A/N: Thank you everyone that has read and followed the story. To my reviewers, a huge thanks to you! I love reading reviews and getting feedback on my stories. So if you have time, please tell me what you think. Since Alice has left, don't expect to see too much of her in the story, but I am going to be writing a chapter here and there about her and will probably start to reveal parts of the vision in those chapters. I also wanted to say that I could not do this story without my BFF, so this whole story is dedicated to her.

Chapter 4 – Perceptions and Offerings

"Are you ok Bella?" Esme asked the girl in front of her. She knew that it had not been easy to see Edward and now that Alice was gone, she was missing a vital person in her life.

Bella wiped the remaining tears from her eyes and thought about it for a second before answering, "Yah, I am. Weird, but I am." The hurt was still there, but not all of the sadness that she felt when she entered the house. Was Jasper still keeping it from her? Would it all come crashing down around her when she left? She didn't know, but for now she was alright. She did know that she was worried about Jasper though and from the looks on everyone's faces when he had come downstairs, so was everyone else in the family, "Do you think he will be?"

"I think this is going to be a difficult time right now and that he will need us, but I think he will get through it," Carlisle said quietly although in his mind he added, "At least I hope he will."

Upstairs Jasper knew what everyone was feeling. He knew what their thoughts were without needing to read their minds, not that he could. They were afraid he was going to fall off the wagon so to speak. Without Alice to hold him there and in balance, was he going to revert back to hunting humans has he once did? He knew his "family" loved him and he knew that they were there for him, but the worry was ever present and there was a good reason for it. He was the newest member of their "vegetarian lifestyle" and he had struggled with it in the past. Hell, trying to attack Bella at her birthday party over a paper cut showed that it was still a struggle for him, but a night like that has a way of bringing things into a new perspective for a man.

Jasper thought back to that night and everything that happened. He laughed mirthlessly; nothing had been the same since that night. He could try to blame the human, but he knew he couldn't have her shoulder all of it or perhaps any of it. Sometimes he wondered how one simple event could change things so much and set into motion a new course that everyone must follow. The family left forks after that horror of a party. The plan was to never return as long as Bella was there and alive, but again things have a way of changing around that human. Alice got her vision of Bella jumping and that set off a chain reaction. Alice came back to forks because she couldn't see anything beyond the jump, everyone thought Bella was dead. Edward found out why Alice came back to Forks and called only to find himself trying to commit vampire suicide in Volterra, which was stopped in the nick of time by an undead and yet still human Bella. "He always was a bit dramatic," Jasper thought to himself as he smirked.

It seemed as if things had gone back to the way they were before. Bella and Edward were back together, the Cullen family was once again living in Forks, and life was almost normal. Almost isn't normal though. Everyone was trying to get back to where it was before, but maybe too much damage had been done.

Jasper knew that he had changed. He had tried to attack his friend and someone he loved. He, like the others, considered her family. He kept thinking in his mind, what if it had been one of his sisters or his mother? That is when perspectives changed and Bella was not just Bella. She was not just a human that hung around the Cullen family, not just Edward's girlfriend, and someone who was a temptation when he was hungry. She was Bella and she was family, a little sister that needed to be protected and looked after, someone he needed to cherish, a friendship to nurture, and someone he no longer wanted or needed to crave. Temptation for blood will always be there under the surface buried deep, all vamps have it, but Bella would no longer be that temptation to him. He could no longer look at her without hearing his mother's voice or seeing his sisters' smile. It all came down to perspective for Jasper.

If only he had thought of all of this before he caught the scent of her blood that night. She always smelled differently than other humans and he had been unable to hold back that night. He dropped his head in shame every time he thought of that night. Then to know how broken she was when they left, he felt battered and ashamed for what he did. He had tried to convince everyone to let him and Alice leave alone, for the rest of them to stay, but Edward said it was best they all left. Jasper knew Edward was afraid of losing control like he had that night, of hurting Bella, of changing her. He didn't want to change her. The problem with that was it was going to happen. Other things in the future may change, but that is one thing that was a constant. Even now as Alice left, she is still dictating how the change will happen to Bella. No one can fight the future, can they? Actually no one, not even Bella, is fighting that future except Edward.

Jasper stood in his room staring out the window. "I wonder what Alice is doing right now. Is she alright? What was she thinking asking Bella to look out for me?" Jasper reflected quietly to himself. It wasn't that Bella didn't consider Jasper a friend, but Bella hadn't exactly gone out of her way to be around him much since they had been back. He didn't blame her for avoiding him, so why would his estranged wife ask someone who is clearly still afraid of him to look after him. "I don't need looking after, I need Alice back! Why can't I look for her?" He thought bitterly. He knew that he would do what Alice wanted, he always did what she wanted because he wanted to make her happy, but he felt like this was tearing him up inside.

Edward had locked himself inside his room. He could still hear the thoughts of the people in the house, although he was trying to block them. Jasper was upset and depressed, it was understandable. Everyone was worried about him, again understandable. The one person that he still could not read was Bella. He wondered when she would be leaving. He had been surprised earlier when he saw her again, he was expecting it to be pure and utter misery, but it wasn't. Although it hurt to see her, it wasn't unbearable until he saw her start to cry and he knew that he could not comfort her like he had so many times before. If she was the love of his existence, shouldn't the misery be all consuming right now? It certainly seemed more so when they separated before. Things were very different this time and maybe this was a good thing, especially with the disappearance of Alice. He honestly didn't think he could handle a break-up that took a toll on him like that last time and the disappearance of a favorite sister, but right now he knew he could work through this slowly and make it through to the other side.

