Here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 34.

Jasper was just wondering if they could go back to their room first but the door to Emmett and Rose's room opened as soon as they neared it."Jasper?" Rose said; her eyes settling on Bella as she lay in his arms.

Jasper turned and walked past Rose, through the doorway. His hand reached up and stroked the side of her face, "Baby?" he whispers. Her face screws up a little, as if she was just waking up. Slowly her eyes open and she focuses on his face; locking his eyes with hers. Jasper is now sat on the couch in the corner of the room; aware of the family watching the two of them.

Bella finally moved to a sitting position and her arms shift from around his neck; grasping his arm and hand instead; she turns her head and looks at her family as they sit around them. "Hi." She says softly.

Esme and Rosalie rushed forward and swept her up into a hug; both of them talking to her at once; checking to make sure she was okay; their hands brushing her arms and back as if they're making sure she's still in one piece. Jasper has to fight the growl that wells in his chest as they approach them and reluctantly lets them hug her; however much his instincts are fighting against it.

"How are you feeling, Bella?" Carlisle asked once she was given some air by them both.

"Tired." She said; her voice still a whisper, "but kind of okay other than that."

"We'll let you get some rest soon." He said; smiling at her.

"It's okay; I'll be fine. I want to see you all; it feels like such a long time since I've seen you."

Emmett moved to the side of Bella and pulled her into his arms for one of his infamous bear hugs. Esme took the opportunity to turn to Jasper and wrap her arms around him. Jasper could feel her love and pride washing through him but he began to worry when he realized she was sobbing into his shoulder, "Mum?" he asked hesitantly.

Suddenly he could feel her anger and when she pulled away from him there was fire in her eyes, "Don't you ever do that to me again, Jasper Hale."

"I'm sorry, mum." He said, looking to the ground.

"Do you know how I felt when you told me that?" she said; her voice hardening with each question.

"What?" Emmett said.

"What did he say?" Bella asked; her eyes flicking to stare at her mate who was flooding the room with his embarrassment.

Esme's voice faltered for a second and another sob shook her body, "He told me he wouldn't be coming back if something happened to you."

"Jasper!", "What!" and "Son." Were shouted at the same time by Rosalie, Emmett and Carlisle.

Bella threw herself at him; hugging him tightly. "Please don't leave me," she whispered in his ear.

Jasper stood there for a few minutes; drowning in their emotional turmoil. He needed to get away; it was too much for him to take; it felt like his body was being pounded from all angles; considering what he'd been through the last few days this was the final straw and he needed some space for a few minutes. He pushed Bella away from them all. "Can you give me a few minutes?" he whispered, fleeing the room before they had a chance to answer him.

Even once he'd left the room it didn't feel like he'd got away from them; he ran to the room he shared with Bella; gasping for air as his body fought to remain in control. The conversation he'd had with Aro just minutes earlier spiraled through his head and he wondered if Bella had made the feelings he'd got from his family stronger and more overwhelming. He felt like a newborn all over again as agitation flowed through his system. He opened the door and walked out onto the balcony; needing the fresh air and openness to try and calm down. He sank to the floor and put his head on his knees as he took deep breaths; vainly trying to get some control back and failing miserably.

He heard the door to their room open and wondered who it was; if he could move he'd look and see but his body wasn't co-operating. No sound could be heard as the person sat beside him and Jasper let the silence grow.

"Are you okay?" It was his father that finally spoke and Jasper realized it was the right person to be there; of all the people in his family he was the one who remained calmest and therefore would have the least negative effect on Jasper.

"I've been better." He murmured; still sitting in the same position.

Carlisle put his arm around his shoulder and pulled him into a half hug. "Your mum was just worried about you; she'll be okay; she'll calm down. I think keeping it to herself just made it worse for her to deal with."

"I wasn't going to tell her but when I spoke to her; it slipped out before I could stop." He said quietly. "Aro was going to tell you for me if something happened; I spoke to him before I left."

Carlisle considered what he'd said in silence for a minute, "Why would you make that decision, son?"

"The thought of something happening to her fills me with dread; I know what it feels like to lose someone; I've already lost Alice…" his words faded and he took a deep breath, "My feelings for Bella are stronger than they were for Alice despite the fact we've been together a much shorter time and I can't go through that again. I decided that if something had happened to her, I would avenge her death and go down fighting. It was too painful to consider living without her."

"Do you think we would've found it easy to lose her; never mind if we'd lost both of you? Bella has brought this family closer than we ever were before; she has brought this family back to life in a way I didn't think was possible."

"I'm a better person because of her."

"That's not true, Jasper. You were always the person you are now; you just didn't let yourself live this way. You've been my son for over fifty years now Jasper and in the last few months I can see how you've grown and yes, the change in you is amazing but it was always there. Since the day you left Maria you were on the road to being the person you are now."

"I couldn't carry on living the way I was."

"I've always respected you and I don't think you ever realized. I don't think I could've gone through what you did and got to where you are now; in fact I don't think any of us could've." Jasper lifted his head and stared at his father. It was the first time he'd ever heard anything like this from his family. "Your gift has always been difficult for you too. Alice and Edward had it relatively simple in comparison to you; both of their gifts, while useful had very few downsides. Your empathy can be as much a curse as a blessing and I can't even begin to imagine how you deal with it."

"Thanks dad." He whispered; overawed by what he was hearing.

"There is one thing I want you to consider though should you ever think that way again."

"What?"

"If the worst was to happen and you were to fail a task; therefore resulting in your death; would you want Bella to choose to die as well?"

