*Still Amanda's POV

I felt something cold slide into bed with me. I lazily rolled over onto my other side to see who the intruder was who dared wake me from my precious sleep.

"I'm sorry, I tried not to wake you," Jasper apologized. "I know how much you hate that."

"I'll let it slide this time, I'm just glad you're back," I said and rested my head on his chest. The complete absence of a heartbeat always took me by surprise. He laughed to himself, the sunlight peeking in from around the curtains illuminated his smile and made his features faintly sparkle.

"Go back to sleep," he said and stroked my back.

"I'm already awake," I argued. "Did you have fun?"

"If fun is what you want to call it," he snorted. His eyes were back to their light golden color, it must have been a successful trip. "It looks like you had a late night, too."

"Yeah, Bella was boring and went to sleep at like 10 o'clock, so Alice wanted to try out the Porsche on the freeway at 2am since there wouldn't be any traffic. I was all for it because she promised to let me drive some. It was fun; I'm thinking of getting one, all I have to do is sell my organs and possessions and I should have enough money for at least a sixteenth of it."

He just laughed at me and rolled his eyes before hopping out of bed. He strolled over to the window side and kicked off his shoes and tossed his jacket into the closet. It was lighter in that area and he sparkled more vividly. I'm sure on the inside he was dying, he hated to sparkle.

I watched the way he moved with amazement. It had to be impossible that he actually existed. I was probably drunk or drugged or dreaming.

"Quit staring, you're making me self conscious," Jasper said, suddenly looking shy.

"As if you don't stare at me all the time!" I pointed out.

He shrugged and I smiled victoriously. What can I say, I liked to be right.

"You should eat," he pointed out, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Bleh."

"I can't have you withering away on me, come on!" And with that he picked me up so fast I didn't have time to react. By the time I had thought of a reaction, we were already downstairs in the kitchen. He gently sat me down in a kitchen chair and asked what I wanted to eat.

"I don't care, surprise me," I said disinterestedly.

"She wants pancakes!" Alice called from the living room. Jasper began to rummage around in the cabinets to look for ingredients.

"Do you even know what goes in a pancake?" I slightly mocked as his search had no results.

"Yes!" he defended. He paused and looked sheepish. "I just don't know where they are. There's a difference!" I rolled my eyes and sat back in the chair, I figured it might be a long wait.

Maybe this was what Bella had been talking about. He wasn't putting on any act and wasn't trying to hide anything. He was just being normal, I would have thought he was always like that if Bella hadn't said otherwise. I told him some of the details of driving the Porsche last night…how Alice was afraid I wasn't going fast enough and wouldn't appreciate the car's true ability. It was hard for me to picture him not being so loving and at ease as he stood there laughing over a skillet.

"Oh, is Bella still here?" I asked, eyeing the huge pile of pancakes.

"No, Edward took her home a few minutes ago."

I warily eyed the plate. "I hope you realize there's no way I can eat all those."

"I know, but the first ones are all messy looking. I had to keep on going until I got it right, so you could eat pretty pancakes! I know how you detest unattractive breakfast foods."

"Make fun of me if you want, but that excuse saved me from eating that bizarre looking thing Grandma cooked up!" I pointed out as I speared a perfectly formed pancake with my fork.

The rest of the day passed slowly but enjoyably. Emmett finally got to give me a ride in the new Hummer. I swear, he sounded just like a parent or proud pet owner when he talked about it.

I strapped myself into the front seat, praying to every god I could think of that I'd make it out in one piece. We weaved around indistinct trails in the woods, narrowly missing trees and plowing through streams. If I hadn't just eaten breakfast it might have been a more enjoyable experience, not nearly as near-death as I had anticipated.

"You're the best little sister ever!!" Emmett declared, scooping me up in an engulfing hug as I slid, on wobbly legs, out of the vehicle and onto the ground I had fantasized about all during the past few hours.

"Why's that?" I managed to choke out, gasping for breath because of the strength of his embrace.

"Because! If it wasn't for you, I never would have thought of this!!!" he gestured excitedly to his new toy. It was like a little kid on Christmas morning. Emmett lingered behind and walked with me at a human pace back up to the house. He kept a slight distance, though… maybe he was afraid I'd throw up on him.

Upon entering, it was unusually quiet.

"Where's everyone?" I asked, looking around for signs of life. Or death. Ha, I crack myself up. I felt bad that Edward had to listen to me.

"Carlisle's at the hospital, Esme's…somewhere, I dunno. And loverboy, Alice, and Rose went somewhere. They told me where but I wasn't listening. I think they went shopping," he explained. "It's just you and me now, kid!" He flopped down on the couch and flipped through the thousands of satellite channels, searching for entertainment.

"Was that hockey??!?" I yelled suddenly.

"Yeah…why?" he stared at me like I was even more deranged than usual.

"Back it up, I love hockey!!!"

"I didn't think you liked sports," he said, returning the TV to the appropriate channel.

