Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, any of the characters in Twilight, or anything related to the books and/or movies. If I did, I would be way too busy- doing dirty things with the Cullen boys- to sit down at my laptop and write this story. The scenes that I did borrow from Stephenie Meyer have been revamped to fit my story.

A/N: JaspersBella, I definitely understand where the breakup and the hookup are really close in time with each other. I'm an impatient person, and I didn't want to have to have a bunch of build-up for Jasper and Bella, because I wanted their connection to be something immediate. It was something that was in front of everyone throughout the entire first book, but no one ever saw it because it was dormant.

A/N: WittyKate, Bella is not ½ vampire already. I don't know all the specifics of her power yet, but I just really wanted her to not have to be the weakling in the group. I wanted her and Jasper to be equal to each other so that they could have a real relationship.

Learning to Live Again

Chapter Twenty-Six: An Unexpected Visitor

We reluctantly emerged from my bedroom four hours later. I was exhausted and my legs were wobbly, so Jasper had his arm around my waist to support me. He had a smug smile plastered on his face, and I couldn't tell if he was proud of himself for causing this reaction in me or if he was basking in his own recent pleasure. Either way, I loved that smile and I loved that I was the cause for it.

We had been totally tangled up in each other when my stomach had started to growl, and we decided it was best to take a breather and get me some sustenance. We were now driving to the diner in town, neither of us wanting to stray too far from our homes today. I had my head rested against the back of my seat and was staring at Jasper. His hand reached over to my seat and rested on my leg. It was nice that he had the same urge for physical contact as I did.

We walked into the diner and were greeted with a cheerful hello from the normal waitress. She was used to me coming in here with my father but smiled when she noticed I was with a younger man today. We both ordered something, and I noticed that Jasper ordered something I would like so that it wouldn't be entirely wasted with his not needing to eat human food.

While we waited, Jasper scooted his chair right next to mine so he could wrap his arm around my waist. Jasper was whispering into my ear and I had my eyes closed, enjoying his voice and breath against my skin when someone came up to our table and cleared their throat. We both looked up from where we were to see Mike Newton staring at us with shock on his face.

"Bella… You're with Jasper, now? Edward's brother?!" His face was twisted with confusion, pain, shock, and anger. I could just imagine what Jasper was feeling right now. That upset me more than anything else, really. Just knowing that Jasper had to deal with Mike's mix of emotions sent me right over the edge.

"Yes, Mike, I am," I answered in a flat tone. He took a step back, never having heard my voice so distant before.

"How did this even happen? When did it happen?"

"Jasper and I have known each other for over a year now, and we just recently realized that we wanted to be together. I couldn't imagine being with anyone else," I stated, hoping he would get the hint and finally get over his little infatuation with me.

Mike nodded and turned to walk out of the diner. He took one last look at our table and let the door slam shut behind him.

"We are certainly eliciting some strange reactions from people in this town," Jasper said as he sat back against his chair. His arm around my waist dropped when he did this.

"Who cares, baby?" I leaned against him and wrapped my own arms around his waist before placing a kiss on his waiting lips. "As long as we're together, I don't care what anyone says or does about it. Our family supports us, and that's all that matters. They'll be the ones who are with us forever."

Before he could respond, our order was placed in front of us and the conversation was distinguished. I ate and Jasper watched in silence. He would move around the food on his plate to make it look like he was eating with me. I chuckled every time I saw him do this. We were leaving the diner, ready to go back to my house for some more time alone, when Jasper's cell phone rang.

"Alice?" Jasper didn't say anything for a few seconds, but his face scrunched with worry as we walked to his car. "Are you sure it's her?" Another pause while Alice spoke on the other end. We stopped walking, and I looked up at him. He instinctively wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me flush up against him. His eyes scanned the scenery around us as if looking for something or someone. "Two days?! How could none of us have noticed?!" He looked disappointed. I tightened my own arms around him, causing him to look down at me and smile slightly. "We'll be home in a few minutes, and we can discuss it all then."

Jasper closed his phone and continued to look at me. "What's going on, baby?" I asked him.

