DISClaimer: I'm not Stephenie Meyer. I make no profit from this.

Hope you enjoy this.

-x-

Then I looked up at Quil and a huge wave of frustration bubbled up in my chest.

"You," I said as he reached forward and helped me out of the water, "Could have phased." The look on his face told me that he hadn't even thought of it.

-x-

Jasper's POV.

"Idiot." I snapped, looking for Mackenzie. She was nowhere to be found.

"Where is she?" Quil gestured towards the back of the cavern, still looking stunned at his own incompetence. "Look, jerkass, there's no need to look so stupid now. Can you phase and let them know you're alright?"

"I-" He looked around him, "I don't know if it'll work."

"What?"

"I could phase… I mean, I thought about it, but… Max has never seen me as a wolf and I didn't want to scare her, and I thought… see, usually, we're outside when we phase, no shitload of rock around us, you know?"

"You didn't think it was gonna work?" I could have hit him; I seriously could, because he shrugged. Like a frickin' five year old. "Couldn't you have… Oh, I dunno, given it a go?"

"I didn't want to screw up, give her false hope, you know?" He hissed the words, jerked his thumb at Mackenzie and I sighed, nodding tersely.

"Fine."

"Anyway, how did you find us?"

"Do you know the scale of the rescue operation going on out there?" I retorted, done with screwing around. I couldn't see the way out. I couldn't see how we were going to get out of this hell hole, but I could see why she had her head in her hands, and was staring at the floor.

The venom started to flow in my mouth even as I looked up at her. Quil must have caught the change in atmosphere, because he started blocking my view of her, waving his arms around in exaggerated gestures as he spoke.

"Well, I think we've got two options of escape," He said a little too loudly. Mackenzie looked up, her eyes wide, and half-rose. She felt a twinge of pain in her knee - I could feel it too, and she sat back down.

"Go on." I said, voice soft as velvet, attempting to draw her closer. It was an unconscious reflex, but one that wouldn't be followed up, as far as I was concerned. It was taking all my concentration to keep looking at Quil right now.

"Well, there's the gap at the top." He gestured to where there was light, seeping into the space around us. "I can't get up there." He paused and dropped his voice, "Not even if I phased - there aren't enough footholds, and none wide enough for paws." I nodded, sighed and stared at the floor. "I don't know… could you get Max out that way?"

"I don't want to get up to the top of there and there not to be enough room." I said softly. "I don't think… by the looks of the area, I don't think I'd be able to break down the stone - it looks to be the wall that's got all the weight on it - if I bring it down, the whole place will go." He nodded, "That said, there might be space."

I made a couple of calculations and took a running jump at the wall, hitting it with a loud crack and grabbing onto a ledge about thirty feet up from my first jump - about forty feet off the ground. I liked being a vampire right now. It was handy when you needed to jump quite a way.

I bit my lip and found purchase on the wall, trusting any and all strength I had in my arms to climb up that face. It was sheer, but my fingers found grips and I managed to pull myself up to the hole, looking out of it. It was about nine inches wide, not large enough to get my shoulders through, so I assumed Max would have an issue too - she was skinny, but not that skinny. This was a hole for a four-year-old to squeeze through.

Oh, and there was the issue that it opened out onto the open ocean, about two thirds of the way up the cliff face. That meant no ledges, nowhere safe enough to put Max while I squeezed out.

That left one other way. Back the way we'd come in. It took me perhaps eight seconds to work it out.

I pulled myself back into the semi-darkness of the cave, and threw myself down to the sand on the floor. The world shook for a second, and Mackenzie looked up at me. My stomach lurched as I saw the blood on her cheek. It was congealed, but there was some on her lips, some on her face, all drying, all incredibly attractive.

I took a couple of steps forward, and she stumbled back, nearly falling onto a rock. My fingers wrapped around her wrist within seconds, catching her in a half-ballroom-dip and I pulled her back onto her feet. She made a face, rolling her eyes up to the gap and shaking her head.

"I guess that's a no, then?" I looked at her; she was watching me, her face almost white with fear.

My brain stopped functioning as I stepped forward and touched her cheek, ran a finger along the base of the deep cut. She shuddered under my cool touch.

"How are you doing that?" she said softly.

"Magic," I laughed sarcastically, and she blushed, looked away. I had to get her to look at me as I explained how we would be escaping, so I took a breath, and tilted her chin up to look at me with my finger. "Hey, I got another trick for you."

"What?" she said, just as softly as before. A muscle twitched in her jaw and she closed her eyes.

"Did that hurt? God, I'm sorry-"

"Don't worry." She smiled softly, but it looked like it was hurting her. I felt a flash of pain across my cheek, between my sinus and my nose. I must have winced, because she smiled, "Are you hurt?"

"Nah, I'm ok." She tilted her head slightly. "OK, maybe there's some pain."

"I didn't think vampires could hurt," Quil butted in from his seat on the other side of the cave. I felt the jealousy as it crossed his mind. I watched her as she stepped away from me, looking down at the sand again.

"Do you want me to get rid of the blood? Would it make it better?" Max said before I could reply.

"Yeah," I nodded, "I think so." She smiled at me and I crouched down beside her, scooping water across her face and letting it trickle into the sand. I didn't want it in the water- I had realised the way we would be leaving, and I was scared that fresh blood would send me over the edge.

She chewed her lip as she looked up at me a minute later, flushing bright pink. I could still smell the blood on her; it was like a whole orchestra playing… well, a symphony, at me as I stared into her eyes. There was blood on her lips still, too. That had to go. I pulled her head towards me suddenly, and she tensed as I scrubbed at her bottom lip with my hand.

"What th-"

"The blood." I grunted, trying to hold my breath. She half-nodded and closed her eyes. There was a weird sensation coming from her as I dropped her gently and she hung her head. It was happiness. A twisted happiness, I'll grant you, but she was happy.

