Hey guys! So sorry about the long wait... both CDM and I have busy lives and we try to squeeze this in but sometimes it ends up getting pushed aside for more important stuff unfortunately :( So, credit to CDM for being wonderful (haha) but also for the first half of this chapter, and for helping me out with Jasper's dialogue in my part some (she's better at him than I). Hope you guys enjoy :)

APOV(SCC)

I had left in a rush with Charlotte, hoping that we would find Jasper soon. Rose was clearly a mess, and I knew Esme was trying to hold it together, but inside she must have been dying. That confrontation with Tom couldn't possibly have been good, obviously. I let my mind drift back to Rose, my poor baby. Rose needed all the support she could get right now, both physically and emotionally. She looked absolutely exhausted when she came running to me. Her normally pale white face and impeccable blonde hair had been thrown into a messy bun, with strands sticking to her soaked, blotchy, flushed cheeks. I haven't seen Rose in that much of a disaster since the night that we had the sleepover, and she was haunted by her past. I want to say that it was almost shocking that she came running into my arms, but I knew Rose so well, and I knew she was falling apart. Jasper was so important to her, and I knew she was worried sick. And it wasn't like Jasper to just run off, so the situation had to have been really frustrating for him.

Charlotte's calm voice snapped me back into reality when we were downtown, "So what's the plan, Ali?"

I paused for a minute before speaking, collecting my thoughts, "Um... I think it would be better if we split off. Only because it's still broad daylight so we'll be fine and we have better of a chance of running into him. Agree?"

"Yeah, for sure." Char replied, smiling. Her sweet voice kept me calm in my current state of distress, and I was able to think clearly as to what to do next.

"Okay, well... Why don't you hit the north part of town, and I can stay in this general vicinity. Then the area is divided pretty evenly, and Peter and Carlisle are the outskirts of town." I suggested, not really quite sure what to do, but speaking my best thoughts.

"Sounds great." Charlotte replied, "So I'll meet you back here in say, an hour and a half? And call me if anything changes?"

"Awesome." I said, smiling at her gently. I made sure my cell was tucked tightly in my back pocket before turning in the opposite direction and speed walking. Store after store passed by me as I sped by in a blur, the rest of the world not mattering at the moment. I checked quickly down every alley between buildings and peeked into stores, all to no avail. I walked past the doors to the town bar before backtracking and walking in. I didn't think much of it beforehand, but as I walked by, I had a funny nagging feeling about the bar. It was empty, the only noise coming from the football game in the background.

"You haven't by chance had a younger guy with a southern accent in here have you?" I asked impatiently, my smaller voice seeming loud in the quiet space. I knew that when Jasper was angry, he turned to cigarettes and drinking. A lot of men did. Not that I would know by experience.

"Uh, yeah actually. Earlier. Left about half an hour ago. Was about the only one here." The bartender said in a rough voice.

"Thanks so much." I turned sharply on my heels, leaving since I had my information I needed. Well, at least I know he has to be around here somewhere. I walked past the rest of the stores, knowing that they were all useless to Jasper unless there was a specific reason for him to go there. The downtown area now was becoming more rural, and the city park was in the middle of the two sides of the road, a few trees surrounding it on all sides. It was the connecter between the neighborhood and the end of the downtown borders.

I crossed the street and walked into the park before seeing a familiar build of someone in the distance, sitting on a bench.

"Jasper?" I asked, walking straight up to him, before he turned around to face me.

"Alice, what are you doing here?" He asked, his voice deep and his words combining together. Of course, drunker than a skunk. Go figure.

"What the fuck are you doing? You do realize you practically have a search party out looking for you? And not to mention Rose and Esme at home, worried sick about you.." I trailed off before actually noticing the look on his face.

"Look, I'm sorry. My dad showed up, and I couldn't handle it. So I left."

"And what do you plan on doing here, in the park, on a bench?" I asked.

"I wasn't going to come back. I was going to sleep here tonight." He slurred again.

"Oh, great plan." I replied sarcastically.

