Disclaimer. All publicly recognizable characters, settings etc., are the property of their respective owners. The original character s, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. I only do this for fun.

Crazier Than It Seems

A/N: This story is written as a collaboration by both Xo Bella Italiana oX and casey21791. If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note at the bottom of the chapter! Enjoy! - Bella'Xo

Previously...
(Bella's POV)

"Mate?" I pressed. "Like as in soul mate?"

Edward shrugged. "I guess that's the human name for it. But a mate is someone that a vampire has that completes them in a way that no other being could ever do. It's very rare for a vampire to find their mate and it's almost unheard of to find their mate in a human. If they do, they are almost immediately changed out of instinct. They are held in a very high position in our world, because loosing one's mate destroys the vampire inside. Many end up searching for death immediately afterward as to follow their mate into the afterlife... or whatever comes next for my kind." He murmured at the end.

"Are Carlisle and Esme mates?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes, they are actually what is known as bonded mates because Carlisle's venom is what had changed Esme into a vampire. Rosalie and Emmett are also mates, but they are just regular mates, because Rosalie did not change Emmett, Carlisle did."

I looked down at my lap, not sure if I could look him in the eye as I asked him this question. "Are we mates?"

Chapter 9
(Emma's POV)

As we sat on the loveseat we turned and faced each other. Being so close to each other, I could see all the multiple colored flecks of gold in his dark honey eyes, which seemed to darken the more I continued staring at them.

My eyes moved up to take him his shaggy blonde locks which seemed to lay in a random pattern to which I could see myself weaving my fingers through

Huh? Where did that thought come from?

My eyes took in his prefect features but his lips seem to captivate me, those pale pink lips were curving into a playful smirk which brought me out of my trance.

"What?" I asked as a light blush covered my cheeks.

He lifted his left hand to caress my face as he covers my blushed cheeks like he was amazed by the heat that's radiating from them.

"I should have told you before, but I'm not just a regular vampire. I have an extra gift that not many other vampires are able to produce. I can also feel and manipulate people's emotions. I'm an empath." He explained.

But as he went to speak again, I stopped him by placing three of my fingers onto his pink full lips. "It's okay, Jasper. Edward already explained it when he told Bella and I about his gift." I assured him.

As I went to lower my fingers, his hand stopped me and he grabbed me by the wrist. His eyes went straight to mine. He must of seen what he had wanted, because he raised my fingers back to his lips and then he gave them a soft kiss.

My breath hitched as he kissed each of my fingers before moving down on to my palm. However. when he got to my wrist, I started feeling something that I've never felt before. I couldn't quite name it, but I was definitely starting to enjoy it as he breathed in my scent.

"Heavenly," He muttered against my skin.

I took his other hand into mine and brought it to rest against my thigh. I played with his fingers, letting myself just feel since words seemed to escape me. It was like I had been slammed into by an eighteen wheeler freight liner, loaded with these strong feelings for him. But even though I had trouble making sense of my thoughts, one was clear.

He was beautiful and he was all mine...

(Jasper's POV)

She really is amazing.

Even with her being a human and me, a vampire, couldn't have dampened this incredible feeling that is spreading from her to me as our emotions weave and blend together. Nothing could change this feeling, not even when I had her wrist a breath away from my mouth. Still, I wasn't tempted to bite to drain, because I knew I would never hurt her in any way.

The Major growled from within me at the thought of any harm coming to her. 'No one will hurt our mate, Jasper, no one! We will kill everyone in our path to protect her.'

I needed to clear my mind before Emma would notice my inner alter-ego, which I knew I'd have to tell her about sooner or later - and if the Major had his way, it would be sooner - so, I calmed myself down as she lightly ran her finger down my palm from my wrist to fingertip.

"Emma, sweetheart, we should really talk about how this is going to work, because this is far different from any human relationship." I explained to her, but she raised her head as she stopped fiddling with my fingers.

