"Please," Bella begged.

I rolled out of the bed. Her disappointment and frustration were killing me. "No, Bella. I'm sorry. I can't."

"Fine. Then don't." She pushed Alice away, too. "Go," she told us.

Alice kissed her cheek, not surprised. "I'm sorry it has to be this way, Bella."

"I am too," she whispered, curling into her blankets.

"Bella?" I knew she didn't hate me, but her anger was still so clear, her hurt.

She sighed and the emotions levelled out. "I know you can't, Jasper, but I can't do this anymore. Please, just go."

I came and knelt near her face. "I love you." Then I kissed each of her eyes before leaving her room for the last time. Well, I assumed it would be the last time. I wouldn't enter it again without her permission.

Alice followed me out the window. "I'm sorry, Jasper."

"You told me. You knew it couldn't last." I'd had sixteen months with Bella. They were good months.

"We..." She stopped walking with me. "I... She will still have me."

I closed my eyes and sighed heavily. Of course, with Alice there wouldn't be the temptation. "I understand. I'll see you later then."

"No, wait!" She hopped up in front of me, grabbing my shoulders. "I'm yours, Jasper, not hers. I won't if..."

"Of course I want you to," I interrupted her. "I want both of you to be happy." I stroked Alice's cheek and kissed her, pulling her closer. She was wary, but eventually softened into my kiss. Her hands tangled in my hair and I reached between her legs where she clung to me.

"She won't be expecting me tonight," she whispered.

"Good," I replied, pinning Alice to a tree as I forcefully removed her clothing. I wasn't feeling amorous or even lustful now. I was predatory. I wanted to claim her. She would go back to Bella, but she would be mine. I needed to know she would always be mine.

"Jasper?" she asked. "What is that?"

I'd let the emotion out. "Mine," I said, thrusting into her. She threw her head back into the tree, pressing my face to her breast.

"As you are mine," she answered tugging my hair and urging me on.

"Yes." I loved Bella, I wanted everything for her, but Alice was my mate. I could accept the separation if I had Alice.

It was good that Alice hadn't planned on going back to Bella that night, because I didn't let her go until it was time for me to leave for Port Angeles. She laughed as she ran to find herself clothes for the day. She had obviously enjoyed the night, but I was still feeling off.

"Anything the matter?" Carlisle asked as I stood in the entrance of our house.

"Bella..." I didn't know what to say. We broke up? That sounded so high school. She kicked me out of her room. That made me sound like a child as well.

"She's taking a break?" Carlisle offered.

I smiled at him and nodded. "I'm going to be late for work, though. I'll talk to you about it tonight?" I'd have a lot more time to spend with Carlisle if Alice and Bella were together. That was a benefit.

He smiled, also pleased with the prospect. "I would like that."

Seth was back at the shelter. He had returned the day after his father's passing. He sat with Julie, avoiding me as much as possible.

Lisa beckoned me over to her. "I have a question, Jazz." They'd been quick to pick up on the nickname Seth had shared.

I sighed and walked over. "Whoa, you look bummed."

I nodded. "Girl trouble," I joked. Seth's head perked up.

"Oh," Lisa murmured. "Can you help me with this problem?" She turned her notebook around for me.

"Sine, not cosine."

"Crap. Thanks." She turned it back. "Hey, you need to talk about it?"

I chuckled, that was usually my line. "Thanks, Lisa. I have someone I'll be talking to tonight."

"Good." She bent back over her page and started erasing.

I looked over at Seth, wondering why he was still here. The last time I talked to anyone in the pack, he was doing better. His father's passing had hit him hard of course, but Julie seemed to be helping with that too. I watched as he twined his fingers with hers and kissed her temple.

I rose, going about my day.

I caught Seth on his own later. "Have you phased, since the break?" I used the holiday as a reference for his father's death.

"What's it to you?" he snapped.

"Curious. Maybe release some of the tension. You're wound pretty tight." He wasn't quite vibrating at the moment, but he seemed to be every time he left Julie's side.

He took a deep breath and I felt him calm. "Only once. I hope to take off for a while tonight. It feels like my skin is crawling."

I nodded. "Good. Does it help? The pack?" I really was curious. The pack mind should make grief easier to deal with.

He shrugged. "A little. I still see Charlie and the slut though."

I gritted my teeth at the derogatory term for his mother. Bella had told me both Charlie and Billy Black were helping her with arrangements, getting affairs in order. Sue was obviously leaning pretty heavily on Charlie, though.

She had been very cold the last time I'd met her face-to-face. Her grief had been paramount until her eyes found me, then they were filled with anger, a need for vengeance. Obviously, she had learned who I was. It was just as well I wouldn't be at the Swan house much any more. Her feelings for Charlie were hidden somewhat in the anger and grief, but even so, I had the sense that it was more than casual interest or even lust.

