door, leaping over the river and vanishing into the woods. I guessed that Peter had won this fight.
Bella POV
"You have to let me see him! This isn't fair, Edward."
"He's too dangerous," Edward said stubbornly.
"No, he's not. He's too weak to even stand. There's no way he could hurt me," I protested.
"You don't know what you're talking about."
I'd had it with his insistence that Jasper would hurt me. I decided that he wasn't the boss of me anyway, so I got up and grabbed my truck keys off my desk.
"Where are you going?" he demanded.
"To see Jasper," I said calmly.
"No, you're not."
Ignoring him, I went out the door. He followed after me, ranting angrily, but didn't even try to stop me. Maybe he knew how mad I would be if he tried that.
I got in my truck, but then he pulled me out. "No," he sighed in defeat. "I'll drive you."
I smiled.
Jessica POV
I drove down the long, winding path to the Cullen's house. I wondered if I was even going to the right place. But Jasper's teacher had asked me to take his school work to him, since he was so sick. I'd texted Bella and a random guy had given me directions to the Cullen house.
Oh, I bet Bella was cheating on Edward with him!
I made a mental note to tell Lauren about it.
Finally, a big white house came into view, and I could see Emmett Cullen standing outside. His face was stunned when he saw me.
Esme POV
"Carlisle, Jessica Stanley is here." Emmett whispered outside.
"Why?"
"I don't know, she just pulled up. How does she even know where we live?"
I glanced around the room. Peter was dragging his toe across the carpet, whistling. I sighed.
"Peter, why on earth did you tell her?"
"I figured, you know, maybe she's your friend."
Carlisle shook his head and Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Idiot," she muttered.
Emmett led the human girl up to the house. She was holding a stack of papers.
"Um, hi. A teacher asked me to give Jasper his school work, since Bella says he won't be back for a while. But Bella wasn't in school today, so the teacher couldn't ask her, and well… is he here?"
"Yes, he's probably asleep. Would you like to give it to him?"
"Sure." Jessica followed me.
But Jasper was actually awake, lying down and staring aimlessly at the ceiling.
"Hey, one of your teachers asked me to give this to you." She held it out.
He turned his head and looked. "Can you put it on the nightstand?" His voice was very faint.
She set it down, seemingly unsure of what to do next. Jasper's eyes closed and his breathing was shallow. I could tell he felt even worse than he had earlier. Peter and Carlisle needed to get the cure fast.
I noticed Jessica looking around, taking everything, no doubt eager to tell everyone what our home was like, and exactly how sick Jasper was.
"I'm going to go now," she said quickly, pulling out her cell phone. "Bye, Jasper, bye, Mrs. Cullen. I hope you feel better, Jasper."
She hurried down the staircase and left.
"Why was Jessica here?" Edward came a little while later, coming to Jasper's room. I was sitting by his bed, holding his hand.
"She brought Jasper schoolwork." I shrugged.
Bella followed my son. "Hello, Esme," she said cheerfully. "I came to see Jasper. How are you?" she asked him.
His eyes flashed open and closed again. "Bella."
"We're leaving." Peter entered the room. "We need to go to Volterra now. Jasper, Alice, Carlisle, Charlotte, and me, I mean. He needs that cure as soon as possible."
I looked at Jasper, who seemed to be in a daze. His dark eyes were hazy and clouded again. He did need it, and badly.
"He barely knows where he is anymore," Edward said softly. "Bella, you were right, by the way. He does not have the strength to move, let alone attack you."
Peter was moving through the room, throwing clothes and blankets into a suitcase. He lifted Jasper in one arm, holding the suitcase in the other, and darted down the stairs.
I went down to kiss my children and husband goodbye, wishing that I could go. I just prayed that Jasper would survive for the journey home. He seemed so weak already.
"Goodbye, sweetie." I hugged him gently, careful not to hurt him. "I'll see you when you get home, all right?"
He didn't answer, and it was with a heavy heart that I watched them drive away.
Jasper did not believe he was coming home, I realized.
Ah, could you see my dislike of Edward coming through when Bella decided that 'he's not the boss of her anyway?'
Also, does anyone want Lost and Found to be continued...? Because if no one wants it, I'll just go ahead and take it down...
Review, please!