The Twilight characters are owned by Stephanie Meyer.
Mynxi beta'd it and made it much better! Thanks babe!
Thanks to butterflykiss69 for being the first to review it!
Chapter 2
BPOV
The crowd at the bar picked up steadily. I fell into my normal groove, making the rounds at my tables and picking up extra orders from the groups of people standing throughout the bar. There was a good vibe tonight. The dance floor was packed and the DJ was excellent. The good music made it easier to work as I almost danced table to table. I flashed a grin at Kristin, one of my favorites among the other waitresses. She winked at me and the next time we passed each other we turned around and danced for a second, grinding our asses against each other while balancing our trays. As expected, there were cheers from the men in the crowd. We laughed and split up, heading back to our respective tables. We had a lot of fun together, but we knew if we got too raunchy it would give the jerks in the crowd the "wrong impression."
I brought a tray of empties to the bar and placed them in the bin. I waved at Nicole, the bartender, pointing to bottles indicating what I needed refills on. She nodded her understanding and went to work getting the beers I needed. After she had them gathered, I ducked behind the bar and loaded up my tray. "It's kickin' in here tonight, huh Izz?" she quipped.
"Yeah, should be good tips, right?" I grinned back.
"Should be, but I hope the crowd doesn't get too rowdy," she said, frowning. Jon, the club's owner was an iffy character. He had only one bouncer for the entire club, and he was stationed near the door. It was a long walk through the crowd if there was trouble deeper inside and the waitresses knew we were pretty much on our own with "over friendly" customers. For the most part it wasn't a problem. We were good at identifying sketchy characters and watched each other's backs.
"Don't worry Nic, I'll protect you, baby," cracked Ian, the other bartender.
"Whatever, and don't call me baby!" she snapped back, rolling her eyes. Ian was crazy over Nicole and everyone knew it. She apparently didn't return his interest and kept him pretty much at arm's length. I'm sure it made for good entertainment for the lucky people sitting at the bar.
I smiled and backed away from the bar, ready to offload my booze. As I walked, I noticed a wave from one of my tables. I looked up and groaned to myself. Kevin, one of the regulars, and a group of his friends had found a spot in my section. I acknowledged the wave and began to mentally prepare myself for the aggravation I knew was coming. His whole crowd was touchy feely, but Kevin was worse than average and had recently begun to pester me for my phone number. This was despite the fact that his girlfriend also frequented the club and often with him. I noticed the girlfriend was absent tonight and he was openly leering at any female who caught his eye. I forced a polite smile on my face and approached the table. "What'll it be tonight, guys?" I asked.
"Three Buds, a Miller Lite, and you on my lap, Izzy!" he called out, looking smug.
"I'll grab your beers no problem, but I'm afraid I'm not on the menu tonight," I sighed, turning away.
"Come on, don't be that way Izzy, you know it's just a matter of time," he said, smirking. I just ignored him as I walked off to fill the order.
The night continued in the same vein, with the suggestive comments getting more and more frequent from their table as the drinks flowed. I was trying to stay polite, but my temper was wearing thin. Finally, after overhearing Kevin describe a fantasy of my mouth on his dick in a loud voice, I had had enough. "Ok, Kevin, that's it. You're way over the line and they don't pay me enough to listen to this shit all night. Here are the beers you ordered, you can get the rest on your own. I won't be taking care of this table any more while you're here." My words were clipped and I knew my eyes were blazing at him.
"Well, well, I wouldn't have pegged you as a wildcat, little Izz. I like a sassy girl. Come on, I just want to get to know you!" he called out as his friends egged him on. I felt movement behind my back, and noticed Kristin had come to stand behind me. "Oh, even better, a friend!" he shouted, to the cheers of his friends. "Is that why you play hard to get, Izzy? You're playin' on the girls' only team?" The tables around exploded in cat calls and whistles. We had an audience now. I reached around and moved Kris to my side and wrapped my arm around her.
"Know what Kev?" I yelled. "I've tried to let you down easy, I've tried to stay polite. But now we need to get some shit straight. You have zero chance with me. You exist in my personal 'No Fuck Zone.' You as a person are in violation of all three of my 'No Fuck' policies." I raised my hand as I counted them off on my fingers. "I don't fuck where I work, I don't fuck someone else's man, and I never, EVER fuck someone who thinks it's any of their business who I've fucked before."