Bella was downstairs wondering if she should say something to Jasper. She felt compelled by her best friend to help him if she could. She knew she had her own feelings and stuff to deal with, but she knew what he was probably going through right now. She had been lost without Edward before. She shut down and couldn't function. She went through the motions and did enough to make it through to the next day. She couldn't talk to anyone about it either. What could she say that wouldn't make her sound crazy or spill their secrets? She could be there for him though and hopefully he wouldn't want to eat her. She steeled her nerves and stood up from her position on the couch between Emmett and Esme.

As she took her first step, her hands started to shake. She took a deep breath and took another step and willed her feet to keep walking. "Are you alright Bella?" Carlisle asked as he saw her shake. Bella could do nothing more than shake her head. When he saw her stop at the stairs, he quickly walked up to her and placed his hand softly on her arm, "It is probably best if you leave both of them alone right now."

She looked up into his golden eyes and knew she could not back down, she had to do this or she would never do it, "I have to talk to Jasper, Carlisle for Alice." She was expecting an argument or him to dissuade her someway, but he didn't. He only nodded his understanding. When she started up the stairs, he started to follow and she turned, "Alone."

"Bella, I don't think that is such a good idea. We don't know how affected he is by this and,"

He was cut off by her next words, "He is devastated by this. He is questioning everything and probably wondering why the hell he isn't allowed to search for her. He doesn't understand why she left and is thinking if there is anything that he could have done differently. Yes, she left when she got a vision, but that doesn't stop the questions."

The older man's eyes widened and again he nodded, "We will wait down here if you need us." He knew that she had been hurt when they left, but the passion and the emotion in her eyes showed how broken she had truly been. She, more than anyone right now, understood what his son was going through right now; she was probably the only one that could help him right now.

Bella said her thanks and turned around and started her ascent once again up the stairs. She stopped and had to give herself little pep talks along the way to his room, but she eventually made it to his door. She only needed to find the courage to knock. Taking another deep breath, surprised that she had not started to hyperventilate with as many times as she has had to breathe deeply; she raised her hand and hit her knuckles to the wood. Seconds later shocked golden eyes peered at her from the other side. "Well at least he hunted before she left," Bella thought to herself.

"Bella, is everything ok? Do you need something?" Jasper croaked.

She gave a small smile. "Always the southern gentleman," she said to herself before she answered him. "I just wanted to talk for a minute."

"I am not really up for company right now. Sorry," he said as he tried to close the door on her.

She quickly put out her hand to stop the door, "Look, I know you're not and I am not trying to force company on you but I had a couple of things I wanted to say."

He studied her for a moment. He had been surprised when she stopped the door and tried to prevent him from closing it. Honestly he could have closed it anyway, but he didn't want to hurt her. He swung open the door all of the way and leaned against the door frame crossing his arms against his chest waiting for her to continue.

She figured that was all he was willing to give right now and it was good enough, what she had to say wasn't going to take long, "I just wanted to say that I do understand what you are feeling. I know what is going through your head and that you are questioning everything. You know that she had a vision, but you are wondering if there is still anything you could have done to change things, to make her stay, to make her take you with her. You want to close yourself off from everyone and everything because you don't want the world to keep spinning without her. Life is not supposed to go on without her. You are probably wondering why she left me that letter and asked me to be there for you. I would like to think it is because she knew I have been through this and know exactly how you are feeling because this is how I felt when Edward left me in the woods. So I am here for you if you want to talk or just want to sit around like a bump on a log. I lost her too, but I know what I feel as loss for her could never compare to what you are feeling." She said what she needed to say and turned to go.

"Did you and Edward really break-up again?" The whispered question came from behind her.

"Yes, we did," she said truthfully.

"But you are willing to still be there for me while you have to deal with your own break-up?"

She turned around and looked her friend in the eye, "Yes, I am."

"Thank you," he said quietly in awe as he went back inside his room and shut the door.

She turned around and went back down the stairs and into the living room where she had left everyone earlier. "How is he?" Esme asked quickly.

"Hurting, but he will make it. He will just need his family there for him," Bella said. She hoped that he would not shut himself off like she had, but she would understand if he did.

"Thank you. It seems that you are in the business to help both of my brothers," Rosalie said with gratitude laced in her voice.

Bella looked at her. Ever since she helped Edward in Italy, the animosity had left. Rosalie may not agree with all of the choices Bella made or wants to do with her life, but she was appreciative of the help Bella offered her family. "I just hope I can help," Bella said quietly.

Bella looked around the room at everyone there. They had become her surrogate family and she would do anything she could for them, but it seemed like something was missing and she knew that it was Alice. She didn't know where her friend was, but she hoped that she was alright and that whatever pulled her away was worth it. She would be there for them and help them through this, and like Alice said in the letter she would need to lean on them also. She was dealing with a break-up and the loss of a best friend. She needed them just as much as they needed her and just as she made this declaration to herself, her stomach decided to make itself known. "Sorry, I guess I forgot to eat today. I am just going to go home so that I can eat."

"Nonsense, if you want to stay, we have food in the kitchen. I will make you something," Esme said as she pulled Bella in the direction of their kitchen.

"Um ok, thank you," she said. In all honesty, she wasn't ready to go home to an empty house. She wanted to be around her friends and family. Back home it was too easy to slip into the old Bella and she was past that, she was past a lot of things.