Title: An Altercation

Rating: PG-13/K+

Pairing/Characters: Canon. Alice, Jacob, Edward, Bella, and Jasper.

Summary: Jacob's mind games don't go unnoticed.

Disclaimer: S. Meyer owns all. Thank you to her for allowing us to play with them.

Note: this is a one of two that I did as a gift to my sister because she says that I always 'make that jerk Jacob too nice.' So this is my gift to her in the hopes that it'll make her nice and finish the alice/jasper story she started for me. As (almost) always a prompt response to mission_insane's table/prompt: un-themed eight/cruel. Takes place right after the scene in Eclipse when Jacob tortures Edward with his thoughts of Bella in New Moon.

--

"You nasty dog." Alice's eyes narrowed until only her onyx pupils were visible, and her voice was like diamonds, hard and edgy, but still undeniably beautiful.

"Leech." Jacob scrunched up his nose as she came closer. "What's this to you anyways?"

"I saw what you did to Edward, and Bella might not know what an abhorrent creature you are, but I do. You can try to hurt him all you'd like, but it won't work….because in the end, he still has her, doesn't he?"

Alice knew Jasper may not like what she was doing, talking to this thing on her own, but he had lit her with a fury as she watched her brother walk off with a painful grimace, Bella pulled tightly into his arms.

"I'm sure he's very pleased with himself, knowing what he did to her….just like you leeches."

Alice's perfect lips turned into a pink snarl. "Stay away from the both of them or I promise you, you will regret it."

--

"Edward are you…" Bella's voice trailed off as she looked up and saw that Edward--for once--was not paying attention to her. "Edward?"

"Go to class, Bella." Edward said quickly. "Please. I'll be right back."

She had intended to ask him just what he was doing, but before she could even form the words, Edward had flitted off--something he never, ever did. She knew something had to be wrong, but what could she do? She could follow him, but she had no idea where he went.

She decided that all she could do was go to Biology, dig her fingernails into the desk, curse Edward and his damn cryptic crap, and count the minutes until she could interrogate him and find out what was going on.

--

Jacob growled at her audibly, leaning over the bars of his motorcycle. "Like I would be afraid of you?" His eyes narrowed in on her.

"You should be." She took a step closer. "She's not yours, dog."

Jacob's anger flared and he jumped off of his bike. However, before both of his feet hit the pavement, he was knocked onto his back.

Alice watched as Jasper pinned Jacob to the ground, she had not seen this. She had just intended to warn the dog, to protect Bella, not to create a war--but to prevent one. It wouldn't be long before people saw this, and that would be bad.

Never mind that she didn't know how she would explain to Carlisle why Jasper had broken the treaty, or to Bella why her husband had killed her friend (as much as that thing shouldn't be her friend), or-or mostly, why she was even talking to him, to Edward. No, that was not a conversation she would relish having with her brother.

"Jasper," Alice's voice was low, controlled. "Jasper, let it go."

She knew that her husband only meant to protect her. Jasper would have heard…

"Jasper," She thought about trying to separate them, but how would that look if someone looked out and saw her pulling apart two strong men. Where were her brothers when she needed them?

"Jasper." A cool voice that was not hers joined them.

Jasper didn't remove his hands from around Jacob's neck. When the boy was in human form he could easily be overpowered by a vampire.

"Jasper!" Edward hissed, "He's not worth it. A dog is not worth your effort."

What would you have done if it was Bella he had threatened? He threatened Alice, and I will not abide by that.

Edward knew his brother was right, if Jacob had so much as touched a hair upon her head, or caused her any sort of unneeded anguish….he would tear him to pieces and damn the consequences

He grabbed Jasper's arms, and with great effort managed to separate him from Jacob, his brother straining against his tight grip.

"Get away from here Jacob." Edward warned, watching the boy quickly get off of the ground. "Next time, you might not be so lucky, and I may not care about the treaty if you threaten a member of my family."

Jasper stopped fighting and Edward watched Jacob's eyes dilate with what could only be fear. He could read his mind and see the fear that Jasper was instilling in him. He let go of Jasper, he knew his brother would not attack--physically at the very least.

"Next time…" Jacob's voice shook unnaturally. "I just might not leave."

--