It's another chapter! It's a short one but I've got another brewing ;)

I'd like to take this time to remind you all to read and review for punkfarie and iheartthedoctor who both have brilliant fics – Stripped and This Sort Of Thing Just Doesn't Exist respectively.

Stripped has also been nominated for the Moonlight Awards, but won't be available for voting until the second round, which actually should start today.

Finger crossed that Human Nature makes it into the second round!

Thank you again so so much for your ongoing support. Answers are on the way! Oh and thanks so much to the people who pointed it out - yes, I did mean FLOUR fight, not floor fight in the last chapter LOL

And welcome back to ToTheLastStar. I've missed you and your epic reviews! You own me and you really do make me smile...

Also, don't forget to check out the playlist in my profile. I'll be updating with pics of my cast as well ;)

Please don't be afraid to make suggestions or anything! You're more than welcome to!


JPOV

The night air shot straight through to my bones as I waited. I checked the piece of paper in my hand once more, though it was hard to see what I'd written given that I'd wrung it in my hands for the last half hour. The Swans had landed from Phoenix and were about to meet me in the parking lot having just gotten off the ferry. I didn't know exactly what they wanted to do, but they were the only people who could put an end to this mess once and for all – whether it was in Bella's best interest or not.

I couldn't read them as they came towards me, but maybe it was because I was so shocked. They didn't look at all how I'd pictured them. They looked warm – a stark contrast to their tone on the phone just hours earlier.

"Jasper," Charlie greeted me, holding out his hand. I shook it, and then politely stooped down to greet Renee with a kiss on her cheek.

"An hour to Forks, is that correct?" she asked as she slid into the passenger's seat. Charlie looked comfortable in the back, removing his jacket and gazing out the window. "It's been so long since we've been."

"Yes, about an hour," I replied. "I'll have to stop for gas, though."

"That's fine, right hun?" she asked, looking over and smiling serenely over at her husband.

"What? Yeah sure, fine. Take your time, kid," he winked. I wondered how they could be so calm.

I started the engine.

***

BPOV

My first instinct was to hide. There was a new person in the house, and I didn't like the way she was looking at me. I took a step back and to the right, hiding behind Jacob's big shoulders. Edward came up behind me, wrapping one arm around my waist and pulling me gently away from Jacob. The new person narrowed her eyes at me and marched towards us, yanking Jacob away. I lurched, arms reaching out for him as I growled in her direction.

"Bella, no," Edward hissed in my ear, restraining me as the others quickly left the room. They were probably going to save the pizzas, which I could tell were already burning.

"Is she the reason you're never home?" the new girl asked. She was very upset with Jacob and it made me scared for him, but I was even more scared because she knew I existed. I was still supposed to be a secret! I hid behind Edward now that Jacob was gone from directly in front of me, clutching the hem of his shirt. I needed her to not see me. "Is she?"

"Yes but Leah it isn't what you think!" Jacob answered, speaking very quickly. He took her hands in his but she yanked them away. I frowned through the gap between Edward's side and his arm. If that really was Leah, then why was she being so mean to Jacob? Leah was the girl that Jacob loved and kissed all the time! He said she loved him too! What was she thinking that was making her so mad? "Bella's just a friend, I swear. Like a little sister, Lee, I promise," he said softly, taking her hands again and pulling her closer.

"She doesn't look like a little sister to me, Jacob," Leah sighed, shaking her head and looking back over at me. I shrunk back behind Edward. "Why is she hiding if there's nothing going on?"

"She's hiding because you burst into her house looking like you were about to murder her best friend," Edward answered for Jacob. I could hear in his voice that he was rolling his eyes. He wasn't scared of Leah, she just annoyed him. Maybe I shouldn't be afraid, after all. I stepped out, so I wouldn't get Jacob into more trouble.

"Hi Leah," I greeted her, waving slightly. Jacob smiled reassuringly beside her, but she glared at me. When she caught his smile, she pushed him away.

"What do you want with my boyfriend?" she demanded, stepping closer to me. I didn't like her being so close – I could feel the heat of her stare all through my body. Every instinct I had was screaming at me to pounce her, but Edward's cool hand on my arm told me it wouldn't be a good idea.

