This chapter is a debatable one. There are a few significant changes and additions. This is also where the time frame switches.

So again.. Thank you all soo much!! I love how many of you have added me to your alerts and/or favorites! :) Also thank you for all the reviews!! I will answer everything, though in some cases I don't want to give all of the details:)

Disclaimer: I own nothing Twilight!


APOV

Jonas has been here with us for a little over a month now, and it is like he is refusing to get close to us. We have all talked with him, and though it is an interesting and sometimes informative conversation, that is all it is. Other than that, he keeps to himself.

Most days he stays in the room Esme gave him except to come out and eat. She doesn't want to say anything, but I can tell it is hurting her feelings. What is with this guy? He comes here and tells us things that yes are hard to believe, but I have seen a lot of it, so I know it is true. But then he keeps his distance.

He obviously doesn't fear we are going to make a meal out of him or he wouldn't stay. But there is something going on, and I am going to find out what! I can't take this anymore. Whatever his problem is he is going to spill it. I walked up to his room, and opened the door without knocking.

"Jonas, we are going to talk. Come for a walk with me." Surprisingly he didn't fight with me about it, just got off the bed and walked out of the room. We walked downstairs, where the family was looking at me like they were worried. I looked straight at Carlisle.

"We are going to go for a walk and a talk, we will be back soon. Alright?" I looked over and Jonas was grabbing his coat as I said this.

"Alright Alice, we will see you in a little while." Carlisle still looked worried, but let us leave.

We walked in silence until I knew we were far enough away from the house that the rest of the family couldn't hear us. I stopped and turned to Jonas.

"Look Jonas, I don't know exactly what your problem is, but you are hurting Esme, regardless of the rest of us, you don't hurt Esme." He looked at me like I had lost my mind.

"What are you talking about hurting Esme? I am not doing anything of the sort." Great he is defensive. He really has no idea what I am talking about.

"Look, I am going to put this as simply as I can. Esme lives to make others happy, in whatever way she can. I believe in her mind, the fact that you spend most of your time avoiding us, except to eat, is making her think that you are unhappy. That maybe you don't like your accommodations, or the food she makes for you. Whatever it is. But I can tell that she is hurt by your actions, and that doesn't sit well with me." He looked down at the ground.

"Oh." Is that all he can say? Oh? What about I am sorry or some kind of explanation of his actions. Damnit!

"Is that all you can say?? How about explaining to me why you are acting this way?" He had better start explaining or he was going to see a very pissed off vampire.

"Look, I… I just can't afford to get close to any of you in a family way or any other way. When all of this is said and done, I am going to have to go back to my coven. That is going to be hard enough without having more connections here." Oh. Damn now that is all I can say.

"So you are avoiding us to not get close to us?" I softened my voice, I felt bad for him.

"Yes." He just kept staring at the ground, he wouldn't look at me.

"Well, maybe having friends outside the coven wouldn't be so bad. It doesn't mean that you have to stay, just have friends to communicate with outside of your coven. We all do, many that are the same, but especially Carlisle. He has friends all over the world that some of us have never even met."

"I'm sorry that I have hurt Esme, and I promise to be a little less secluded. But I can't promise friendship. This is hard enough. This family is nothing to what I have been taught to expect from vampires. Though I was told you all were different, I didn't think the difference would be so much." Well, at least he wouldn't be so secluded. It's a start.

"Alright, I will accept that for now. You want to head back?" I wasn't going to force him to stay out here. Though I couldn't feel it I knew it must be cold.

"Yeah, I guess we can." Before I could say anything else the vision hit me.

"No Charlie, Renee. NO! Oh Fuck…. I have to call Jasper!" I took off running completely forgetting Jonas. I ran into the house and grabbed the phone, dialing frantically. I started talking as soon as he answered.

"Jasper, Charlie and Renee are in trouble. Bella's house HURRY!!"

BPOV

It has been a little more than a month since Jasper and I had our talk in my bedroom, and we have only gotten closer. I tell him he is my other best friend, but I feel so much more for him. I try to hide my feelings when I am around him, but I think that my true feelings show sometimes.

I try to split my time evenly, but I don't always end up succeeding, as Jacob told me recently. Jasper has been getting a lot of my time. I feel bad that I have been doing that to Angela and Jacob. Though Angela seems fine with it, she is happy for me that Jasper and I are getting along so well.

Jacob is another story though. He keeps his part of the deal by not using derogatory terms when referring to Jasper or the other Cullen's. But he is constantly trying to give me reasons that I shouldn't be friends with him. I haven't had the heart to tell him that it goes so much deeper than friends now, at least for me.

Apparently the Elders (which I learned later consisted of Billy, Quil Sr., and Harry) agree with Jacob about the Cullen's, and agreed to let the pack run their shifts outside of the treaty line as long as it was ok with Jasper. But they refused to let Jasper on their land, and also kept the rest of the treaty in place.

