A/N: I am so sorry for the wait that an apology really won't cover it. For all those who have stuck behind me and this developing saga you support is greatly appreciated and I am deeply sorry for the wait, for all of you who are new welcome and I hope you enjoy everyone! The new direction is really working for me and the first year of uni is over, so more is on the way (really this time!) please let me know what you think if you're all still there. Much love and many apologies x

001 Here's Lookin' at You Kid

"You know you didn't have to go all out for my birthday right?" Angela leant comfortable against Jasper's side and rubbed her hands together in the fresh night air, used to the cold having lived in Forks for her whole life, "and you didn't have to get gifts for my brothers."

She smiled at the low rumble that ran through Jaspers frame, enjoying his laugh almost as much as his company, "that was hardly all out. If you'd been at Bella's birthday a few years back... well let's just say I took it easy."

Jaspers' arm crept around Angela's shoulders and he felt her relax further into his side, warmth fluttering over him as it did any stone that was touched by some kind of heat. He had been in this position so many times and never tired of having Angela slowly but surely fall into place with him, so many things in their relationship different from his time with Alice.

Thinking about it, Jasper found himself swimming in memories and leaving where he currently was, the ideas engulfing him and everything he stood for. He had been unhappy for so long, the most uncontrollable of the family, yet at the same time the most controlled and all by the emotional cues he has siphoned from Alice as she came to lead him away that day so long ago.

But with Angela things had finally clicked into place, and while it was hard – probably harder than it had been for Edward what with Jasper's being new to vegetarianism – and they had had their share of trials, he fancied theirs to be a bit of a love story. One which happened to involve a little bit of that "Here's lookin' at you kid" and a little less of the traditional drama.

Angela had waltzed into his life and from every day since the fateful fainting spell she had suffered in the hallway he had fed every night just to get close to her and be with her, he felt her pull that much. As he had tried to explain to Alice, it was almost like it was meant to be, almost like fate had intervened and that he was sorry but this was what he knew was right, what had to happen.

It had been a hard thing to face his discovery of fate and his leaving Alice, the one who had so long ago saved him. How could he cope without her? Who would stop him from being that monster he had for so long been playing? But that was it wasn't it. He was playing a monster, and then a saint and he knew he was neither.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Angela's fingers gently brushed the side of his face and pulled him out of his reverie, startling him into a tense statue as her scent wafted around him so close and so tempting.

As Angela's fingers fell away Jasper turned quickly and caught her hand in his own, facing her as she sat beside him and smiled, worry from her face fading away, "they aren't very interesting."

"I would beg to differ," she smiled again and then looked back out into the dense brush of trees behind the house, moving almost imperceptibly closer and moving an arm to wrap around the front of Jasper's chest, "you know, I would really rather not be travelling to Australia in the morning, but the warmth could be nice for a couple of hours."

Jasper made an effort to chuckle and he felt Angela sigh with contentment and lean into him a little more. For a split second he had to hold his breath. It wasn't that he needed to breathe, and on more than one occasion he had stopped altogether just to be near her, but old habits die hard, and he had always found it difficult to speak when he wasn't breathing.

"And I'm grateful for the gift," he knew she was ignoring his intake of breath, and had picked up on his habits a long time ago, but nevertheless, he fell back into a normal pattern, and pulled her closer towards him, "but you really should have saved your money, my mother will have a fit when she finds out."

He chuckled again and rested his chin on her head, gently as possible, still somewhat new to the fragility of it all. His mind wandered briefly back to the early days when he had painstakingly controlled every move and every touch, and then back to the more recent times where his confidence occasionally outgrew his ability and small bruises or cracks would appear and he would fall over himself to apologise to that beautiful smile.

"The gift was enforced on me as much as you, they just want you to have the very best," he rubbed her arm to soothe the cold and then belatedly realised that probably wouldn't help, but when he stopped she just took back her arm from his chest and entwined their fingers, "just like I want you to have the best."

"I don't need anything special," he could feel her frowning but the feelings in the air weren't of the type of self-loathing that usually accompanied someone who thought they never deserved anything, she was just caring about everyone. He could always feel her caring, "if you haven't noticed, I'm kind of in love with you, so you don't need to give me big expensive gifts, just some company every now and then. And maybe flowers every once in a while."

He grinned with her and moved so he could see her face, tipped up against the starlight by his fingers, still gentle and controlled whilst at the same time trying to convey everything. His kiss was tentative, but then they always were, always had to be.

"You know," she smiled at him as he moved back to look at her, watching her eyes comb the stars before returning to his face, "sometimes I wonder at all the things we've been through. I've never told you this, though I probably didn't need to, but I've always been kind of terrified of the dark."

He watched her turn her gaze back into the forest and frown slightly, "I mean, it's not the dark that's scary I guess. Just what's in the dark, hiding out there and waiting. Even walking home like I used to before the incident in the woods I'd worry. I guess it's all the things you see on TV and all the things your parents and teachers tell you when you're younger about stranger danger and all that. The world is a scary place."

His eyes had never left her face but somehow he felt that she'd travelled a long way away, somewhere he had never been and would never experience. He had never felt what she had, never worried about what was out there in the world waiting for him. When he had been human he had been a man, a soldier. And he had felt fear, but it was always the fear of the known. Her eyes finally flickered back to his own and he sensed she was back again.

"That's why I'm really glad I found all of you," she smiled brightly and curled into his neck, lips pressed near the side of his throat and hair spilled messily out over her shoulder, "you make me feel better... and not in the you-have-a-magical-gift-that-fixes-my-emotions kind of way. And not because you're super strong either, even if Emmett could take out pretty much anything I can think of."

A loud whoop of 'hell yeah!' rang from the house and Angela laughed against his chest, fixing herself back into the crook of his neck, "It's because I love you. And don't ever think that I don't, not matter what happens."

He smiled gently and raised a hand to stroke at her hair, ignoring the knots she swore existed and shuffling her around so she was sitting almost right on top of him. He loved her of course, but he knew he didn't need to say it. Alice had always been different, needing to hear it in everything they did. Angela was quite content with her place, yet always, just in case, he said it back.

"I can't wait to marry you," he heard his voice come out a little rough as leant the lower half of his head against hers, still slightly higher up on the porch than she was, "I will love you forever."

"Well you will live that long," she smiled again and they fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes, her propped against his chest in one of their lazy moments, when forever really did seem like a possibility, "but we haven't really discussed forever yet have we?"

He sighed and wrapped his arms around her from his position behind, enjoying the way she entwined their fingers and calmly fiddled with them, like they really had been together for a lifetime, "whenever you're ready. It's not necessary tonight."

"Another time then," he felt slight hesitation from her as she continued to look up at the sky, but it was quickly gone with the tiny flicker of apprehension it had accompanied, replaced by the small blossoming joy he felt from her sometimes, and always wondered what thinking had triggered it, "want to go inside?"

"It's up to you," she gave a short laugh and turned to face him, pressing her lips against his once lightly, seeking permission for one kiss more, "we're so married already."

"Best make it official darlin'," he grinned lazily with his southern drawl and she smiled again, cute and crinkled at the nose like she did only when she really enjoyed something, "now if you don't mind, it'd be my pleasure to escort the lady inside."