I realize I forgot last chapters dedication. Sorry, people.

This chapter is dedicated to PandylBas, for hating the ideas and themes of Breaking Dawn as much as I did.

A few days passed, and it was March third. It was Silas's fifth birthday.

Dad had to work, but he promised to be home a little early. To keep us company, we were all at Billy's house. The Clearwater family was here as well.

Jacob had run over to the house to pick up the cake, which I had in the fridge. Silas was listening to Leah tell some Quileute stories about the spirit warriors. Silas knew nothing about real werewolves, so it wasn't a problem.

When Jacob returned, he was not alone. Jared and Embry were with him, and each carried a large box.

Seth asked, "What's all that?"

The boys set them down, and Jacob handed Embry the cake. They other wolves went into the kitchen.

Jacob scowled slightly, "They're packages that were at your house. It's not addressed."

I frowned and glanced at the boxes. The letters was written in a language I didn't even understand.

Jacob muttered to only me, "It's from your bloodsuckers, I can smell it."

The boxes were addressed to Silas. I was surprised that Jasper had sent anything for his birthday.

"Silas," I called his attention onto me. "These are for you, why don't you come open them?"

My little guy beamed and bounced over to us. Jacob ripped all the tape off the boxes so Silas could fold the top open. He removed several smaller boxes that were covered in dark blue wrapping paper, with bears on them.

Harry, Billy, and Sue all drifted closer to watch. I sat on the floor with Silas. After a while, he had uncovered all of his gifts.

Those were: a huge tin of wooden blocks that had intricate animal carvings on them, a little set of Matryoshka dolls, five model airplanes, and seven fairytale books.

I glanced at the pile. I'd never heard of six of them. The Gigantic Turnip, The Rolling Roll, The Small Cabin, The Firebird, Masha and the Bear, and The Farmer Duck.

The Snow Queen I had read. Actually, I think I had the movie once upon a time.

It was an odd choice of books, but they were very colorful, so Silas should love them.

"Seth!" Silas bounced over to Seth, holding one of the planes. "What is this one?"

He took the plane and inspected it before deciding, "I think it's a F-18 Super Hornet."

Silas asked, "What's that?"

Seth smiled, "It's an American fighter jet."

Discovering that Seth knew a lot about the planes, Silas carried the rest of them over. He picked up one that had a face on the front. "What's this one?"

Seth chuckled. "This is a Curtiss P-40, also known as the Tiger Shark, or the Warhawk. It was used in World War Two."

Embry joined them, gesturing to the long white plane that had detailed red patterns. "This is the VF-1. A whole squad of them was known as a 'Wolfpack.'"

Jacob rolled his eyes at Embry's attempt at hidden humor.

Seth picked up the biggest one. "This is a B-52G Stratofortress. These things are huge."

Silas smiled hugely and held the last one, a white missile-shaped one. "What about this one?"

Seth frowned. Embry looked oblivious.

Harry, however, wandered to the other side of the room. He glanced at the plane and announced, "That's the X-2 Starbuster. The NACA organization was founded on March third of 1915. That was exactly ninety-two years ago. It was the time period's space origination. Its first flight was at Edwards Air Force Base."

I smiled a little. I could guess who bought him that one.

Jacob announced, "Bella, there's something for you in here."

I glanced at him, and he handed me a plain white box. It had my name scrawled in his handwriting.

I opened it and found another, smaller, box made out of red velvet. There was also an envelope.

I opened the envelope and took out the letter. Jacob frowned a little, but didn't complain. Ever since he imprinted, Jacob didn't put up much protesting to what I did. It was a little weird, but I kind of liked knowing he'd stand behind whatever I wanted.

I unfolded the letter and read:

Bella,

I was going to call you, but I didn't want to inflict long distance costs onto your phone bill. It's pretty far from Forks to Russia. Does Silas like his gifts? I would have settled for just the blocks, I can't imagine why someone his age would want books he can't read yet. But Alice and Edward are with me, and you know how they can get. Besides, we have to make up for Christmas.