"I have a few questions, but right now, all I really care about is how I'm finally actually here with you. For years, I thought you were just a figment of my imagination or that I really was bat shit crazy. However, if you want to talk about these things now, we can." She said as she started her exploration of the details of my hand again.

I smiled at her and I caressed her face with the back of my knuckles. "You're not crazy, my lil darlin', nor am I a figment of your imagination. You just thought that because this all happened when you were but a child and it would have been hard for you to comprehend it to yourself, especially since you couldn't speak to anyone about it."

She gave me a beautiful smile. I immediately noticed that it really brought out the sparkle of her eyes. "Maybe we can play a round of twenty questions? You know, just until we get the ball rolling?" I suggested.

"Okay, but you go first, Jas." She replied shyly as she nicknamed me.

I raised her hand like an good southern gentleman and leaned forward to kiss the back of her hand, keeping eye contact the entire time with a smile.

"Okay, my sweet." I agreed and decided to start off with something simple. "Lets start with our favorite color?"

I could tell that it wasn't want she expected, but she giggled anyway causing me to raise an eyebrow in question.

"Well, it's dark red - if you must know - like blood, which is ironic since you're a vampire who drinks bloods." She giggled out.

"Oh sorry, I was supposed to ask a question too. Hmm... let me think... what should I asked a vampire?"She smiled. "Oh, I know! When were you born?" She said and wow she had a funny yet dark side which I liked a lot.

I had to chuckle at this, but I still answered her;

"I was born in 1843 in Houston, Texas, but I was turned in 1863 during the Civil War."

(Emma's POV)

I could feel my jaw hit the floor, but as I thought it through, I realized that it really didn't matter much, so I had to ask him, "Do you stop counting birthdays? Or do you just say that your 20 or 150?"

He smiled as he rubbed my hands. "None of us have physically changed since we were bitten, so we stop aging completely. However, we like to keep track of the years. For me, I'm twenty till we change you, then we'll start counting the vampire years."

That made me pause. Was he really suggesting that he wanted to have forever with me? Like, literally forever?

He must had sensed the change in my emotions, because both of his hands covered both side of my face as he leaned forward so our noses were lightly touching.

"Emma darlin', I have waited 150 years for you. The worst, yet best of them have been these last 10 years since I met you as a child. I knew then that you were my mate and if you decide that you don't want to be changed, then I will respect that, because I'll never leave you unless you ask me to. But if you choose to become a vampire, then we will literally have forever with each other. Don't worry, my sweet, this is a big decision and you have a few years yet before you need to make a decision." He rose up and kissed my forehead before he sat back.

(Bella's POV)

Having asked Edward if we were mates, I could immediately tell that he didn't want to answer, or if he did, it wouldn't be the complete truth. He seemed very adamant to keep me as far from all topic supernatural as he could. So, to avoid him having to lie to me, I decided to ask another more basic question.

"Is this your room, Edward?"

All the tension melted away from this face and posture as he glanced over at me from where he stood by the window. "Yes, it is. We all require our space or oasis from each other, even though we'll never truly have privacy with 6 other super-hearing vampires living in the same house. Not to mention, with my added gift of having all their thoughts running through my mind, but the illusion of it helps." The way he spoke of it made it sound horrible, never having a true sense of privacy in your own home. I couldn't think of anything worse as I love my privacy.

"You all must have hobbies to keep you amused since you have so much time on your hands. What do you do?" I asked as I sat down on the black leather three-seater couch that faced the opposite wall with a huge bookcase. Although, I noticed that it was filled with CD's instead of books.

He sat down beside me so he could answer my question. "We all have our different hobbies. Alice enjoys her shopping and all things fashion. Emmett loves to play his video games and plays the occasional prank. Rosalie has an odd obsession with cars, but makes a useful mechanic, should we need one. Jasper is more on the quiet side, but does enjoy the occasional games with Emmett, as well as his books; mostly History. Esme is really a mother to us as she loves looking after us - not that we really need it. She enjoys her decorating too. And Carlisle, well, he is everything we all try to look up to. You know human blood doesn't faze him anymore. So, he does enjoy learning new things from medicine to modern technology." He finished.

