I am so amazed at the response my story had. I had over 2,000 hits on this story last month! Thank you guys! I can't tell you how much that means to me! You guys are amazing! I hope you enjoy this next chapter. :D Take heart my friends!

~Maggie

All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer

JPOV

There are not enough words to describe how I'm feeling right now. That's saying a lot too, considering that I'm the empath. I'm sitting here on the beach still holding on to my Bella as tears one by one slid down her face as she tells me everything that happened after her birthday party. He left her. He just left her, all alone in the forest. Doesn't he know that, that is the stupidest thing you could ever do? Does he not remember that he isn't the only monster out there? Bella told me about Laurent. I cannot tell you how much that scared me. What were WE thinking? Just leaving Bella alone, did we honestly think she would be safer without us? As she told me about him, I glanced up at Jacob and Embry and realized that we (Cullens) failed Bella, I failed her. I knew better than to just leave her here. Once again, I owe these two young boys sitting before me. They protected her, when we didn't. We owe them so much. I owe them so much. Jacob nodded his head towards me; I think he understood what I was trying to say to him by looking at him. Bella was still talking, and telling me everything that happened after that, and when she first started seeing me.

"I really thought I was going crazy, at first I was doing stupid things so, I could see Edward. I knew he wasn't really there, but whenever I did something risky I could hear his voice, telling me different things. To 'walk away' 'be safe' 'don't do this,' but then I saw you one night." She stopped and looked up at me. "I had had the same dream every night, since Edward left. Him leaving me and then Victoria killing me, but it changed one night. You were in, Jasper. You saved me from Victoria, but before I could get to you, you vanished." I saw her chest heave a bit and she gulped. "I normally fall back asleep after those kinds of dreams, but I felt strange. I felt calm and I had this strange thought that you were there with me. So, I got out of my bed and went to my window and I swear I saw you sitting under the tree outside my window. I really thought I was losing it then. Not only was I seeing Edward when I was doing stupid things, but now I was seeing his brother outside my window. After that night, my dreams changed. They were less often and had more of you in them. Whether you were real or not. I just felt better, I even felt well enough to start hanging out with these two." She said playfully slapping Embry and Jacob "I couldn't wait to come home at night though. I knew I would end up seeing you outside my window. I didn't always look though, I didn't need to. I could feel you. Your presence. I know we weren't friends, really. You rarely even made eye contact with me and would walk the other way every time I came into the same room you were in. I thought you hated me." A tear rolled down her check and I saw her wipe it away and I felt my heart, if I had one, sink. She thought I hated her? I know I was never around much, but it was for her safety. I tried to be in control, but I couldn't put her life at risk. If I had actually hurt her, not only would Edward have killed me, but Alice too. Alice can be quite scary when she wants to be. I reached down to Bella and as gently as I could placed my hand on her face.

"Bella, I'm sorry." She looked up at me and I heard her heart skip a beat. She started saying something, but I cut her off. "No, no Bella, I am truly sorry. I was trying to stay away from, but I promise it wasn't because I hated you. I was so afraid of hurting you. I had a right to be scared, Bella, I almost killed you. If Edward hadn't stopped me, you wouldn't be here right now. Bella, I will never forgive myself for that and for everything that happened after that night. I'm so sorry, I wasn't here to protect you. Out of all of us, I know better, more than anyone the kind of monsters that are out here. I knew Victoria would eventually come after you, just like I knew James would never stop coming after you." If I could have been crying, I would have been right now. I have never felt guiltier than I do at this moment. My hand was still on her face and I felt her tiny hand slide over mine and then up to my face. I didn't want to look at her.

"Jasper, please look at me." I'm acting like a teenager girl and being stubborn. "Quit being stubborn Jasper!" I look towards her and slowly locked eyes with her. "Jasper, I forgive you. I forgive you for everything. For my birthday, for leaving, for everything that you seem to be blaming yourself for. Jasper, you came back for me. You saved me."

"No, no I didn't save you. They did." I said pointing to at the boys. She smiled and shook her head.

"No, Jasper, I'm not talking about that. You saved me from myself. I was lost and alone and now that I know that it really was you outside my window...it was you who saved me from my depression. You pulled me out of it. Do you know how scared I was the first time I drove out to La Push? I almost turned around and went home, but I looked up in my rear view mirror and I saw you. Seeing you gave me the courage to move on." Holy crap! She did see me! Of course I did NOT want her going there, but I'm glad I helped her, somehow. She giggled.

"Why are you laughing miss?" She beamed up at me

"You make the best facial expressions when you're thinking." Paused and looked at Jacob and Embry. She was still leaning up against me, but held out her hands to each of them and they graciously held on to her hands. "Don't think I forgot about the two of you. You guys changed me to. You helped me get over Edward and patiently listened to me as a cried for weeks over him. You taught me how to have fun again and even though you guys ended up leaving me too...you guys came back for me too. Thank you for saving me." She wanted to stand up and they pulled her up on her feet and she wrapped her arms around Jacob and hugged him and stood up on her tippy toes and kissed his cheek and then turned to Embry and did the same thing, but she held on to him longer and started whispering into his ear. "I'm sorry for not listening to you, Embry. I know you were calling after me, but I kept running anyway. I understand now, that you couldn't tell me what was going on with you and Jacob. I remember now. I know what you are." He looked surprised "I know what all of you are." She said to the others who had been watching this whole thing play out. "I've kept the Cullen's secret for quite some time now and I promise I will keep your secret as well. Please, don't hurt Jasper. I know the treaty has been broken, but please make an exception. He did it to save me. That's why you are, what you are, to save the mere mortals?" She kind of chuckled, which got a few laughs from those around. She looked at Sam as he stepped forward. He seemed like a man of few words and he looked at me and I could tell he was uncertain, but he looked back at Bella and nodded his head. She smiled and turned back to me and took both of my hands into hers. "Jasper, will you take me home now?" I smiled at her and in one swift move, I had her up on my back and I heard her giggle as I took off towards her house. I would come get her truck later.

The treaty line was up ahead, but that's not what made me stop. I heard Bella gasp and she scrambled down my back, but glued herself to my side. I could feel the fear rising up in her heart and she looked up at me and I wrapped a protective arm around her, but my eyes were locked on the one vampire standing on the other side.