"No; never." Even as he said it he realized what Carlisle was trying to point out to him.

"Why is she any different to you? Both of you are equally important to our family, Jasper and never think otherwise."

"I can see what you're saying, dad."

"Do you feel ready to go back to the others now? Bella is worried about you and was upset when you left."

"I had to leave; it was too overwhelming to stay. I'm not sure if Bella heard but Aro said some things about Bella which I need to tell you all."

"That doesn't sound good."

"It's nothing too bad; just something we need to work on."

"Do you want to do that now then?"

"Yeah." Jasper got to his feet and walked with Carlisle back to his siblings' room. As he walked through the door they all turned to stare at him and it was only the presence of Carlisle's hand on his shoulder which stopped him from turning and going back to where he'd just been.

"There are some things Aro said that Jasper feels we should know." Carlisle said.

"What about?" Emmett asked.

"Bella." Jasper said; looking at her and seeing the confusion on her face. He'd been correct she hadn't been aware enough to take in what had been said. He could feel her fear as she continued to look at him and he had to grit his teeth as he saw her back away from him as he walked to the couch.

"Was that all he wanted to talk to you about?" Rose asked.

"No, he asked me to give him my opinion about some of the guard, based on what I saw while I was away." He replied. "So I told him what I thought. I'm not sure what he'll do with what I said."

"Did you tell him something he might not like?" Carlisle asked.

"I told him what I thought about Jane."

"Which was?"

"I said while she was one of his strongest assets, she is also his biggest weakness."

"Why?" Esme asked.

"Because she'd be the first person to turn against them if the situation was to her advantage."

"Do you think he'll listen to what you said?"

"I hope so; there was little point in him asking me to do it if he wasn't going to pay any attention to the bad bits. Most of what I said was good though."

"I thought you were having problems with some of them?" Esme asked.

"I was; Jane and Felix were my biggest problems. Demetri was the only reason the rest of them listened. He's a really nice guy; I have a lot of respect for him."

"So what did Aro say about Bella?" Rosalie asked; bringing the subject back in to where it began.

Jasper glanced at Bella and saw she was watching him, "He thinks she has more than one gift; the shield, obviously and that's probably why she wasn't in as much pain as I was when we were separated."

"And?" Carlisle said when Jasper paused and looked away from Bella; choosing to focus on his hands instead.

"He thinks she makes other's gifts stronger; less controllable." He said softly. There was silence after he said that; as if no one knew what to say. "Aro was talking to Bella about things he'd seen in our thoughts before she went away and usually his recollection of them is faint; but when Bella was there and she was absorbing what he was saying, he said it was as if we were both there and he thinks it was because of Bella."

"But we've never noticed any difference with your gift." Emmett said.

"Yes you have." Jasper said quietly.

Emmett looked surprised, "When?"

"Every time Bella and I are… together." Jasper couldn't look at his brother; very aware of the sensitive nature of what they were discussing and knowing he would be the first to tease them both about it. "At times my emotions are almost uncontrollable."

Emmett burst into fits of laughter, "Go Bells." He said with mirth; receiving a slap from his wife and mother and a heated glare from Bella.

Again the room descended into silence until finally Bella said something. "Is that why you love me?" she whispered.

"What?" Jasper said; stunned by the question.

"Is it my gift making your love stronger than it really is?"

"I don't know, Bella." He admitted.

"So, if I didn't have this gift, you might not love me?"

Jasper gasped as he felt the rejection she was feeling stab him through the chest. "I don't think so. I think it's just made us feel it a lot quicker than we would without it. Maybe that's why Marcus is so surprised by the depth of our feelings for one another."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For making you feel this way." She stood from the couch and walked towards the door; each member of her family watching in confusion as she made for the exit.

"Don't you think I've been wondering the same thing, Bella?" Jasper whispered. She froze but didn't turn around to face him; he felt her curiosity at what he'd said. "Like I said, my gift has been uncontrollable for months; ever since Alice and Edward died. Part of me has always wondered if I'm projecting my feelings for you, to you and affecting your feelings for me." He watched as she looked back at him over her shoulder, "I know what my feelings for you are though, Bella and I've never doubted them. The only thing I've ever doubted was how you felt about me." His last sentence was a whispered confession.

"Why?" It was a one word question and yet it was such a difficult question to answer.

"I don't understand how you can love me. I've never been able to understand how anyone can feel that way about me. I didn't with Alice and in some ways I didn't with Maria either; although it wasn't as important to me then that I believed it."

"Oh Jazz." Esme murmured; moving to him quickly and sweeping him into another hug.

"So it is important to you now that you believe it?" Bella whispered. Jasper nodded. "And you've doubted all along how I really felt about you?" she asked.

"A little."

Bella stared at him and concentrated on sending him how she felt; how every part of her loved him more than she'd ever thought possible. She watched as he felt the first flutter of her emotions and lifted his head from Esme's shoulder; his eyes widening as the wave ebbed through him. "Do you believe me now?" she asked softly.

He was at her side in seconds; wrapping his arms around her and then kissing her gently; his own feelings for her pushing into her hard and fast, leaving her gasping for breath as much as his kiss did. "Yes." He said eventually, once he pulled away from her, a small smile on his face.

"I love you, Jasper Whitlock." She said; her hand brushing the side of his face, "And we'll have no more talk of you doubting how we feel about each other."

"Okay." He said; pulling her close to him again.

TBC

A/N: Let me know what you think; send me a review. Next chapter, the long awaited third task... let's hope you like it after all this build up. :-)