After the close call with James, and being down a car, I didn't let Bella out of my sight before or after class. I waited for her to be safely on the road and in the public domain of the school before making my own way there. I rode home with her in her truck. I tried not to worry about the days she worked at Newton Outfitters', a job she started toward the end of the school year, as this was also in a public place, but I was waiting at her house when she got there. Either accompanying her inside, or watching from the yard. I often had a foul smelling furry shadow. They weren't letting anyone sneak up on Bella when they could prevent it either.

One of the new wolves must have joined the pack as a grey spotted wolf joined me one night. He was a lighter grey than Jared had been, and was much scrawnier, bigger paws - definitely younger. He kept his distance, and I didn't press him. Sam informed me when one of the pair crossed the boundary. Victoria, it seemed, was testing their mettle. She escaped quickly after drawing attention to herself.

I didn't spend the next week in Bella's room. I had noticed a change in her scent at school the next day and guessed what it probably was. She worked that night so I didn't spend the evening with her, watching from outside instead. She was freshly showered and in the same shorts when I did come in her room for the night. My boots barely hit the floor before I dived right back out the window again, crouching and shaking. Her scent. I had guessed she was bleeding, but with only shorts on, I couldn't miss it. It wasn't the same as that night when she bled in our house. That was her blood, straight, and that was bad enough. This was both, her blood and her musk.

"Jasper! Are you all right, Jasper?" she asked, hanging out the window.

I took several deep breaths, looking for my furry companion to burn the scent from my nose. The wind turned, and I got that wet dog stench, straightening. "Yes, Bella. I'm all right. I'm going to stay outside tonight. You understand?" I turned back to her, sending my apologies and regret. My shame, I'm pretty sure, went along for the ride, and she blushed.

"Yes, I understand. I'm sorry, Jasper."

I shook my head. "Not something that needs apologies. Just... it's too much for me, for now. I'm sorry." I hung my head. Then I smiled. "Perhaps I can make it better. Hang on." I turned to the woods, to my shadow. "Two minutes," I told him. I ran for the house and returned with my guitar. I didn't play much, but I'd learned how ages ago.

I seranaded Bella until Charlie appeared in her window. "Nice pipes, Jasper. Now go home."

"Yes, sir." I said with a smile for him. I blew a kiss to Bella and headed around the house, appearing to go home. Of course, I didn't actually go anywhere.

It was the end of the week when the sun broke through again. I hated leaving Bella alone, but James and Victoria would be as restricted as I was.

Or so I thought.

I was sitting, reading my new textbook, when I heard a barking in our yard. I jumped up and ran outside. The wolves didn't come on our land. The pup with spots ran as soon as I came out and I followed. We stayed to the trees until I heard the growling and grinding and crashing. I broke through the cover to see Victoria and James fending off two wolves. A third stood between two parked cars, guarding Bella who was covered on three sides by metal and one by fur. I burst out to pull James from Sam. The black wolf lay, whining, as I threw the vampire into his companion. Paul snarled and lunged after James. The wolf guarding Bella came forward. By his paws, he was new, too.

"No! Stay there." I chased after the vampires fleeing into the cover of forest. I was not about to let them get away.

"Jasper!" Bella yelled after me. I was too far to feel her terror, but it was plain in her voice. I snarled and fought the urge to return to her. Paul was at my side, the grey spotted wolf just a pace or two behind.

"Split" I told them, and I circled east, hoping they would go west and north. We should be able to close them in.

It worked. I heard a howl and sprinted in the direction it came from. The grey pup was on the ground, Victoria standing over him. I lunged and she spun, somehow anticipating my attack. Paul was waiting, though. He went after a leg at the knee, but Victoria was too fast for him too. She spun away, and jumped into the trees. She looked down at us for a fraction of a second before bursting away through the treetops. I longed to chase her.

"You going to be okay?" I asked the grey wolf.

Paul was the one who answered me. "He's pretty beat up. Think the doc will come look at him? He's got a busted leg for sure."

I nodded, pulling my phone from my pocket. That put us down two out of four wolves. I couldn't pursue. James or Victoria could easily circle back onto Bella.