I wish they would get over this nonsense of not trusting the Cullen's. They have never once broken their side of the deal. But Jasper says that I should just let it go. He understands their aversion to him, and will respect their choices. At least they let the wolves cross the treaty line so he doesn't have to cover the Cullen's whole side by himself.

Then on top of all this mess, strange things keep happening all around me. Jasper thinks that somehow I am doing all of this. Knowing when people are around before I see them, things still moving on their own, the weather changes. It's crazy! How can I be doing all of this? I just don't understand it.

Then last night the dream I had. I actually woke up in tears. Jasper, as has become our nightly routine, was staying over again in the rocking chair, but when I woke up in tears he came over and held me until I had calmed down. I told him that I didn't want him controlling my emotions all the time because I needed to feel my own emotions. So unless I asked him to, or he felt it absolutely necessary he didn't mess with my emotions.

But that dream, I just can't get it out of my head.

I was standing in the meadow that I had gone to with Edward. I could see someone walking towards me. At first I was scared. I thought it was Victoria, but I soon realized it was Asana. She had come back as she promised.

"My beautiful Isabella." She sighed wrapping me in a hug. I hugged her back, feeling comfortable in her embrace. She pulled back and looked at me.

"What is ailing you my dear? You are confused and worried. What is it?" I looked down. How did she always know these things?

"I…I am not sure. Weird things have been happening all around me that I can't explain, and other than you I know when people are near me. I can sense their presence so to speak. I don't even know how to explain the rest." I just wanted answers. She always seems to know. Maybe she can give me the answers I seek.

"Ah… Isabella now is not the time for you to find out what these things mean. Though I can tell you that these things happening are you. You are more powerful than even you know. I cannot explain now, but soon my dear, soon. Do not fret over these things too much though, they are not bad." She hugged me again, kissed my forehead and continued.

"Now my dear, I am sorry to say my time is again short, and I must tell you some things. The next few days are going to be some of the hardest you have ever experienced. Worse even than when Edward left you. You must stay strong. Jasper will be your rock and you will be his. But he must tell you of his past first. There are things you need to know to be able to go forward on your path.

Isabella, Jasper is the one you have been waiting for. He is your forever love. This you must know because the time will soon come where you have to make the most important decision. You have made all the right choices so far, I just hope that you do so again. Love Charlie and Love Renee, never stop, no matter what. You must remember that."

Her eyes were glistening with tears as she finished. "What do you mean Asana? What are you telling me? I don't understand."

"You will find out soon my dear." Her voice was starting to drift, and I could see the tears rolling down her face.

"Asana no, don't leave. I need to know, I need to understand!" I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks. I wasn't ready for her to leave yet.

"Soon Isabella, soon you will understand. I am sorry I am out of time. Remember Jasper is your rock, ask him about the past and love…" She was gone.

That was when I woke up and cried on Jasper's shoulder. I waited until this morning to tell him about it, though I left out a few parts. Charlie had gone fishing for the day, and though I told him I would be home for the day, I wanted to go out to talk with Jasper. I asked Jasper if we could go on a picnic later, I wanted to tell him all of it, but I needed to hear his story first.

He agreed to go, but didn't want to go too far in case Victoria decided to make another appearance. It has been a week since she was last spotted. Jasper almost caught her this time, but she made her way to the treaty line and disappeared before he could catch her. He went to let the wolves know that they didn't have to watch the house as close because we wouldn't be there.

When he came back I had my lunch ready in the picnic basket, so he picked it up, threw me on his back and we were off. I closed my eyes until he stopped, now would not be a good time for me to get sick. Though riding in his back was very different, and I enjoyed it more. We stopped in a clearing similar to the one the Cullen's had played baseball in, but much smaller.

I laid the blanket out and sat down, not ready to eat yet. I looked up at Jasper and he sat down.

"Bella, what is it? I can feel you want to ask something but are scared to. Does this have to do with the dream?" Shit! Did he knew I withheld some parts of the dream. Damn empath.

"Yes Jasper, in many ways it does. I have to ask you something, and I don't know how you are going to feel about it." He just looked at me and nodded for me to continue.

"I… I want to know about your past Jasper. Your past before the Cullen's." I watched his face as I said this to him. He went from shock to anger, to pain, back to shock and anger.

"Bella, why… what made you bring that up?" He was doing his best to keep his voice quiet and I could tell. I hadn't wanted to upset him, but Asana had said this was something that I needed to know. I just hoped that he was willing to tell me about it.

"I left out parts of my dream, because I didn't want to talk about them then. But Asana said I needed to know about your past. I am not sure why, but I trust her Jasper. Will you please tell me?"

JPOV

Who the fuck was this Asana? How did she know all of this? What is the importance in me telling Bella my past? I could tell that she didn't even have an inkling as to what my past truly held. She was only putting out worry and curiosity. I could tell from her face that the worry was my reaction to what she had asked.