"Leave her alone, Leah."

"No. It's a very simple question. Are you stupid or something?" she asked me. I was hurt. I just didn't understand what she meant, but that didn't mean I was stupid.

"I'm not stupid," I said softly.

"She speaks!" Leah laughed, but it wasn't a very happy sound. "Well what the fuck are you doing with Jacob?"

"We were having play fight with the flour because we were bored waiting for pizzas to cook," I answered, shrugging my shoulders.

"Why are you play fighting with my boyfriend?"

"Because he's my best friend."

"Your best friend?"

"Yes."

"What happened to your face? Someone beat you up for being a home-wrecker?"

"Leah, quit it."

"Shut your fucking mouth."

Both Edward and Jacob spoke at the same time, but Leah pretended not to hear them. I was glaring at her as hard as I could. She was not a nice person. Why would Jacob want to hug and kiss and protect this girl? She was so mean!

"I don't wreck homes!"

"Just relationships, right?"

"What?"

"You think you're so cute, playing all stupid. Like you don't know exactly what you're doing."

"What am I doing?" I asked, really truly confused by her line of questioning. It was starting to remind me of my sessions with Carlisle and Jasper. She was asking me questions about things that I didn't know how to answer and it was really frustrating me.

"She thinks you want to be with me," Jacob explained and I nodded in comprehension, quickly turning back to Leah.

"Of course I want to be with Jacob! He's the best friend I have!" I smiled, thinking she might see that we have something in common and hoping it would make her a little nicer to me. I was wrong, but I soon found out that it was because we didn't understand each other. Just as she began to yell at me, Edward interrupted.

"Bella she thinks you want to be a couple with Jacob," he said, sounding bored. "Maybe Jacob could take Leah outside and explain everything."

"No, I want her to explain," Leah spat, now so close to my face that I had to step back so I could see her properly. She had been just a blur of copper skin.

"Jacob keeps me company when I'm lonely. I don't know who I am or where I come from or anything and there's lots for me to figure out. Jacob helps me learn stuff. He taught me how to whistle and blow bubbles and he's my best friend. I don't want to be a couple with him. I want to be a couple with Edward."

"Why are you talking like that?" she asked, and I frowned in confusion. I didn't sound different to anyone else in the room, really. I mean, everyone has different voices but I didn't know what she meant.

"Lee, babe, come outside and I'll explain everything," Jacob pleaded, leaning in and kissing her lips. She seemed to melt under his touch and agreed to talk outside. They left, and Edward and I were alone.

***

EPOV

Everything was falling to shreds. If we were in space, I'd be on the radio to Houston, screaming that we have a problem. But like in space, no one could help us.

Leah was now going to know everything, and that was all well and good for Jacob and his relationship with her but what would it mean for Bella? I knew she was the kind who had a deep respect for her tribe – she didn't keep anything from the other Quileutes – so her knowing meant the entire reservation was going to know.

And more people still were guaranteed to find out about her. And Jasper was on his way, and I just knew he was going to drop a bombshell on us because I was going to fucking force some answers out of him.

But for the moment, everyone was gone, and I was so proud of how Bella handled herself in front of a hostile stranger. It gave me hope that – all going well – we could leave this place and just live a normal life. No bullshit, just us. I smiled at the thought and drew her to me, pushing her hair behind her ears. She held onto me, tracing soft little patterns on my arms and looking right into my very core. No one on earth had ever looked at me that way, and I knew no one else ever would because no one would ever love me as unconditionally as Bella did.

And no one would ever love anyone as much I loved her in that moment.

I cupped her soft cheek in my hand, being as gentle as possible, leaned down and took her lips in a soft but deep kiss. She responded with a sigh of contentment, one of her hands finding my cheek and caressing it the way mine was caressing hers. I had never kissed her the way I was kissing her now, and I was pleasantly surprised at how she just seemed to know what to do. I let go of every reason I had given myself to hold back, because it all seemed like it was about to fall apart. And if she was taken from me, I didn't want to have to go through that knowing I never really showed her how I felt. I didn't want to have denied her the opportunity to show me. I crushed her against me, forgetting about her injuries, but she didn't complain. She fisted her hands in my hair and kissed me even deeper. Everything else disappeared when I brushed my tongue against hers and tasted her for the very first time. She tasted like red gummi bears.