"You didn't say what you enjoyed?" I questioned.

He chuckled at me as he reached for my hand as he answered. "I enjoy music, listening to anything and everything, but mostly, I love to play my piano, which you would have seen near the front door. I have a habit of composing new things, like I have for you."

"Really? I'd like to hear it."

But before he could answer me, he cocked his head to the side slightly, as if listening to something and then looked back to me and spoke. "Carlisle is home. We should go down and speak with the rest of the family."

(Emma's POV)

As we sat in prefect silence, we stared into each other eyes. We were knocked out of our trance as a knock sounded at the bedroom door and as it opened, Esme appeared looking apologetic before she spoke.

"Jasper, honey, Carlisle is home. You probably should bring Emma down." Esme suggested as she stuck her head into the room.

"We'll be right down, Ma." Jasper replied. I didn't have to be an empath to see the happy roll of Esme as he called her his Mother, so I stood up and grabbed Jasper's hand and gave a playful yank to get him standing. I turned to face Esme to give her a smile as we followed her down stairs.

And I wouldn't know it yet, but the surprises were just starting and the second one happened to be in a shape of another blonde pale faced man who had previously just walked through the front door.

He turned and grasped Esme's hand and kissed her cheek. "Hello Darling" He murmured before he turned and spoke to me. "And who is this lovely young lady?" He paused and looked at me funny as well as taking a deep breath. "My God, I know that scent." He took in my face before shaking his head as he turned away and started pacing.

He suddenly stops and in a blur he reappears behind me as he moves some of my hair from my shoulder, but as he does this, Jasper is suddenly growling and pushing him away from me as he grabs me and before I can comprehend what had happened, there was a wall to my back as I stood in the corner with and Jasper in front of me as he crouched into a familiar fighting stance.

"Speak Carlisle! Why did you approached my mate like that?" Growled Jasper. But something was different about him. His accent was stronger, his posture was tense, and he had a presence about him that screamed 'dominance'. Somehow, I had a feeling that this wasn't my Jasper.

"I'm sorry, Jasper. Forgive my lapse in judgment. I believe I remember where I've met her before and just needed proof of it. If it is her, then she'll have a birthmark behind her right ear." Carlisle spoke calmly and to reassure Jasper that he meant no harm, he backed away so that the two of us could have some space.

I placed my palm onto the center of his back as I spoke. "It's okay, Jasper. He didn't hurt me." My eyes flickered towards the doctor as I addressed Carlisle, "I do have a birthmark behind my ear, but how could you possibly know that?"

Carlisle looked to me as he replied, "I was the doctor who delivered you. I was your mother's doctor."

Oh my God. All of this was beginning to be too much today. It all was piling up in my brain and was starting to overwhelm me. Learning was just the final push I needed over the edge for me as black spots began to cloud my vision and I was feeling light-headed. Jasper was looked at me wide eyed with worry, which was the last thing I saw before the blackness engulfed me, surrounding me as the ground began to get closer as the dark finally completely took over.

A/N: So, there you have it! Any idea's on why Carlisle would act that way over knowing Emma and her mother? What does it mean?! What did you guys think about Bella and Edward's interaction? What about Jas and Emma's?! Any idea's on what'll happen next?! Review!

If you have any questions or comments, post them in my reviews and I will answer them in my next Author's Note!

To see more, go to either mine or Casey's FF page: Xo BellaItalia oX or Casey21791

If you enjoyed this story so far, check out some of my other stories on my FanFiction page! Also, I am still accepting Twilight stories that involve Jasper/any female leads or Bella/selected male leads if anyone is looking for a Beta Reader. I will also accept other genres depending on the genre. I will make exceptions on the characters depending on the plot.
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- Bella'Xo
Xo BellaItalia oX