I don't own it, I just play with it. Thanks Steph…

The mid-morning sun creeping lazily along the cozy quilt of my new bed, I awoke a little groggy and disoriented, but well rested. Glancing around the room, I was quickly reminded of where I was, but as my scanning eyes reached the rocking chair in the corner I froze. There, sitting patiently waiting for me, was Jasper.

It didn't seem to me like he had moved the entire night. Had he stayed with me? I thought he would send me off to sleep, going about his business as soon as I slipped under his spell, but… surely he hadn't stayed all night. Right?

"Jasper?" I ventured shyly.

"Yes, Bella?"

"Did you… did you stay here all night?" He nodded and smiled, but didn't say anything. How sweet. And embarrassing. I just hoped I hadn't said anything I would regret. "You really didn't have to do that." I said sweetly, trying not to sound too scolding.

"Does that bother you, Bella?" he asked, nervously.

"No, of course not. It's just… I guess I figured you would have better things to do. I don't want to put you out, that's all."

"I just thought you might like a good night's sleep." He shrugged noncommittally.

"And it was. Thank you, Jasper."

"You're welcome, Bella." He told me, taking his leave so I could move on with my morning routine. After a quick shower, I headed down to the kitchen to find Esme making pancakes.

"Good morning, dear." She greeted me cheerfully.

"Morning!" I called back, bouncing energetically to her side to kiss her cheek. I had really missed the familiar cool stone touch of a vampire. Edward may not ever have wanted to have sex with me, but he had been around all the time and physical contact was nearly constant between the two of us. I was going through withdrawal.

"What are your plans for the weekend, Bella?" she asked as I shoveled in the delicious breakfast.

"I'm not sure." I told her. "Tomorrow sort of belongs to Alice, I'm afraid. She, Angela, and I are going shopping in Port Angeles. Today is Saturday, though. Saturday is mine. At least… I hope it is." She smiled sympathetically, shaking her head, understanding all too well the force that is Alice.

"Where are they anyway?"

"Alice took Jasper hunting. He decided after last night that he should try to hunt as much as possible when he's around you. Emmett dragged Edward out looking at cars somewhere up north, and Rose was mad because they wouldn't let her go with them, so she joined Alice and Jasper.

"Carlisle's at the hospital so it's just you and me for a little while." I matched her sweet smile with an enthusiastic one of my own, pondering the possibilities of the morning – or what was left of it.

"Esme?" I ventured, taking another bite and trying to figure out what it was exactly that I wanted to ask.

"Yes?" she asked, curiously.

"I was just wondering if you knew… well… What's with Jasper? I mean… the change, you know… he… I don't know. He's just different."

"Bella, there's something you need to understand." Stopping her busywork, she came to sit beside me and studied me with a worried expression. Staring into the distance, she seemed to be in another world as she began to speak." Edward kept Jasper away from you even from the very beginning. We really try not to, but the entire family makes him feel like the weakest link and…" she paused, looking down.

"Bella, after your party; after we almost lost you… Edward blamed him. He had always said it would happen one day and then it did. Edward said some things to Jasper then that-" Esme stopped herself short, taking my hand before she continued in a slightly different direction.

"Jasper will never forgive himself after that. After the attack, he left the family for a long time. He wouldn't even let Alice come with him. He wandered on his own for so long. He was ashamed. He believes he's a monster.

"Edward only made it worse. Rose and Emmett tracked him down the first time and it took them forever to get him to come back. When he did… well, Edward didn't take it well. Of course, Edward was despondent while we were away from you.

"When he saw Jasper he said some things he shouldn't have said. Jasper left again that very day. The rest of us were very angry at Edward. It was hard on all of us, leaving you. It was Edward's fault that we all lost you. He and Jasper were the only ones who couldn't see that.

"We tried not to be angry with Edward, but he can read thoughts. That made it hard to hide the way we all felt, even to spare his feelings. He left us shortly after, roaming on his own for a while. Carlisle finally tracked down Jasper and he and Alice convinced him to stay with us.

"When Edward returned he was furious, but we told him that if he were going to stay, he needed to stop hurting Jasper. It was only a short time after that when Alice saw you jump. Bella, things have settled into an awkward truce since then, but they're not the way they were.

"I'm only telling you this because I want you to understand. It wasn't because of you that Jasper has kept his distance. It was because of Edward. And because of himself… he believed it when Edward told him he was a monster, that he was a threat to you and couldn't be trusted."

"Wow. Esme, I had no idea. Edward has never told me any of this." Tears were tracing smooth lines down my face. "I thought… I don't know. I guess I thought when you left me behind, you all just went off together and kept being a happy family. I never imagined this."