"Jasper. Thank god. Are you all right?" Carlisle answered.

"Yeah, why? Where are you?"

"Newton Outfitters with Bella and Jacob Black."

"Who the hell is Jacob Black?" I asked

"New wolf," Paul answered me.

"He's the one guarding Bella," Carlisle said. "Sam's dead, Jasper. Venom is poisonous, apparently. It was too late by the time I got here. Where are you?"

"North. The other new one is hurt, wants you to take a look at him. I'm going to come there first, though, all right?" I nodded to Paul even as I asked Carlisle.

"Yeah, I'll watch for them," Paul replied.

"I'll wait for you," Carlisle answered. "But hurry."

That was unnecessary, of course I was going to hurry. I stopped at the edge of the trees beside Carlisle. I could see Bella hugging a bare-chested Quilteute in cutoff jeans. His thoughts were not completely pure given the lust rolling off him. It was tempered with grief. Meanwhile Bella was just filled with relief and shock. Sam still lay on the pavement. "Someone coming for him?" I asked Carlisle, looking to the corpse.

"Yeah, I called the coroner. I'm going to look after Embry." Apparently that was the name of the other pup. I stepped out just enough for Bella and the Quileute to see me. They came to me so I didn't have to leave the shadows.

Bella ran and tripped. The Quileute grabbed her around the waist and lifted her back to her feet. She laughed at herself. "Thanks, Jake. Jasper, this is Jacob. His dad and my dad have been friends forever."

I nodded to Jacob. "You get either of them?" Jacob asked. "Paul said you had the female."

"No," I growled. "She got away again. She's slippery, and without Embry I didn't want to go chasing."

"Why did they attack in the sunlight anyway? Isn't that begging for trouble?" Jacob asked.

"It is. The only reason I can think of is that they knew I wouldn't be watching her today. Maybe they didn't think you would either."

"Their mistake," he said with a wide grin. "We have her watched 24-7."

She shuddered a little, angry with that thought. I couldn't be anything but thankful they picked up my slack. "That's further than you needed to go."

He shrugged. "No sweat really. Two of us on two shifts. One watching her, one running the reservation. Course neither Embry or I have much hope of passing this term, but whatever." He shrugged, obviously glad to have something better to do with his day than sit in a classroom. "I just wish I got nights." He leered at Bella who slugged him and whimpered when she bruised her hand.

"Don't look at me. You can get Carlisle to do your slapping for you," I told her.

Jacob laughed. "You didn't hurt yourself, did you, Bells?" He picked up her hand and rubbed it.

She yanked it back. "No. Yes. Not really." She flushed with embarrassment. "It's not my fault you all are made of rock," she muttered.

Jacob laughed. "Nah, I'm solid muscle," he slapped a bicep. "He's a rock." He pointed at me.

I scowled, not liking the implication.

"Can I go home, Jasper?" she asked me.

"Sure, Bella. I can take you to your house. Are you sure your okay? Anyone inside going to worry about you?"

"I think Mr. Newton is still hiding in his office. He came out to see what all the noise was and ran back inside."

I sighed. More exposure. We were boned. "Anyone else notice anything?"

Jacob snorted. "Just everyone in a mile radius."

"Then I guess it's a good thing we're outside of town," I growled. "How many in the store?"

They both gaped at me. "I can't go in there to find out, will one of you?"

"Right, of course," Bella shook her head. "I'll be right back."

"No, Bella," Jacob grabbed her arm as she turned. I clenched my teeth, my jealousy at his touch getting the better of me. "I'll do it. You stay here."

"Um, no shoes, no shirt, no service?" she suggested.

I tugged my tee off and stepped out of my boots. The boots weren't a bad fit on Jacob. I was glad I had another pair, I wasn't wearing them again now. The shirt was a little short, showing a line of abs, but would suffice. "Eww. All right, I'm in and out. This stuff reeks." He loped to the door of the store.

"Do you want to drive your truck home?" I asked Bella.

"Will you?"