"I don't…except hockey!" I said excitedly. He admitted to never having watched it before, so I began to explain the game to him.

"It's so much more violent than football," Emmett observed. "I like it!!!" We spent the next hour or so yelling at the TV screen, swearing at the players, who all seemed completely incapable of taking our suggestions. It was almost like they couldn't hear us.

As the game was winding down, Jasper and the girls burst through the front door. Jasper looked like he had just been put through hell, but his expression brightened when he saw me.

"JAZZY!" Emmett bellowed, earning a scowl in return and I tried not to laugh.

I didn't have to hold back laughter too long, as the next thing I knew Alice was dragging me up the stairs. She led me into the bathroom in her room, with the huge adjacent walk in closet. I casually glanced in as I walked past. There was a lot of room in there…I could fit extremely comfortably and still have space to spare.

Alice set me down on a stool by the vanity and began arranging makeup products. I began to whine when I realized she was about to do another 'makeover'.

"Just let me have my fun, no one else will!" she pleaded, using sad eyes. "Besides, I got these with you in mind!"

I 'humphed' but didn't protest further. The sooner I gave in, the sooner she'd be through. She started putting makeup on my face at lightening speed, I was afraid if I stopped her I'd lose an eye. But I did get a lot more nervous when she turned me around so I couldn't see what she was doing to me.

After putting god knows what on my face, she attacked my hair with a flat iron. I felt bad I hadn't straightened it in a few days; she had an uphill battle to fight if she wanted to tame my unruly hair today.

Alice's senseless chatter suddenly ceased and she went into what looked like a catatonic state. She snapped out of it in a few seconds and picked up right where she left off, without ever missing a beat.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, referring to her vision.

"Of course, Edward and Bella are on their way over, that's all." I got the feeling she was holding out on me, but I couldn't prove it so I sat cooperatively as she turned me into a cosmetic campaign.

"You're finished!!" she declared proudly and then disappeared from the room. She must be needed downstairs, I reasoned. I didn't even bother looking in the mirror; I knew it would just freak me out. I trudged downstairs after her to see what the fuss was about.

I slinked down the stairs, hoping to go unnoticed and sat by Emmett, who was perched on one of the bottom steps, watching the discussion.

"I swear, Edward, I didn't do it!" Alice insisted, seeming alarmed. She and Edward had a silent conversation as the rest of us looked on expectantly.

"What's going on?" I asked Emmett quietly.

"Bella got back home and realized some of her things were gone. Some clothes, her pillow, things with her scent…wow," he glanced at me for the first time.

"What?" I asked.

"You look…uh, yeah. Really nice," he stammered.

I would have laughed if I hadn't been so perplexed by the other conversation in the room. Edward was now speaking with Jasper, who had apparently brought up (or thought of) the newborn army possibility again.

"Oh, I didn't think of that. I see. Well that changes everything," Edward said in Jasper's direction.

"See what? Someone tell me what's going on!" Bella both pleaded and demanded.

"I'm glad we have your expertise," Edward continued speaking to Jasper.

Bella groaned and appeared on the urge of hysterics.

"You're confused," Jasper said quietly, I assumed, to Bella.

"We're all confused," Emmett grumbled.

"You can afford the time to be patient. Bella should understand this, too. She's one of us now," he continued, casting a sweeping glance around the room and looking relieved when he found me nearly hidden behind Emmett.

"How much do you know about me, Bella?" he asked patiently. Emmett sighed theatrically and moved to sit in front of the TV, where the rest of the family had migrated.

"Not much," she admitted.

I came out from the shadow of the stairwell and stood closer to Jasper. I didn't know what I was planning on doing, but he looked uncomfortable having so much attention on him. He seemed to relax a little at my near presence. He stared at Edward, who looked up to meet his gaze.

"No," Edward answered his thought, "I'm sure you can understand why I haven't told her that story. But I suppose she needs to hear it now."

Jasper nodded, rolled up his sleeve and held his wrist up under the lamp's light. I nodded in understanding of what he was doing.

"Oh," Bella said. "Jasper, you have a scar exactly like mine."

"I have a lot of scars like yours, Bella," he smiled faintly. My heart went out to him; I knew he hated doing this. His past was so painful I imagined that repeating the story over and over offered little consolation. He his sleeve up further and more scars were illuminated in the lamplight.

"Jasper, what happened to you?" Bella asked, her voice dripping with shock.

"The same thing that happened to your hand. Repeated a thousand times," he continued in the same quiet voice that had come to be so familiar to me.

Edward led Bella over to the table to sit down, he and I knew what a long story this was. Jasper and I followed them. I sat beside him and took his hand under the table, trying to offer support in some way, as he launched into the story of his life that I knew he'd much rather forget.

A/N: I copied a bit from Eclipse in this chapter, as I'm sure you can tell. So I'd be really happy if no one sued me :D. Anyway, I'm sure you guys can see the direction it's going in now…