She surrounded me, intoxicated me, captured every fibre of my being. Yet the smallest, most delicate sound tore me out of the rapture. Alice cleared her throat. I jumped back, my face growing hotter.

"Uh... d-dinner is getting cold," she stuttered, the shock visible on her face.

"Okay!" Bella chirped, skipping past her into the kitchen, her features bright and happy. She was walking on air. I watched her until she was out of sight and then turned back to Alice, pleading.

"Look, Alice-"

"I'm just going to pretend I didn't see it, Edward," Alice interrupted me, shaking her head. "We already have enough to deal with today," she muttered, though it was clear she wasn't happy with me.

Jacob and Leah made their way back in, but Leah only went into the dining room to wave goodbye before leaving again. Jacob informed us that he'd told her everything, and she would be back in the morning to help with anything she could. Apparently she was 'sympathetic and understanding', but in my experience those two words weren't even in her vocabulary. I didn't argue, though. As long as she was gone, I had nothing really to complain about.

Bella ate her pizza in silence, swinging her legs happily, apparently lost in pleasant thoughts. When I wasn't watching her, I was glancing at the clock. We all were. It was 8.16 already – Jasper was running late.

"Bella let's have a girl's night tonight," Alice suddenly suggested, breaking her out of her daydreams.

"I don't feel like a girl's night," she replied, crinkling her nose as though she'd tasted something funny. It was no surprise that Alice had suggested an alternative to the current sleeping arrangements, and again no surprise that Bella had rejected the idea.

"I think it might be just what you need. Get away from those nasty boys," Rosalie winked, in on the idea but not on the reason behind it. I shot a look at Alice, wordlessly telling her to drop the idea, but she ignored me.

"Exactly. Us women need to stick together," she grinned.

"I've got a good stash of ice-cream with our names on it," Esme giggled, clearing our plates even though half of us weren't finished. Emmett was about to point out this fact, but I saw Rosalie pinch his side and his face scrunched up in disappointment. We'd have to raid the cupboards later, clearly, because we couldn't pull poor Esme out of her pre-occupied state just yet.

"Here's fuckface," Emmett leered, looking out at the headlights glaring the driveway. I rose from my seat, alarmed at the fact that there was more than one figure in the BMW. There were three. Two of them stayed behind as Jasper crunched his way to the door. Bella beat me there, pulling it open with a wide smile. She had seen something I hadn't, because she reached out greedily and before I knew it she was holding a pack of gummi bears and a bunch of flowers.

"Can you ever forgive me?" he was begging when I reached them. Protectively, I reached for Bella and pulled her behind me. She pushed her way back over to Jasper and led him inside, not even noticing the additional people in the car.

"I wasn't even very mad at you," she smiled. "I was just... very sad because you didn't even get help for me. I thought that's where you were going when you walked out. I know you knew what he was going to do and I thought you were going to get my Edward to help me. But you didn't and that made me very sad, Jasper." I stopped dead in my tracks. He hadn't been lying. He never laid a hand on her.

"You didn't hit her?" Jacob asked, sounding just as disappointed as I was that there wasn't much of a reason to fuck him up.

We gathered in the living room, Bella already digging into her new stash of gummi bears and leaning against Jasper's shoulder as she held my hand. He stared into his lap sheepishly, but was somewhat calm – no doubt a result of Bella's gesture of solidarity.

"I've been involved with some things..." he began, sighing and rubbing the back of his shoulder as though he was carrying a huge weight there. If he had any trouble letting all of that information go, I had some ideas in mind about how to get it all out. "Bella is very... unique."

"No shit."

"Emmett, please," Esme scolded. "Go on and tell us, Jasper," she encouraged.

"It all started with the first tests Carlisle did..."