I sent you something, too. It's something that can only be found here. I saw it, and thought of how it's beauty and uniqueness reminded me of you. Everything reminds me of you. I miss you, Bella. I wish I were ready to come back. It shouldn't be too long now, just another month or two. I told you I was coming back. I love you, sugar bear.

Jasper

Reality crashed into me like a ton of bricks.

Jasper was actually coming back.

Jasper was coming back soon.

That day in September, I didn't believe him. I didn't trust that he would return. How could he leave us, and then just walk back into our lives like nothing had happened? Like he didn't leave total devastation in his wake?

But how could I turn him away?

The terrible throbbing in my chest made it very obvious I wanted him. I still needed Jasper. He was still that huge part of me that was taken away. Would I be whole again, when I saw him on that doorstep?

Could I even fit him, now that I had Jacob to fill his place?

Jacob frowned and asked me, "What's wrong, Bella?"

I glanced at him. His concerned face, his worried brown eyes. Jacob loved me, and I loved him. We were happy together. We'd always be together. Silas liked him.

Jacob was my sun, but Jasper was my center of gravity. When he had left, I felt like I was floating away into nothingness.

Against my better judgment I looked away from Jacob and opened the soft red box.

My eyes widened when I saw a ring looking back at me. Three rings, actually, that were connected in an odd pattern to form one.*

I heard the faintest of whispers in my head, the voice so clear I could swear it was being said to me by Jasper himself, And you, Isabella, will be my wife.

I felt my heart ripping apart again. Aching, sobbing, screaming at me for opening that damn letter, looking inside of this box.

It was saying, 'Bella, damn you, how could you? You just got me fixed, now you're trying to break me again.'

I felt tears running down my cheeks. Before Jacob could try to comfort me, Silas was here. He was like a magnet with me every time I started crying.

Silas frowned and asked me, "What's wrong, mama?"

I smiled at him. The simple act took more effort than I knew I had.

My chest started to burn as I lied, "Nothing, Silas. Mama's happy this time."

I was far from happy. I knew I should be. This was Jasper's way of assuring me he wasn't going to be gone forever. It was his way of asking me, from a distance, if I was going to forgive him.

When he returned, if he saw this ring on my finger, then he would know I wanted him back. If he did not, he would assume I had moved on.

I thought I had moved on, but now I wasn't so sure.

Silas commented, "That's pretty, you should wear it!"

If only he knew what that would mean.

Jacob was staring at me with anxious eyes. He had not read the letter, he didn't know about the promise I made so long ago. I had not even remembered it until right now.

An angry spark flared in my chest. Jasper or Jacob?

Jasper or Jacob, it was a simple question!

Did I want the former core of my existence, or did I want my soul mate?

Jasper and I had some great times. I had so many precious memories of him, memories that were slowly trickling back to me as each new day passed. Memories that I would never regret making.

There was once upon a time that I was addicted to that special brand of morphine.

I was cut off from that, and it left bleeding wounds behind.

Jacob was a bandage, remember? He was the thing that helped those wounds close.

The scars would always remain, reminding me of the story behind them. Just like Jacob told me, I was finding a way to make the best of what happened in the past.

However, I did not have any plans of making new wounds. I was not going to risk that pain again. I wanted to move on, and let go of what I lost. I was stronger than that.

Because of Jacob Black, I was stronger than that old addiction.

I wiped my eyes and closed the box in my hands. "Sorry, Silas. Mama doesn't think she wants to wear this ring anytime soon."

If you guys wants to see the ring, go to a Yahoo image search and write Russian Ring of Love in the bar. The very first picture is the one I had in mind.

Today I recommend the story Psycho written by kfm-vampyr. It's technically Edward/Bella-I think- but it has a lot of Alice/Jasper stirrings as well. It's AH, and it's a very amusing story. I'm really liking it.