A/N: As promised, here is the next chapter! I'll try to get chapter 17 up tomorrow ^_^

Chapter Sixteen

Jasper POV

We spent the rest of the day hunting and teaching Dana how to hunt. Everything went well with no bumps along the road. She didn't even growl when Alice got closer than I would have allowed while Dana was stalking a buck.

We got back to the house as the sun was setting behind the clouds. It was as we were walking through the back door that Dana paused, staring thoughtfully at the hidden sun.

"Dana?" Alice asked.

"What happens when a vampire gets caught in the sunlight?" she asked.

I chuckled. "We'll show you someday."

"We don't burn?"

Alice giggled. "That's myth."

"Oh, okay."

And with out further ado, Dana pushed the door open and entered the house.

Alice led her upstairs to her new room. I could hear her explaining the various aspects of her closet. "Over here is the formal dresses, here are the sun-dresses, these are the skirts, sorted longest to shortest. These are the pants, sorted by material, all top of the line of course, capris, and shorts as well. Over here are the shirts sorted by neckline, sleeve length, and material. Any questions?"

I could feel Dana's wariness coming off of her in waves so think I was almost surprised Alice couldn't feel it. She obviously didn't like the clothes Alice was showing her, or maybe she was wary of my favorite, excitable pixie. "What's in those drawers?" she asked.

"Oh, don't worry about any of that. Bella insisted I buy some... less fashionable clothes. They're all in there cause I promised her I wouldn't throw them out or give them to charity. Don't worry yourself over those. Oh and I almost forgot; since you're still rather... messy when it comes to hunting, over here is where you can find clothes to hunt in so you don't ruin your good ones."

"Oh, okay. Thanks."

"Okay, so I'll leave you to your washing up, bathroom's over there, have fun!"

Alice came skipping down the stairs a moment later and dropped in beside me on the couch.

"You're freaking her out," I said.

"She's just getting used to things, that's all."

"Sure she is," I said with a smile.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she pouted playfully.

"It means, I think she's freaked out by your overexcited self," I teased, kissing her lightly.

Alice grinned. "You're in a better mood," she observed.

"She forgave me," I said, awed. "I tore her life away in the most vicious way possible, and she forgave me. It's sort of liberating ant the same time maddening. I don't understand why she forgave me."

"Because it wasn't your fault," Alice soothed.

"It was, though. If I had better control—"

"Stop," she interrupted. "You're trying your best, that's all anyone can ask for. She was your singer, for crying out loud, how could you have stopped yourself?"

"Edward never hurt Bella," I pointed out.

"Edward's been at this longer. Edward also had witnesses. You didn't."

"So that makes it better?"

"No. I'm not trying to justify anything here. I'm just trying to show you her way of looking at it; you couldn't stop yourself, therefore it wasn't your fault. And since you're willing to try and make it up to her, she was willing to forgive you."

"Don't worry," said a voice from the stairs. "You haven't ruined my life or anything. You can't ruin what you haven't got."

The warmth I felt coming from her made me truly smile for the first time since I bit her. I turned to show her my gratitude for her forgiveness. It was then that I heard Alice grumble in frustration. I looked to my wife in confusion, she was taking in Dana's appearance with obvious distaste. I looked back at Dana and saw immediately what the problem was. She was wearing knee-length shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt with her long brown hair pulled into a high ponytail which was still damp from her shower. These clothes were clearly not from Alice's selection.

"Dana!" Alice whined.

"Alice!" Dana mocked, copying Alice's voice nearly perfectly.

I laughed and both stopped staring each other down and smiled at me. "What?" I asked.

"You laughed," Alice said.

"Yeah," said Dana. "You've been Mr. Mopey all day."

I smiled. "I guess I'm allowing myself to be happy since you forgave me."

"So you're forgiving yourself?" Dana asked with a tinge of hope.

"No," I said. "I'll forgive myself when I'm sure you're well and happy with this life."

"Fair enough," she said, nodding.