Defending his mother wasn't about to gain me points with Seth though. "You seem very happy with Julie. Is she helping?"

"Yeah," Seth said with a grin. "It's weird. When I first saw her, it was like someone had smacked me in the head and little Julies started flying around it."

I chuckled. "Love at first sight?"

"I guess so. Love..." His emotions flew from near giddiness to blazing anger. I sent him calm.

"Your mother did love your father, Seth. Don't blame her for what comes from her grief."

He continued to scowl as he stomped off, probably in search of Julie.

I pulled out my phone to call Jacob. I wanted to prepare them for Seth, maybe have more than one wolf to meet him.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Jacob. It's Jasper."

"Listen, man, I didn't do anything. I mean, I thought she would like it." What? Jacob was backpedalling, but I had no clue what from.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Um, nothing..." He was suddenly quiet. "Why are you calling?"

"I was calling about Seth. Who is she and what did you do?"

"Shit. Um. I might have kissed Bella yesterday," he mumbled.

I heard my phone creak as jealousy made me grip it too hard. "You might have?" My voice raised at the end.

"I did. She... well, she kinda slapped me. Hurt her hand a bit, not bad, thankfully. She could have broken it if she'd really wound up. She didn't tell you?"

My heart sank. She hadn't told me. Why hadn't she told me? Had she told Alice? "No," I answered eventually.

"Wow, it really mustn't have meant anything to her, ouch." He sounded as hurt as I was feeling.

"Why'd you do it?" I asked, curious.

"Isn't it obvious? I love her. I don't... want her to die." He was sounding a little heated at the end.

"She isn't going to die. She hasn't even mentioned becoming a vampire again since January." I scuffed the toe of my boot. Now that I wasn't her lover, did I want her to be like me more, or less? More, I decided. It made me want to keep in her in my life even more.

"Yeah?" He brightened. "Then maybe I'll just have to try again. I rushed. I wouldn't have, but I thought I was running out of time. Short Stack said fall."

Alice had mentioned the fall. Was something coming then? Was that as far as she could see because she left to be with Jacob?

"I have to go, Jake. I still have an hour left in my shift. I was actually calling to tell you that Seth plans to phase tonight. You guys will be waiting for him?" I knew Jacob would appreciate the heads up.

"Oh yeah, sure we will. Thanks, Jasper. That'll be good. He still pretty torn up?"

"He's still referring to his mother as the slut," I told him with a grimace.

"Huh, well, we can tell him we've seen her as much with my dad... no wait, that does make her sound like a slut. We'll think of something."

I hung up, glad to get off the phone. After staggering through my last hour, completely distracted, I raced home. Carlisle was still at the hospital, but he'd be home soon. I sat for a while, thinking.

I looked up as the door creaked. I hadn't noticed the sound of the Mercedes; I really was out of it.

"Jasper? You look even worse than this morning. What is it?"

"Bella," I murmured.

He rolled his eyes. "I figured out that much."

I snickered once. "Not only has she decided to... slow things down, but apparently she neglected to tell me that Jacob had kissed her."

I felt Carlisle fight a stab of sadness mixed with jealousy. "Really?"

"Yeah. Not sure what I should think about that. He figures she didn't mention it because it really didn't matter to her. I don't think I agree."

Carlisle nodded. "I don't either. I can't think Bella would blow that off. How did she react?"

I smirked. "He said she slapped him."

"Oh, and all by herself. I would have been happy to do it for her." We both laughed at that memory.

I sobered, shaking my head; then I put it in my hands. "What can I do, Carlisle? I can't give her what she wants. He can."

Jealousy flared even hotter in Carlisle.

I looked up. "So, it's okay if I have her but not him?"

Carlisle pressed his lips together. "I had more time to accept you with her. Also, you had her first." He looked down, and I filled in the blank. If she wasn't with me, he wanted his shot.

I groaned and rubbed my eyes. "You should."

"No, I shouldn't. She's graduating in another couple months. She doesn't need me complicating things more than they already are."

I pulled my hand away to look at him. He was sincere. I couldn't understand his reasoning though.

"Alice is there now."

"Oh," Carlisle murmured. He moved to sit beside me. "I have no idea what that must feel like."

"Want to?" I teased.

He laughed. "Not if you paid me."

I chuckled with him. Then I rose to visit Bella. There was only one person who could set me straight now.

Okay, follow with me: Sam died before breaking up with Leah, therefore meeting Emily. Jared died first, presumably before imprinting on Kim. Quil, without Emily, has never met Claire. Paul never met his imprint either... So Seth doesn't even know what imprinting is. And because he isn't with the pack and the elders on a regular basis, no one has told him what imprinting is. He's just in lurve. awwwww. (Incidently, if we Twist Fate the other way, Seth never met Julie in the books because he never goes to Port Angeles. I'm evil.)

Thanks to Sharebear, my beta, for continuing to read everything I throw at her.