There was a momentary silence from our captive audience, followed by an explosion of laughter and more cat calls. There were cheers for me and laughter at Kevin. His face was red with anger. He shoved his chair back, stood up and walked toward me. I quickly whispered to Kris to go find our bouncer Dean. I turned back to find Kevin in my face. The crowd surrounded us and I heard cheers for him now. "Teach her how a real man does it! Don't take that lip from a bitch!" I realized I couldn't count on any support from the customers. A bar fight is a good thing to walk away from if you don't have a stake in it, and most of these people would just watch to see how it played out. "Izzy, you are gonna regret talking to me that way!" Kevin began to roar. Suddenly, I felt a coolness behind my back. Kevin backed up slightly. His face changed, an unsure expression settling on it. Before I could turn to see what had happened behind me, I heard a quiet voice.
"Are you ok here, Izzy?" I instantly recognized the perfect smoothness and resonance of the words. A vampire was standing behind me. My heart stuttered and then began to pound. I forced myself to inhale, but my breaths were shallow. The panic threatened to swallow me, but I tamped it down with all my strength. I turned slowly around to see what face my death would wear. The vampire was tall, so at first I saw only a black shirt and jacket. I raised my eyes to his face and gasped in shock as I registered the amber colored eyes staring back at me.
My mind reeled in recognition. I whispered the first words that popped into my mind. "I'm great, Jasper. How the hell are you?"
JPOV
As I entered the bar, I noticed it was more crowded tonight. The crowd was rowdier and I felt strong emotions assail me as I searched for a quiet place to watch and wait. I knew Bella was here somewhere. Her scent was faint but present. I scanned the room and caught sight of her. She was laughing and dancing with another waitress, much to the enjoyment of the surrounding crowd. I winced as a huge wave of lust hit me. Bella genuinely seemed to be having fun in the moment, which was a big change from the Bella I had known. She seemed much more comfortable in her own skin than she had back in Forks, able to be the center of attention without feeling self conscious. I watched as she and her friend stopped their dance before the crowd got too rowdy and got back to work. I made my way to the crowded bar and purchased my obligatory beer, making sure to avoid Bella as she worked. I noticed where her section of tables seemed to be and found a spot to stand where I could watch her without being caught. She moved busily back and forth from table to table as the night when on.
I let my thoughts wander to the Bella I had known in Forks. My interaction with her had been limited by Edward's constant concern for her safety around me. The time we spent in Phoenix hiding from James had been less than informative about her, other than the fact that she worried intensely for the people she loved and would sacrifice herself to protect them. I experienced the affection Alice felt for her continually and Edward's obsessive love for her was ever present when he was around. However, almost all of my knowledge about her was second-hand from the others. Her shyness and my lack of control had prevented us from spending time with each other after we all returned to Forks. Then there was my complete failure at her birthday, when I would have ended her existence if I hadn't been stopped.
I recalled that night with perfect clarity. I remembered so clearly the instant the paper sliced her fragile finger. I heard her gasp as she recognized the danger. I froze and stopped inhaling, aware of the danger. Before I could move, Edward pushed her away from me, into the stupid glass table. The crash of the glass shattering and the sound of the shards slicing her flesh was deafening to my ears. I felt the rush of blood lust, my own and that of my family members. I was helpless to stop my lunge toward her, even as I prayed my family would stop me. Thankfully, they had prevented me from reaching her, but the damage was done. My weakness would cost her her happiness, as Edward became determined that she should live a life free of the risk he brought.
I shifted my thoughts back to the present as I watched her work. I could tell she was growing tired as the night wore on. She kept a pleasant expression, but I noticed her eyes tighten every time she interacted with a guy at one of her tables. I narrowed my focus onto their conversation and immediately understood her aggravation. He was clearly an asshole, harassing a busy waitress. I was surprised to feel anger was his predominant emotion, closely followed by his desire for Bella. I edged closer as I heard their exchanges become more and more aggressive and insulting. She seemed to be holding her own, but I noticed there was little back up available to her if things got rough. I had to restrain myself from laughing out loud as I overheard Bella's explanation of her "No Fuck Zone". My first thought was of Emmett and how he would have been rolling on the floor in laughter, to hear sweet Bella say such a thing. I broke out of the thought as I felt the wave of fury coming from the asshole as he stood up and moved toward Bella. Shit, time to make my presence known.
I pressed myself quickly through the crowd, being careful to control my movements to avoid injuring the humans I was pushing aside. I moved into place behind Bella and watched the asshole's face change as he registered my presence. I felt his confusion and noticed as his anger became tempered by some fear of me. "Are you OK here, Izzy?" I asked, emphasizing the name she was apparently using. I kept eye contact with him, but was completely aware of Bella's reaction to me. She still faced away, but her heart rate was furious and her breathing was ragged. I felt a swift rush of terror from her, but it disappeared almost instantly into nothing. She slowly turned around to face me as her heart continued to pound in her chest. She slowly raised her eyes, and I finally looked away from the asshole as her gaze met mine. Her brown eyes dilated slightly in surprise as she recognized me. Her breathing remained fast and erratic as she gasped out, "I'm great Jasper. How the Hell are you?"