I wasn't ready to tell her about my past. It was something even Alice was slightly ashamed of, though she never wanted to admit it to me. Why the fuck did this Asana have to tell Bella to bring it up?! Damnit! There is no getting away from it now. I took a deep unneeded breath and looked at Bella who just seemed to be watching me as I figured this all out in my head.

"Bella what did Edward tell you about my past?" I had to know if she really did know anything or not.

"Honestly Jasper he really didn't tell me anything. He felt that everyone's stories were their own to tell." She gave me another curious look, and I could see it in her eyes as well as feel it coming from her.

"Bella, my past is… not pleasant. I have done many things I am not proud of. If I tell you about my past… I am afraid that your feelings for me will change." Though I am not even sure what those are at the moment.

I knew we were friends, and we were good as friends. I looked forward to every moment I got to spend with her, and the more time that we spent together, the more that she laughed. I love her laugh, it is music to my ears. I loved everything about her. There were times that my thoughts got away from me, and I thought about her in ways that I probably shouldn't. But I can't help myself at times, the love that I feel… It is immeasurable to anything I have ever felt before.

But I wasn't sure of her feelings yet, sometimes I let my hope get the best of me, thinking that what I felt coming from her was the same as my feelings for her. But then I was back to feeling pure friendship from her. I didn't want to push her, so I just cherished the friendship that she gave me.

But would I lose even that if I told her? I sure as hell hoped not… But it worried me.

"Jasper, I am going to tell you this now, and I will repeat it when you have told me your story. The past is the past. Everyone has things that they regret in their past. If we hold the past against one another, then we would never move forward." She smiled at me as if that was supposed to ease my fears.

I smiled back trying to let her think that it did. But my past is not one that is so easily set aside. It is the reason the family didn't trust me around her, or any human for that matter. But I wanted to believe her so badly. And she truly believed what she said. Could I do this? Could I tell her of my past?

I held onto that small spark of hope that she had given me that she wouldn't hate me as I began to tell her my story. I told her all of it, not leaving a thing out. If she truly wanted to know my past, I was going to put it all out there on the table for her to see and judge as she saw fit.

I told her about my military days, meeting Maria and her sisters, my change, and how I was put in charge of the newborns because of my power. She grimaced, as I continued with my story, and I could feel hatred and sadness coming off of her. But I didn't stop. I told her about Peter and Charlotte, and how they initially saved me from that life.

I concluded my story with the meeting of Alice, and coming to the Cullen's. I had felt so many emotions coming off of her during my story that I was scared, to look into her eyes. I didn't want to see the hatred or the pain, or the sadness. Her emotions were almost unbearable. So I just sat on the blanket, staring at it, waiting for the words to come. The words that would break my heart, beating or not, I knew it would break.

BPOV

I didn't know what to say. I was shocked to say the least. I had never expected something like this when I asked him about his past. I knew he had a hard and very different beginning than the rest of the Cullen's. But this… Never this.

I was angered and sad at the things he had done, but mostly pissed at the shit this Maria had put him through. There were so many emotions running through me, I didn't even know how to explain them. The shock, anger, and sadness were just the gist of what I had felt as he told me about Maria. I had felt hatred, fear and worry just to name a few more. But when he got to the part about Peter and Charlotte I had felt a bit of happiness and of course concern for him.

I knew that had been hard on him, to leave the only life he had known since becoming a vampire. But to me it showed how strong he really was. Then he got to the part about Alice, and that was just humorous. Though I heard the love he still felt for her seep into his voice as he told me their story. It made me a little sad, but I was so happy at the same time that he had found Alice, and she had led him to the Cullen's.

I was absentmindedly rubbing my scar as I thought through all that he had told me. I knew he was waiting on me to say something. I just wasn't able to find the words yet. The sky had gotten darker as he told me his story, and it fit the mood of it. I stared at the sky for a minute finding my voice and the words before I spoke.

"Jasper I…" He stopped me with a shake of his head. He wouldn't even look at me.

"Bella, it's ok. I understand. You don't have to say anything, I will take you home." He never looked up from the blanket, and I didn't know what he was talking about.

"Jasper, I don't know what you are talking about." I stopped, my emotions, he could feel all the emotions that I had, and had interpreted them wrong. How dare he assume?!

"Jasper Whitlock Hale Cullen, you look at me right now!" He looked up but he wouldn't meet my eyes. So I grabbed his chin and got within a few inches of his face.

"I told you before you told me that story that the past is the past. Yes, there were many things in your story that disgusted and angered me. But more than anything it saddened me that you had to go through that. What amazes me is that you don't realize how strong you are. You, you Jasper, after all that bitch put you through, and all you did, were able to leave. Even after you left though, you fought against your instincts. You did not enjoy feeding off humans.

