A/N: It seems the main stepping stone for most relationships that last is friendship. Without that, it is hard to build trust and a base that will not shake when hard times come. So we are going to see Jasper and Bella's friendship grow and from that you never know what will happen. Thank you everyone that has been reading the story. I hope you like it. For my reviewers, followers, and people that have favored the story... You are awesome and I am grateful. Here is the next installment, please review if you have a moment.

Chapter 6 – Jasper Gets Served

Bella woke with a start the next morning and sat upright in bed. She looked around the room and found Jasper sitting at her desk as he had the night before when she had fallen asleep. She ran her fingers through her hair, it wasn't a dream. She let out a breath slowly and looked up at her friend again.

"I know Bella, I wish it were a dream also," Jasper said sadly, "and good mornin' by the way."

She gave him a small smile, "Good morning Jasper. Well I guess I better go get dressed and stuff. Do you need to go do anything this morning or are you just going to wait for me?"

He thought about it for a second. He needed to be alone, completely alone, for a couple of hours, "Actually do you mind if I come back later? I am going to go hunt and just be by myself."

"I understand and Jasper, I'm glad you called me."

"Me too Bella, I will be back in a while," Jasper said quietly and went to the window. With one last look at his friend, he left and ran for the forest in search of an elk or mountain lion to be his next meal.

Bella took her time to get ready for the day. Other than her plans with Jasper, she had nothing on her agenda and did not feel the need to rush to get anything done. She was still tired and emotionally drained after the previous night and she didn't want to do anything. Charlie had already left to go fishing so she knew that she would have the house to herself for the day. She was truly alone to think about everything.

She went downstairs and made herself a bowl of cereal to eat. When she sat down at the table in the kitchen, she pulled out the letter Alice left her again and re-read it. It still didn't make sense to her. She had been hoping to maybe see some hidden clues in the letter that she had missed before, but there wasn't. She was just gone. She slowly folded the letter again and put it back in the envelope and set it aside. Right now all they could do was get through this and move forward; and hope that one day they would see her again.

Bella was pulled out of her thoughts to the ringing of her cell phone, and when she looked at the caller id, she cringed. She did not feel like talking to him right now, but knew if she didn't pick up he would probably show up at her door step and she wanted that even less, "What do you want Jake?"

"Is that how you say hello to a friend?" Jacob mocked on the other end of the phone.

"I am not in the mood right now. What do you want?"

"I was thinking now that you and that," Jacob paused.

"Be very careful what you say right now Jacob, you are already on thin ice with me," Bella warned.

"Edward were no longer together if you would like to go out with me on a date," he quickly finished.

"No, I'm sorry, but I don't feel like that for you. I have already told you that. Whether I am with Edward or not does not change my feelings on the matter. I cannot be with you."

"Oh so you have already moved on to another Cullen?" Jacob accused.

"Excuse me? Jasper is a friend that is going through a hard time. We both are and we are just supporting each other. I am sorry if you want to be an ass about this and act like a child, but you have no say in this. In fact if this is how you want to be, you can go to hell!" Bella hung up the phone and threw it against the wall. It didn't break, which surprised her, but she also didn't attempt to try to retrieve it at that moment. She was done with Jacob Black, at least for the time being. She just couldn't be around him any longer. She hoped her father would understand. She knew what he hoped, but it would never happen.

A few hours later there was a knock at the front door and when Bella answered it, she found Jasper on the other side changed and looking like he was refreshed. She let him in and together they made their way to the living room. "Good hunt?" Bella asked as she resumed her place on the couch she had been previously occupying before he arrived.

"Yah, I got to wrestle a bear and take down an elk or two," he smirked as he sat down on the opposite side of the couch. She was human and yet she fit into their world so well. She asked about his hunt like it was normal tea time conversation and nothing out of the ordinary. "Are you sure you're human?"

She laughed, "Well at least for now. I have it on good authority that it won't be like that forever though." With a wink, she grabbed her history book and sat back.

He laughed. She was so nonchalant about changing and knew what she wanted and acted like it was no big deal. She was not a normal human and he couldn't wait to see what kind of vampire she turned out to be, "That's what I hear."

The rest of the afternoon was spent talking about the civil war and Jasper's life. He told her what he could remember before the change and then started telling her what happened after the change. About the Southern Vampire Wars and the woman that changed him, Maria. He didn't hold anything back. He felt like he was free to tell her anything and she never stopped him except to ask him questions here or there. Charlie made it home before they made it up to the time of Jasper's life where he met Alice, which may have been a good thing, at least for now.

Charlie saw Jasper sitting in the living room with an open history book between him and Bella, "What's going on?"

"Hey dad, Jasper was just helping me with my history since we were hanging out. He was a wiz at history and especially the civil war when he was in school so he said he would help me," Bella offered as an explanation to her father.