"It seems that even with Laurent out of the picture, Victoria is still causing trouble. Alice had a vision of her, and it appears that she has been in Forks for two days now. None of us have caught onto her scent because we've all been busy in our own worlds," he explained.

"What was she doing in Alice's vision?" I asked, scared of the answer but needing to know.

"She was watching you from the forest behind your house," he explained as he placed his arm around my waist and helped me into the passenger seat of his car. Within a second, Jasper was in the driver's seat and we were driving toward home.

"If she's watching my house, we have to make sure that Charlie's safe," I told Jasper, feeling my anxiousness rise in me. I was breathing heavier now and starting to get a headache.

Jasper reached across the front seat and placed his hand on my leg, sending calming waves into me. "Please stay calm, Bella. I will take care of this. Call Jacob and warn him that Victoria is in town so that he knows to keep an eye on things while Charlie's at the reservation today," he instructed. His voice was soft and assertive, something that remained from his military days as a human.

I reached into my purse and pulled out my cell phone, immediately dialing the familiar phone number. Jacob answered after a few rings. "Jacob, listen, I need your help."

I heard his breathing become ragged on the other end. "Bella, what happened? Did the bloodsuckers hurt you?! I swear to God, I will kill them all."

"No, Jacob, it's not that! The Cullens would never harm me," I answered impatiently. He was always jumping to conclusions and judging my loved ones. From the driver's seat, Jasper tensed slightly. "Last year, when I ran back to Phoenix and got hurt, there was a vampire after me. He wasn't like the Cullens, Jacob. He isn't a vegetarian," I explained. "They killed him for hurting me, and now his mate is after me. She's back in town, and I need you to watch Charlie while he's at your house today. Make sure he's safe, Jacob," I instructed.

"Who's this vampire that's after you?" he asked.

"Her name is Victoria, and she's very smart. She's been in town for a couple days now, but we didn't know. She has deep red eyes and long, red hair. Trust me, you can't miss her."

"Okay, Bells, I'll have the others scout the forest to see if we can pick up her scent. I'll stay close to home today with dad and Charlie just to make sure they're okay," he agreed.

I sighed with relief. "Thank you, Jake. Thank you so much. I know that you'll take care of Charlie for me. As soon as we find out anymore information, I'll let you know." I hung up the phone, giving Jacob time to speak with the rest of his pack and configure their own game plan.

As soon as I put the phone back into my purse, Jasper was opening the passenger side door for me and helping me out. He picked me up in his arms and we were in the living room surrounded by his family within two seconds. Something was to be said about vampire speed. It was very convenient when you were freaking out.

Carlisle and Esme were standing near the back entrance of the house, whispering to each other while Emmett was pacing at the bottom of the stairwell, obviously wanting to get to the action. Rosalie and Alice were both sitting on the sofa, not saying a word while Edward was at his piano playing a melancholy number. Jasper set me on my feet and I walked over to sit between Alice and Rosalie on the sofa. Alice immediately threw an arm over my shoulder, knowing how upset I would be with this turn of event. Rosalie- still adjusting to our new camaraderie- placed a comforting hand on my leg.

Jasper walked over to Carlisle and joined in the whispered conversation. They were speaking very heatedly and it was upsetting to know that they were trying to keep secrets from me. I rose from the sofa and walked slowly over to the three by the back entrance of the home. I placed one of my hands on Jasper's forearm, causing him to look down at me.

He reeled back a step, sensing the betrayal that I was feeling. When he looked at me with a puzzled expression, I explained my feelings to him. "We don't have any secrets between each other, Jazz."

He nodded softly, having realized what I was feeling being left out of this conversation when it was circling around me.

Carlisle, being his normal perceptive self, started talking. "Bella dear, Jasper was explaining to us that Jacob was keeping an eye on your father while he is visiting his friend on the Quileute reservation. It was a very good idea of yours, but I'm not surprised by that. You are always putting others before yourself."

"He's my father, Carlisle. You understand the importance of protecting your family." Jasper's grip around my waist tightened as he pulled me against him. "So what's the plan?" I asked. "What did Alice see in her vision?"