"So, Dana," Alice changed the subject. "Tell us a bit about yourself, what can you remember?"

"Um... ugh, it's like looking through frosted glass," she complained.

"I know," she said. "Can you try?"

Dana nodded and began her story. She told us about how her parents were dead and how neglect of her foster parents led to being moved into a group home in Port Angeles which led up to why she was in Forks in the first place.

"How did your father die?" Alice asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

"No it's alright. I don't know how he died. He just sort of disappeared one day and never came back."

"And your mom?" I asked.

"Attacked by some wild animal or something. I was picked up from school by some cops and was asked to identify the body," she shuddered. "I was eight years old at the time."

"Oh my God!" Alice gasped, covering her mouth to stifle a sob. "Did they ever identify what attacked her?"

"No. She had a nasty tear in her throat, though. Right about here," she gestured with her hands just under her chin where her pulse would beat if she were still human.

"That's it?" I asked. This was starting to make me feel sick, if that were possible. "No other wounds? Scratches? Bites?"

"No..." she looked at my horrified gaze for a second until something clicked. "You don't think that..." she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

"No other animal would go for the throat like that if they weren't going to eat at least some of the catch," I said.

"You think... that a vampire...?" Alice said, trailing off like Dana.

"Of course," said Dana, flippantly. I could feel her pain but she was suppressing it—amazing! She was only a day old, not even! "Of course my mom would be killed by a vampire and then I go and get myself changed into one. Vicious irony!"

"You didn't get yourself—" I started.

"Not helping," said Alice, cutting me off.

Dana took an unnecessary breath to calm herself down. I added a little of my own bottled calm to help out. "Sorry for that," she said. "I didn't mean to fly off the handle like that."

Alice choked on a laugh. I felt dumbstruck, probably looked that way, too.

"What?" she asked, confused.

"That was not flying off the handle," I said. "You're not anything like how a newborn usually behaves. You're very calm for one. How are you able to suppress your emotions like that?"

"I've had a lot of practice since my mom died. My foster parents were horrible and hit me whenever I cried. They always said 'Stop that crying or I'll give you something to cry about.'"

"What!" Alice looked incredulous. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! You cry because you have something to cry about, people don't cry just for the fun of it!"

"Yeah, well, like I said; I've had loads of practice."

"That must be it!" I said, happy to have gotten to the bottom of her strangeness at last. "That's why you're so controlled; you had to control your emotions when you were a kid so it comes naturally to you now."

"Oh," she said, lamely. "I guess seven years of practice at something is bound to make a difference."

"Yeah, it would."

There was a lull in the conversation, where we all just sort of looked around awkwardly. Something she just said was nagging at me and I was trying to figure out what it was. Then it hit me; she said 'seven years.' Seven years from when she was orphaned. At eight.

"Dana?"

"Hmm?"

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen and a half."

I was completely thrown by this statement. Fifteen! So young to loose her life! I was sinking back into my despair. I must have been projecting because Dana took my shoulder and shook me forcefully, making me slightly dizzy in the process and nearly knocking me over.

"Hey! I forgave you, remember? Don't you go all mopey on me again."

I smiled weakly for her benefit.

"I thought you were a Senior?" Alice asked.

"I am," she said. "I'm supposed to be a Sophomore but I skipped a couple grades in elementary."

"And you have a car," she pointed out.

Dana shrugged. "You can get your license at sixteen in Ontario. I have my permit. I just flash that at cops when I get pulled over."

"Oh."

"Anyway, what's the big deal about my age? What's wrong with being fifteen?"

I looked her up and down and reflected on her behavior as a newborn. She didn't seem outwardly young, she didn't get out of control, and according to Alice, Dana would be safe around humans in less than two months time. I never bet against Alice.

"I guess it's nothing," I said. "There's nothing wrong with your age."

A/N: Hope you enjoyed that chapter, keep an eye out for seventeen possibly tomorrow. Remember, reviews make me write faster!