Jasper wanted to laugh and roll his eyes, he kept his face as straight as he could as he stood to face her father, "Yes, sir, when Bella told me that she was studying the civil war I told her I could help her. I needed out of the house anyway."

"Yah, she told me what happened. I'm sorry. Hopefully she comes back soon. You are more than welcome to come over any time you need to," Charlie said to the young man in front of him. He knew what it was like to have someone take off. He knew what it was like to watch his daughter go through what she went through. If Jasper could help Bella make it past this break-up and she could help him past this temporary separation from his girlfriend, he would let them. "Are you staying for dinner Jasper?"

"No sir, I actually need to get home. My family is expecting me, but maybe another night," Jasper said to Charlie.

"You are welcome any time," Charlie said sticking his hand out to shake Jasper's hand. Anticipating this, Jasper had been clutching a hot cup of tea, and although it did not bring his hand up to normal body temperature, it was a lot better than his norm. He shook Charlie's hand and then turned to Bella, "I guess I better to. Thanks for everything."

"Hold on I will walk you to the door," Bella said getting up from the couch. She walked him to the door and when she was sure Charlie was out of ear shot, "Window is open any time you need it."

Jasper gave her a soft smile, "Thank you."

He did use the window that night and for the next several nights. His family knew where he was and did not push him to talk to them. They knew she was helping him more than they could. She knew and understood what he was going through more than anyone else. Edward found that he was jealous of the growing relationship but he did not say anything about it. What could he say? He would sound like a fool if he told his adopted brother to stop being good friends with his ex-girlfriend. Instead he kept his distance; it was just easier that way.

A week after Alice left, Jasper received a delivery, an envelope. When he opened it up, he yelled a guttural sound as if coming from an animal and not a man. Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie were there in an instant. Rose took the papers from Jasper and looked at them only to gasp. She couldn't believe what she was looking at. "Alice sent him divorce papers," she whispered quietly, so quietly only they would have heard her.

"What? How could she do that?" Esme asked confused, "Emmett call Carlisle and tell him what is going on. Rose go call Edward. Come on Jasper. It will be ok."

Jasper wondered, "How is it going to be ok? She is gone and now it is over." He couldn't speak, couldn't move.

"Emmett, help me move him to the couch," Esme requested.

The big man grabbed Jasper and deposited him on the couch, "Carlisle is on the way. He said to call Bella."

"Edward said he would get Bella and bring her over. They should be here soon," Rose said coming back into the room.

At the school, Edward found Bella on her way to her next class and stopped her, "Bella I need you to come with me."

"Uh, no. I need to go to class right now," she said trying to skirt around him.

"It's Jasper, Alice sent him divorce papers today," Edward whispered. He watched the shock register on her face and her nod of acceptance.

"Wait, what about my truck?" She asked when they were on their way to the Cullen house.

"Either I or Emmett will come for it later," he said. He was worried about Jasper and confused as to why Alice would do something like this. "What the hell is she thinking?"

When they got to the house, everyone was in the living room trying to talk to Jasper, to get a reaction out of him, anything, but he was a statue. She walked into the room and his head turned towards her direction, "She sent me divorce papers."

"I know Jasper. I heard, I am so sorry," whispered Bella. She hated to see him so broken. This was worse than when Alice first left. She slowly made her way forward to where he was on the couch and sat down next to him, "Remember what I said about letting it out, you need to do that."

He had been in so much shock, he hadn't realized that everything was so tightly reigned in that it was about to snap until she said that and then the flood gates were released. Everyone in the house felt it and again Bella was brought to tears. "She left me and now she doesn't even want me Bella. What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything Jasper. She has her reasons. You know how she is; her visions rule a lot of what she does and her choices. This was her choice to make because of her vision," Bella cried into his shirt.

Jasper clung to her, careful not to crush her with his strength. He needed her support right now though, "Why did she make that choice though?"

"I don't know Jasper, I wish I did," was the strangled response he got.

The others watched the scene play out in front of them. Then they heard Bella tell Jasper to let go and they were flooded by an onslaught of emotions. They were not prepared for the overwhelming power of what he unleashed and for those that were standing and not sitting; it brought them to their knees. The emotions got easier to deal with or they were minimized as the minutes passed but no one, except Bella, had experienced something like that before.

The family looked on and watched the two embracing each other on the couch. They were surprised that Jasper would lean on and depend on Bella like he was. They knew that he was confiding in her since Alice left, but it seemed that this went beyond a few conversations. The reactions and feelings to what they were witnessing ranged from shock to confusion to jealousy to happiness. No one in the family was used to seeing this. Jasper who struggled being around Bella and wanting to suck her dry was clinging to her for support like he couldn't let her go because she was his life line. She had been the only one to reach him today. It was unexpected and in that moment the family was once again grateful to Bella Swan.