Then when Alice found you, you immediately jumped on the vegetarian train so to speak, without looking back. And even though you had to struggle with it more than the others, you did, you fought your instincts again and again. Your past is, you're right, not pleasant, but it does not define who you are. Who you are is the strong man sitting in front of me, who has managed to change himself against the odds that were set in front of him."

I took a breath and realized he had finally looked at me I almost got lost in his eyes again before remembering that there was more I had to say. I kept eye contact with him and spoke again.

"Jasper, don't ever doubt yourself. We are who we are because of our pasts, and because of yours you are a strong, kind, caring man. Who can be as fierce as they come when he needs to be." There was so much more that I wanted to say to him, but I couldn't get it out. I mean really how hard is it to say I love you Jasper? But then I remembered the love in his voice when he spoke of Alice, and knew why I couldn't tell him.

"Bella I… Thank you." He gave me a half smile and continued. "You are the only person who had ever looked at my past in that way before. You will never know how much the faith you have in me means to me." Then he surprised me and pulled me into a hug. I relished in the hug for the time that it lasted.

He pulled back and looked at me. "Now did you bring that food for it to go to waste, or did you plan on eating it?" I laughed a little, but opened the basket and got out a sandwich. I knew he was trying to lighten the mood, but there was one more serious question I needed to ask.

"Jasper, the scars that you told me you had. Will you show them to me? Please?" I looked at him hopefully, but his face had fallen.

"Bella, I… they…" He stopped and looked at me again. "Yes Darlin, I will. I can't right now because you wouldn't be able to really see them without the sun. But I will." Darlin? He called me Darlin?! Damn that was sexy, and he even had the twang, he normally didn't have the southern accent, but in that sentence he did. Wow, I love his voice even more with it.

With all the seriousness covered, for now anyway, we fell into another of our easy talks about anything and everything. The accent stayed and I was all the more happy for it. I told him about the other parts of my dream that I had left out before. He took it all in, and gave me his opinions of all of it. It always made me feel better to talk with him.

I kept watching for the sun to come out, because I had hoped he could show me his scars today, so he knew he didn't have to worry about it. But unless the sun miraculously came out from behind the clouds….

As soon as I thought it, the clouds parted and the sun was shining. I looked over at Jasper, knowing that all though he wasn't comfortable with it, he would keep his word. He stood up and slowly took off his shirt.

I gasped, the sun showed all of the scars perfectly. They covered his entire upper half, many overlapping the each other, so much in some places, that you couldn't tell where one began and the others ended. But regardless of the scars, he was beautiful. His body glistening in the sun, he looked gorgeous, even Edward paled in comparison.

I looked into his eyes that were cautious, and smiled at him.

"Thank you for showing me that Jasper. I know it took a lot of strength. It means a lot to me that you did." I stopped getting lost in his eyes again. I don't remember standing up or putting my hands on his chest. I just know that all of a sudden I was, with my hands grasping everywhere they could, and my lips pressed to his.

He moved his lips from mine, kissing all over my face so that I could breathe and without thinking I whispered the words that I had been holding in all day. "I love you Jasper."

JPOV

I was kissing all over her face. Hey eyelids, forehead, nose, anywhere I could get my lips. I couldn't put into words how happy she had made me feel today, so instead I showed her. When she gave her speech after my story, I realized just how much I loved her. It was more than I even thought possible. The love that I thought I felt for her was nothing compared to the love that I now knew I felt for her.

Then she spoke the most precious four words that could ever come out of her mouth. "I love you Jasper." If I could cry, in that moment I would have. But instead all I said was, "Oh Darlin, I love you too."

She looked up at me and had tears in her eyes. I kissed them away as they spilled over, and then kissed her gently on the lips again. As I pulled away and looked at her again, amongst the love that I felt coming from her I felt sadness. I pulled her to me in a hug and asked about it.

"What is it Darlin? What is wrong?" But before she could answer my phone rang. I answered quickly without looking, and heard Alice screaming at me.

"Jasper, Charlie and Renee are in trouble. Bella's house HURRY!!" I hung up, looked at Bella, and with Alice's screaming she had heard too. I threw my shirt on, put her on my back and started running.


I hope that everyone had a Great New Year's first off!!!! I know that I enjoyed mine.

Sorry to leave you hanging, I will update soon!!

Again everyone, the reviews are great!!!!! I enjoy going through them!! They encourage me to keep going! Keep them coming! Remember, the more Reviews, the faster I type, and the faster I will post!! :) Also, again, for those of you who Review I will send you a sneak peak of the next chapter.

I know that this chapter skipped around alot, but there was so much I wanted to fit in. Sorry if it gets confusing. I am getting to the point where all is revealed, soon I promise!! So keep reviewing, and telling me your opinion, and questions. Til next time everyone ;) Review, Review, Review