"Edward loved you, dear. He still does." I looked down at her words, trying to figure out how to explain to her without crushing her that he and I were never going to be together again. She must have read my face because she shifted from her saddened explanation to rushed reassurance in a heartbeat.

"Oh, I know it's over between you, honey. That's not what I was getting at." Her sincerity sent a wave of relief over me, calming me instantly. "I just wanted to explain that Edward had a lot of rules when it came to you.

"We mostly let him run the show. You were with Edward, so if he said you couldn't be a vampire or Jasper had to stay away, we respected his wishes. You don't belong to him, though Bella… not anymore… and the rules have changed.

"We had a family meeting and Edward was forced to see that he no longer has any more say in your life than the rest of us do. Alice has encouraged Jasper to get to know you. I think she sees the two of you as friends, though she won't tell any of us.

"I have to say I agree with her. The two of you have a lot in common really, and I think you'll get along wonderfully. Edward isn't happy about it, but he doesn't have to be. He won't try to control you anymore, Bella. We'll make sure of that."

"Thank you, Esme." I said, earnestly, giving her cool hand a squeeze. "For looking out for me… and for telling me this. It really helps me to understand."

A couple of hours to myself meant peace and quiet and I was going to take full advantage of it. I had to avoid thinking. My future was too uncertain and I really didn't want to face it right now. The comfort and familiar feeling of falling into a good book seemed easier to face.

The day was beautiful and Esme offered to hang the hammock for me, so I grabbed a good book from the study and settled myself in, prepared to laze around all morning long.

It was probably a couple of hours later when Jasper, Alice, and Rose returned. It never ceased to amaze me how they could return from a hunt looking as if they had just freshened up when I could look the worse for wear from a trip across the yard.

"Bella! Bella! Bella!" Alice called out before they had even reached me. "My sister! My beautiful, wonderful, awesome best friend!" Oh no… she wants something and whatever it is, I'm not going to like it…

"Rose and I are going shopping in Seattle! Want to come?!"

"Oh, no you don't, Alice…" I hedged. I wasn't budging on this one. I didn't care if she had seen it. "I'm going shopping tomorrow. I'm not going today, too." She gave me her adorable – and irresistible – pout, but I dug in my heels. I would resist her. "Oh no… not this time, Alice. Nice try, but I'm staying."

"But it's Seattle!" she cried.

"As if that makes a difference to me." I argued, daring her to challenge that one. Jasper chuckled his appreciation and Rose actually laughed out loud.

"Come on, Alice." Rose urged, sympathetically. "You're wasting your time. She's not coming and she's as stubborn as I am when she wants to be."

"Thank you!" I exclaimed, grateful to have Rose on my side.

"But… you'll be bored all day…" Alice whined.

"I'll be fine, Alice. I'll just hang out." I tried to assure her. She looked skeptical. "It's fine. Really."

"Okay…" she conceded. She wasn't happy about it. "Oh! Well, that's great then!" she said, suddenly her very chipper self again.

"What?" I asked her, confused about the sudden change in her mood. She probably had a vision, but she seemed a little too happy.

"Jasper's going to take you for a walk." She informed me, smiling widely. You'll be fine!"

"He… I… What?" I asked, suddenly nervous. "I don't really walk, Alice." I informed her, though I knew it wouldn't help to argue with her. She had already seen it. "The best I usually manage is to stumble and the worst… well, you know the worst."

"You'll be fine, silly." She said before turning to Rose. "Rose! Shopping!"

The two of them took off hand in hand, disappearing in a flash of giggles and leaving an awkward situation behind them as Jasper still stood next to me, neither of us really knowing what to say to the other.

"Would you like to go for a walk, Bella?" he asked, finally breaking the silence between us. "I mean… you don't have to if you don't want to. I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I just thought…"

I couldn't take it anymore. Watching poor, sweet Jasper fumbling for words and trying to make me feel better was too much. "Of course, I'll go, Jasper." He studied me for a moment, assessing my reaction to him, but I wasn't afraid of him as he seemed to think I should be.

Finally, he smiled. Hopping up from the hammock – and amazingly not falling flat on my face in the process – I slipped into the tennis shoes I had shed, unexpectedly finding myself eager to get going. I absently decided Jasper's enthusiasm must be seeping through to me, and I not-so-absently decided I didn't care. This was going to be fun.

I followed Jasper to the edge of the woods, hesitating at the first of the undergrowth. "Jasper… I fall down. A lot."

"Don't worry, Bella." He assured me, fading my insecurity into the background and replacing it with confidence. There were definitely perks to having an empathic friend. "I won't let you fall." Suddenly feeling bold and self-assured, I reached out to take his outstretched hand and the two of us disappeared into the depth of the forest.

Some time with Jasper… Do we like???