It had changed. When I'd broken the surface before, she'd looked terrified; the atmosphere had been tense, ridiculously strained. It appeared they had been in silence for a while. Now she was happy, now she was comfortable, and I looked at her, trying to work out why.

She blinked and looked at me, smiling, though there appeared to be a secret hidden behind those pretty blue eyes of hers.

-x-

I stood in the water now, looking at Max, desperate for her to get in at least up to her waist, so her lack of clothing would stop teasing me, so that I could focus on the task at hand. She stood uneasily on what, ten minutes ago, had been the edge of the water, but now was up to her ankles. She looked down at it and swallowed nervously.

"The tide's rising, Jasper." She said softly, "Quickly as well." I nodded, held out my hand to her. She smiled, a shot of pain grazed her face and the smile dissipated, she stepped into the water and took my hand.

"I know. But you'll be alright. I'll make sure."

Quil looked at her for a second, a dark blush rising in his face. There was something about their friendship that had changed; from before they'd been stuck here, to when I'd arrived, I was sure of it. But I couldn't pinpoint it. I'd ask her later, though. I would have to, or the suspense would kill me.

"You're gonna go first." I said to him, he stared at me as if I was mad. Like I was doing it on purpose - that as soon as he left, I would corner her and kill her, suck her blood, take her out of the equation. I stared back. "If we get stuck, two of us will die, because you'll be trapped behind us," He looked at me like I was mad again.

"Two of us?"

"I don't have to breathe, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. But that doesn't justify why you get to wait around-"

"Oh, shut up and go Quil. Just get out there and be safe, OK?" Max snapped at him and then looked at me, a blush rising in her face. She shuddered in the water and looked at Quil again. "Damnit, Quil. You're being an illogical pillock, and you know it. Just go. We'll be alright." He offered her a small smile and nodded, hyperventilating for a few seconds to pump as much air into his lungs as he could. He nodded at Max and I again, and strode away, diving into the water and disappearing into the tunnel, our escape route.

"We'll give it ten minutes, alright, Max?" She nodded silently and swallowed loudly. "You're scared."

"No." She said defiantly.

"Don't lie; I can feel it in your emotions."

"I know." She conceded, blushing darkly. "It's just-just that you're a vampire and I'm covered in blood and… this plan of yours just can't work."

I smiled and held out my hand to her. With a little hesitation, she took it and I led her back to the shallower water, I pulled her down to sit beside me.

"Listen, Max… I don't do the whole rescue mission thing for just anyone. You're a sweet, kind, funny person… and I'm sure you know how…" I couldn't say it, "How interesting you are… to many people around here." She looked away, chewing her bottom lip. "Seth's a good friend of mine. I had to help out. Especially because I'd saved you before - I know what kind of stupid scrapes you get yourself into." She shoved me playfully. "And there's no need to worry about the plan, I'm sure it will work."

"How can you be?"

"Do you want to practise? Will that make you feel better?" She giggled for a second, looked away. "Max, it's just like kissing-" OK, probably not the best way of putting it, but still. "You know what I mean."

"Can you do it?" She said softly. "Can you control yourself?" She gestured at the cut on her face but I took her words to mean something different.

"I'll try." I leaned forwards, "Let me get one practise shot in, alright?" She half laughed and held her breath for a second; I sucked in a lungful of air and pressed my lips to hers.

She felt so good against my cold skin - her body heat tingled, and I could feel the venom in my mouth, swirling around my gums. Very slowly, very gently, aware my desire to bite was stronger than it had ever been, I opened my mouth, used my tongue to part her lips, cursing my crapness at scrubbing the blood away as I tasted it, as I longed for it, as I controlled myself, breathed air into her mouth, and pulled away.

She shook against me and I looked at her.

"You did it." She murmured, not meeting my eye. There was a twisted emotion in the air, elation tainted with guilt. I nodded and blushed.

"Yeah," I smiled at her, running an embarrassed hand through my hair, "I guess I did." I pulled her to her feet, pulled her down, into the deeper water, and pulled her close.

"What are you doing?"

"Making this easier. I swim faster than you, even with you attached to me."

"What?"

"Wrap your arms around my neck and lock your legs around me."

"Excuse me?"

"Do you want to die?"

"No."

"Then do it." She pulled me into slightly deeper water, and jumped so she was clinging onto me with a surprisingly strong grip. "Take a load of deep breaths, close your eyes and put your head on my chest, alright?"

"Why?" She asked again. I was slightly preoccupied with her skin resting against mine. She had to repeat her question. "Why, Jasper?"

"Because, alright? I don't want to be too close to your blood."

"Right." She paused, "How will you know when I need air?"

"Headbutt me. Don't bother opening your eyes. It'll hurt you." I paused. "I'll control everything, OK?"

"Yeah." She started to take gulps of air, oxygenating her blood as she did so.

"Right. One last question," She looked up at me.

"What?"

"Do you trust me?" I needed to know. If she trusted me, I could trust myself. This girl seemed about as pure as… well, as pure as glacial ice. She looked at me, still hyperventilating slightly, and after a long couple of seconds, nodded, gasping in another breath of air.

I did the same and we held our breath. She pressed her head against my chest, and I threw the pair of us underwater, ready to get out of this… place.

-x-

A/N: Please review and let me know how I did... :P

Yay for Jasper's part in this... I love him so...

Well done MathsIsImmortal and BadWolfRose, for getting OxyJazz correct (MII's term for him, if I remember rightly) Excellent guessing, Ladies :P *gives huge hugs to both*

I'm really glad you all like it... so i'd appreciate more feedback...

And i'm really, really happy that you keep reading :)

Please Review!!!

Love you guys

xxx