I bit back laughter again, but couldn't stop a smile from crossing my lips. My humor was short lived, as I noticed her breathing hitch. She staggered slightly and I quickly raised my hands to her arms to steady her. The instant my hands touched her flesh, we both froze. It was more than the shock of the temperature difference between us. It was as if the room around us evaporated and we were the only two people there. A complete sense of peace fell over me and I noticed an absence of my thirst for human blood for the first time since I had adopted the Cullen family's lifestyle. I felt Bella's heart rate and breathing even out as she regained her balance. We stared at each other wordlessly for a moment before I released her, never losing eye contact. "Interesting," I said aloud, wondering if she had felt anything at my touch.
"Always," she replied enigmatically, her heart rate increasing again.
I noticed the approach of the bouncer before she did. "What's the problem, Izz?" he bellowed, glaring at my position near her. I kept my expression neutral, but I was inwardly grimacing as he clearly misunderstood the situation.
"It's all good now, Dean," Bella said quickly. "That piece of shit over there was giving me a hard time, but he's settled down now."
"How 'bout blondie there behind you, Izz? He cool?" I felt glad that the bouncer was double checking the situation before leaving Bella on her own.
"Yeah, he's cool Dean. He's an old friend." She smirked slightly as she said friend. I winced, wishing I could feel her emotions. I noticed that her heart was racing again and wondered what she was thinking. I had never wished any harm on Bella Swan, but in that one moment on her birthday I had been far from a friend to her.
"Ok then Izz, if you say it's good, it's good," the bouncer replied as he turned to leave. Bella turned to her waitress friend.
"Kris, I'm gonna get a smoke, catch my breath. Can you watch my tables a minute?" "Sure thing, take your time," the waitress replied as she turned in relief to go back to work. Bella's eyes met mine again and she raised an eyebrow.
"Can I keep you company?" I asked softly.
"What if I say no?" she whispered.
"Then I walk out of here and you never have to see me again" I replied quietly but firmly. "Just say the word and I'll go." She raised an eyebrow as if she doubted the truth of my statement. I opened my mouth to try to convince her, but she began talking first.
"Ok then, you can meet me in the back. I have to go get my jacket." I nodded as she slipped toward the back of the club.
I turned to make my way to the exit and noticed the asshole and his friends remained at their table. I approached them slowly, projecting menace as I walked. "Alright dumbass, this is your one and only warning. If you EVER give that girl a hard time again, this face is the last thing you will ever see." My tone was cold and flat, leaving no room for questions. Their eyes widened as they all nodded their heads. Pussies! Pissing themselves at just one threat. I made my way through the crowd to the exit and around to the back door.
Bella was already there, sitting on the steps, arms wrapped around her knees. She had her head up scanning the alley and she saw me as I walked toward her. She was trembling slightly and I felt a whisper of her fear. I stopped about ten feet away from her. "Bella?" I said softly. "Can I come closer, or do you want me to leave?" Her eyes widened again and she raised her head slightly.
"Who are you here with, Jasper?" she whispered, knowing I would hear her.
I sighed softly as I understood her question. "No, Bella, I'm here alone. The others aren't around."
"Good," she whispered again. I listened to her heart rate calm and wondered why she would be afraid to see the others.
"Can we talk, Bella?" I asked softly.
"I have to go back to work now, Jasper. If you want, you can meet me after closing at three," she suggested.
"Ok, then, I'll be waiting here for you." She nodded as she stood and made her way back into the bar.
"Bella, if you need me in there, just say my name. I'll hear it."
She looked at me flatly. "I'll be fine."
I made my way back inside, not arguing when I had to pay the cover again. I walked past the bouncer and he met my eyes. I was surprised, since most humans instinctively avoided close contact. "Izzy OK?" I nodded at him. "Good, she better stay that way." I smiled slightly and kept walking. His emotions toward her were protective and affectionate. He had good intentions, but his threat was empty. If I meant her harm, he would be powerless to help her. I checked my watch, noting that I had two hours to kill until closing. I found a table as people gradually started to leave.
I kept a close watch on Bella, but she didn't seem to have any more trouble from her customers. I could see her growing more tired and dark shadows were forming under her eyes. The crowd continued to thin and finally last call was announced. The last stragglers finished up and wandered out. Bella was carrying a tray of empties to the bar. I walked over to her. "I'll wait for you in back again?" She met my gaze and nodded.