"I know you're mad at me," Jasper slurred. "I know deep down you blame me for all your problems with Rose. I bet they started when I showed up right?" He asked.

"No, I don't blame you for all of our problems. But the fact that sometimes she can't even talk to me about something is slightly concerning, and that's putting it in good terms." I replied honestly.

"Don't blame Rosie for my mistakes. She's just keeping promises, she's always been good at that. I'm not really gonna get into my fucked up life with you at the moment because I'm not drunk enough for that yet... I don't think. You just need to know I've done some things I'm not proud of and Rose has been through some things that she never should have been exposed to through me. And I'll never forgive myself for that." Jasper said, looking down at the grass below his feet.

"I know she is. It just hurts." I said simply, trying not to let myself get too emotional to Jasper.

"You want to know a secret though? You want to know something that puts the cherry on top of all of this shit? Well this shit being: me fucking up you two, fucking up myself and having my dad show up today?" He asked, anger beginning to form in his words.

I waited for him to continue as he took a deep breath. I could smell the beer when he exhaled, "I don't know if that's such a good idea.." I started.

"Just let me tell you," He said simply, "I was fucking walking home that night. I was taking my usual shortcut when I heard cries. I could hear her screaming for her fucking life. I was so consumed with rage I beat the mother fucker off of her and he stabbed me for it." He pulled up his shirt, showing me the light pink scar on his stomach,"It was so dark you could barely make out anything but I could tell she was half naked and broken. It was all I could do to make sure she was okay before the ambulance came... I left my statement and asked to be anonymous. I didn't want any of that coming back to me. I couldn't handle it." He let out another deep breath, before rubbing the back of his neck. I was silent, there was no way...

And then he answered my thoughts, without a doubt, "And what the fuck happens? I come here and you have a friend who got raped over the summer in Seattle in a dark alley. Is that a coincidence? I think not..."

"I... I don't know what to say.." I trailed off.

"You don't have to." He replied.

"But you...you were her savior." I tried to pick my words carefully, "Everything makes sense now. Everything falls into place." I said, trying to stop my head from spinning.

"No shit. Imagine my fucking surprise when I came to visit Rose, and the girl whose face was once glowing in red and blue lights, a second away from falling into subconsciousness, was now in the same space I was, a reoccurrence of the night I had tried to forget." Jasper's words were slurring together so bad that it took my immense concentration to understand what he was saying.

"I'm just so shocked.. I guess. But I'm eternally grateful that she had you, to save her, because I don't think anyone could have done it better than you did. Bella's recovered and is beginning to be more herself everyday, and although it took her a while to get here, I think that if she never had her savior, God, I wouldn't even want to think about where she would be now."

"I just thought I was done with that night, and now I see her gorgeous face everyday, the same one I tried so hard to forget, hoping she would turn out okay after that predicament." Jasper said. It was the first time I'd actually heard him voice something so full of emotions.

"And she did turn out okay, look at her now." I replied, "But look, Esme and Rose and Bella are all at home worried sick about you, and Char and Peter and Carlisle are all out searching for you; Jasper, you should come home. You can't just run away from your problems, literally. And you're so drunk.." I trailed off, hoping my words convinced him to come home.

"Why would I go there when fucking Tom created problems?" He retorted.

"Because, Jasper, everyone is looking for you, and it would be kinda nice for them to know that you're actually okay." I responded sarcastically.

"I guess. But hey." He said, grabbing my forearm when getting up from the bench and wobbling before getting his bearings, "You have to promise me that you won't say anything about me and Bella. I mean it" He said seriously.

"I won't. I know it's not my place." He let my arm go and started to walk behind me as I headed back to the car, calling Charlotte on the way. Jasper staggered behind me as I talked to her on the phone.

"Yeah, yeah no he's fine. Just drunk. Yep, okay. See you in ten minutes at the car." I hung up the phone with Char, grateful that she wasn't too pressing and I could just explain everything when we got back to the house.

So anyways, thanks so much for reading, and please review, feedback is the best thing authors can get! Thanks for all your support :)