I sighed, looking into the sky. I could probably manage without being too obvious. "Yeah, all right. We'll just wait for Jacob to come back. I'm going to push that beast, though, you know that, right?"

"Push?" Her brow creased in confusion.

"As fast as it will go," I clarified. "I can't be seen, Bella. The others have already made far too much of a scene.

Jacob was back and tore the shirt off, kicking the boots away. He took a deep breath. "Better. Just the man and two customers. They were all holed up in his office. I told them the cops were outside, but the creeps were gone." On cue the cruiser's siren rang through the air. Jacob and I heard it, but it was too faint for Bella yet.

"Thanks again, Jacob," I said, pulling her up into my arms. "Sorry for you loss." I nodded to Sam.

"Yeah, thanks. I'll call you later, Okay, Bella?"

Before she answered, I ran for the truck. "We need to get out of here before Charlie has more questions for us." I drove away from the oncoming sirens, planning to U back around once the sirens stopped.

"Why didn't you let me answer him?" she asked me, anger spiked around her.

"Just time, Bella. You should call him. He can protect you when I can't." I kept my eyes on the road as I slammed the brake to spin the truck on the gravel.

"Take it easy, Jazz. This truck is a senior citizen."

I laughed, first at her ludicrous nickname for me, and then for the comment about the truck. "What does that make me? A semicenturian?"

She laughed, too.

"Don't worry, Bella. You're truck is fine." I drove for her house and felt her staring at me.

"Now you understand?" I asked.

"Yeah. Impossible not to notice." I felt her hand on my bare chest. The brilliance dimmed in the shadow of her skin.

"Exactly. I think Carlisle and I might have to leave."

"What?" She was afraid and worried and hurt.

"It's not you, Bella," I assured her. "The Volturi don't allow what just happened. They are going to come looking for those responsible and we don't want to be here when they do."

"But you and Carlisle weren't seen by anyone. Well, except me and the wolves. Why would they hold you responsible?"

"They might not, but I'd rather not find out. Their justice is swift, Bella." I was thankful again that the Swans lived on the edge of town. I hadn't passed anyone getting here, shining like a beacon for anyone to see.

"Come in?" Bella plead. "Talk to me about it some more?"

My phone rang. "All right." I nodded to her to open the door for me. I pulled out the phone and answered Carlisle.

"I've got Embry at the hospital. Newton is at the station with Charlie."

"Jacob said he was terrified. I doubt Charlie will get much out of him."

"Exactly. Are you at home?"

"Nope, Bella's. We leaving?" He would have followed the same train of thought I had.

"Let's wait. I might be able to talk us out of it if it comes to that. It might not. They aren't omniscient, for all they seem to be." I ran to the door Bella stood in and closed the door behind me, my refracting rainbows winking out. "They might not hear anything about this."

"Right. Well, I'll follow your lead, Dad. You know them better than I do."

"I'll see you tonight."

Bella was looking at me, confused. "Looks like we aren't leaving," I told her.

I was surprised at her instant relief. She wrapped her arms around me. "I'm so glad." She put her cheek to my chest and I felt a few tears.

I stroked her hair. "It's okay, Bella. We wouldn't leave you behind. It's not safe for you alone. We'd either take you with us or take care of Victoria and James first."

She looked up at me, her eyes still moist. "Really? You'd take me with you? Even though I'm not-"

I laughed. "Not dead? We plan to keep you that way, Bell."

"But Carlisle said ..."

I ground my teeth. "You may have twisted his arm into agreeing to that, but we both plan to do everything in our power to change your mind. You know he doesn't want to do it, right?"

She nodded. "But I want it," she whispered. "I want to be with you, forever." She slid her hands into the back of my pants.

"What is it about near-death that gets you hot?" I had to ask.

She laughed now, doubling over. "You really don't get it do you? It's not the near-death, it's the near-you. Fool." She kissed her way down my chest.

"Oh," I mumbled.

"I think the sun is still shining in my room," she said, slipping fingers through my belt loops and pulling me to the stairs. "I want to see if all of you shines like that."

I laughed and let her tug me up the stairs.

Thanks as always to Sharebear who gets these back to me so quickly.