"I have to wipe my tables down and then get changed. I'll be about twenty more minutes," she said apologetically.
"I'll be waiting" I told her.
Fifteen minutes later I waited by the back entrance as the door opened and Bella stepped out. I noted that she was wearing jeans and sneakers again. I watched Bella hesitate at the door and scan the area before stepping out. "Who are you watching for, Bella? Did that shit head give you more trouble?" The tiniest trace of a smile crossed her lips.
"No, the shit head is the least of my worries. Vampires, Jasper. I'm watching out for big, bad vampires."
At first I thought she was joking, but the expression on her face told me she was serious. "Bella, the chances of a random vampire attacking you are pretty small, especially in a city with so many people around. You don't smell as tempting to all of us as you do to Edward. I imagine it's hard to stop worrying about something like that, but you should be pretty safe."
Her face hardened a little. "Thanks for the vampire survival advice, Jasper. FYI, it's not the 'random' vampires I worry about. It's the ones who are looking specifically for me." I was shocked by her statement.
"Looking for you?" I said incredulously. "Bella, will you please tell me what's going on? What makes you think vampires are looking for you?" Her shoulders slumped and she broke my gaze.
"It's a real long story, Jasper," she murmured.
"I've got nothing but time, Bella." I watched her debate with herself and began to worry she would tell me to leave her alone. "I meant what I said. If you tell me go, I won't bother you again. But Bella, if you're in trouble, especially vampire trouble, I want to help." I watched a single tear fall from her right eye and felt a ripple of despair from her before it dissolved away.
"Ok then. You can walk me home. We can talk there."
With that, she turned and walked down the alley toward the subway station she had used the night before. I quickly caught up to walk beside her. Her pace was fast for a human and her eyes constantly searched the dark streets. I tried to reassure her, "There are no vampires around here, Bella. Not for several miles at least. I haven't bumped into many since I got here. If someone gets closer, I'll know it."
"Thanks, Jasper, but it's a habit now," she replied. I sighed, wondering how long she had been living with this fear. We reached the subway station and waited for the 1 train. When it came, we entered an empty car.
"Where do you get off?" I asked.
"145th street," she answered. I shuddered to think of her on such a long subway ride by herself at night. We took seats across from each other and rode in silence. Bella's face was so drawn and tired. I could almost feel her forcing herself to stay alert.
"Bella, I promise, if someone comes, I'll tell you. Human, vampire, swamp monster, no one's going to sneak up on me." She didn't smile at my weak monster joke, but regarded me closely with her tired brown eyes. I watched another internal debate in those eyes before she closed them and leaned against the window of the subway car.
"Thanks," she whispered. Her body curled around her shoulder bag and her breathing gradually slowed. She didn't fall into sleep, but at least she could mentally rest. She opened her eyes as we reached her stop, confirming that she had been awake. We exited the train and made our way up the stairs at the station exit. "My building is three blocks up and two over to the left," she told me. I nodded my head and we continued on. We walked in silence, and I followed as she led me toward a nondescript apartment building.
The neighborhood appeared borderline dangerous and again I shuddered at the thought of Bella walking here at this time of night by herself. "I know the places to avoid, Jasper." She seemed to read my mind. I made no reply, not wanting to piss her off. We entered the building and she led me up the stairs to the 5th floor. "Sorry, the elevator gets stuck" she apologized.
"I lived before they existed, Bella. I'll make it up the stairs fine." She twitched her lips slightly upward and unlocked the door to her apartment.
The apartment was small and dilapidated, but very clean. There was little furniture and no carpeting. I smelled the scent of the sleeping human on the couch in the living area. I noticed his blood smelled of strong narcotics and narrowed my eyes. Bella walked over to him and gently moved a blanket over his shoulders. Her expression was sad and gentle. I wondered about the nature of their relationship and felt frustrated at my inability to read her emotions. Hopefully I would get a better read on the situation when he awoke. She saw my intense look at the sleeping man. "Don't judge him, Jasper. He's a decent person, even now."
"Bella, I don't care what he does to himself. I just don't like the thought of you living with a drug addict. Addicts are unpredictable and you don't know what he might be capable of."
She drew a breath. I mentally winced, fearing I had crossed a line with her. I prepared for her outrage, but instead she just whispered, "I know. My room is this way."
She led me down the short hallway to a tiny room with cinderblock walls, filled mostly by the full sized bed. There was a small closet and a tiny dresser. There were piles of clothes folded neatly on the floor, and I was struck again by how clean the space was. Bella grabbed a couple of toiletries and some clothes and turned to leave the room. "I'm going to go wash this shit off my face and change," she said as she headed toward the bathroom.
When she returned a few minutes later, I was struck by the sight of her face free from the heavy makeup she worked in. Her skin was still porcelain fair, but her cheekbones were more prominent. Dark circles under her eyes spoke of long fatigue. She was dressed in flannel pants and at least two shirts. I frowned as I noticed how cold the apartment felt and realized she must be freezing. I forced myself to look away, fearful of being caught staring. She put away her soaps and turned toward me. "There's not much in the way of seating, I'm afraid. There's the bed or the floor."
"I'll be fine on the floor, Bella," I replied.
I locked gazes with her and was struck yet again by how tired she seemed. I was on fire with the need to know what was wrong and how she had ended up here, but I knew she needed rest desperately. I forced a gentle expression onto my face. "Bella, you have no idea how hard it is for me to say this, but I think you should get some sleep before we talk." She blinked in surprise and then gave a small smile of appreciation as she sat down on the edge of the bed.
"I think that's a really good idea, Jasper. Like I said, it's a long story. I'm afraid you'll be very bored though. We don't have a TV, and I only have a few books. You're welcome to what I have, though." She indicated a small pile of worn looking titles. I wasn't surprised to find a few Austen novels in the pile, but a different title caught my eye. It was A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking. It was a small but eclectic selection of reading material, from Brit Lit to physics. I picked up the Hawking book since I hadn't read it previously.
"This is more than fine Bella. Do you want me to read in the living room while you sleep?" I couldn't imagine she would be comfortable with me in here while she slept, considering the last time we saw each other I tried to kill her.
"I think you'd better stay in here Jasper, unless you don't think you can handle the close quarters. Andy would be startled if he woke up while you were out there and would start asking a million questions. You don't look like you're having a hard time being in the same room with me right now. If you get 'thirsty' you can step outside or something," she suggested wryly.
I stepped slowly closer and knelt down so we were at eye level. "I give you my word, Bella. You are in no danger from me. I hunted today and while you do smell sweet, I'm completely in control. I know you have a really good reason not to trust me, but I promise that you can." She looked into my eyes and I was pleased to see no signs of fear on her face.
"I trust you, Jasper," was all she said, but she spoke it firmly. As if that settled it for her, she scooted back, laid herself down, and began piling on a mountain of blankets. I couldn't help myself as I watched her struggle.
"Need tucked in there, Bella?" Her face appeared from behind a blanket and I was shocked as she stuck her tongue out at me.
"No thanks, I've got it under control. Now shut up and let me get my beauty sleep." I smiled to myself and situated myself on the floor against the wall. I turned off the light, not needing it to read. I was pleased when I noticed Bella's breathing fall into a peaceful pattern almost immediately. I wasn't used to being trusted and it felt good that she had placed enough faith in me to fall asleep so easily. I opened the book and began to pass the time, hoping she would sleep well and wake soon, so I could hear her story.
Two hours later I had finished the physics book and moved onto Austen by default. I had enjoyed the Hawking book more than I expected. It had been awhile since I studied any physics and I was struck by the blurring of the lines between science and philosophy as man sought to learn ever more. I was suddenly distracted by an abrupt increase in Bella's heart rate. Her breaths became shallow and ragged and she began to moan. I felt an intense wave of fear hit me and grow stronger. Whatever was allowing her to block my power must be less effective while she slept. "No, no. Charlie, No!"
I could hardly see her under the blankets, but obviously she was having a nightmare. I got slowly up and moved toward her, unsure of what to do. I was unsure how she would react if I tried to calm her with my power. "Bella, wake up, you're having a bad dream," I said firmly. She lurched quickly into a sitting position, eyes wide open, not seeing. "Bella, it's ok. I'm here and you're safe." She seemed to notice me then and I tentatively reached out my hand to hers. As soon as our skin touched the same sense of peace flooded over me. I watched as her face relaxed as well. She nodded at me once and lay back down, but didn't release my hand. I settled the covers back around her with my other arm and eased myself onto the floor beside her bed. Her hand felt so soft and warm in mine. I closed my eyes and lost myself in the unfamiliar sensation of warmth and peace that apparently came from touching Bella. At least this would be a pleasant way to wait for her to wake up.
Thanks for reading, and thanks to all those who reviewed, alerted and added it to their favorites! Thanks again to the amazing mynxi who is the Master Yoda of words! (Sorry mynxi, I had to throw out the Star Wars just one more time! I'm done now, I promise!)