"Eager to get rid of me, mannequin?" Jane asked, "wouldn't Carlisle be furious to hear how ill-mannered you're being?"

He hadn't been talking to me, after all. However annoyed he was at seeing my thoughts, he hadn't actually asked me to leave, not yet at least. As soon as Jane left, I could apologise properly, and find out whether, there was any hope for us at all, now that Edward knew what I was really like. Right now, however, the focus was on Jane.

Edward scowled at her.

Jasper, however, chuckled lightly, "he's still young," he said, "we're not done bringing him up yet. Edward, apologise."

Now Edward was scowling at Jasper.

He's just trying to keep her sweet, I thought to Edward, he just wants her to leave now, not start another argument. Please, just be nice, please, we need her to go.

"My apologies," he said stiffly, turning back to Jane. "I seem to be strangely affected by your gift." He glanced down, and my eyes followed his gaze. His right hand was trembling again.

I tried not to think about how sorry I felt for him. Edward hadn't liked being pitied or fussed over by his siblings, he wouldn't like it from me. I concentrated my mind on remembering him as my hero, rescuing me.

Jane gave a tinkling laugh, "it's a common effect," she said, "it sometimes wears off in the course of time."

I grimaced, how could she sound so casual about hurting him? What monster would be prepared to hurt my Edward? I should destroy her! A growl vibrated in my chest, but, as soon as it rose up, my anger subsided. I found myself relaxing, losing interest. Jasper, I suppose, but my suspicion didn't seem important, nothing seemed particularly important.

"Anyway, there's nothing left to see here," Jane went on, "so, you'll get your wish, marionette. I'm going home."

Jasper tipped his head to one side, and gave Jane a smouldering smile, "so soon?" he said in a low voice.

Jane's breath came a little faster, but then she laughed, "yes, Major, I'm leaving now, before I start to believe a word you say."

"You don't have to believe me," Jasper said, slowly sidling up to Jane, "I'm not asking you to trust me; I just want you to . . ." he hissed something into her ear, and I saw her knees buckle.

Jane pulled away from Jasper and looked him in the eye, "you're incorrigible," she said.

He winked.

Jane shook her head, "until next time, Major."

And that was it, she was gone. All that stress, all that panic, my death, and Jane left as quick as a flash. If only she'd done that a week ago.

"Jasper, sweetie," Edward said softly, "would you mind?"

Jasper smirked at him.

"What's wrong Edward?" he sounded dangerous, fixing his gaze on my mate, and stepping closer to him, until they were stood toe to toe. "Sweetie?" Jasper said in a low, tempting tone.

I bit my bottom lip, Jasper was so amazing. The way he walked, the tone of his voice. His eyes were incredible. If he turned that sizzling gaze on me, I think I'd melt.

Edward's chest rose, stretching out towards Jasper, even as he pulled his shoulders back and grimaced.

"Please," Edward said, closing his eyes to Jasper's face, just as Jasper began to lick his top lip, slowly.

"Please what?" Jasper asked.

He hadn't done anything to Edward, just walked over and stood in front of him, just looked at him with those glittering eyes, just spoken to him in that delicious voice. But Edward groaned.

"I don't know," he sighed, "I can't think straight. Please, Jasper, oh, god almighty."

Suddenly, Jasper changed. He didn't move, he didn't speak. But, he suddenly stopped looking like all my fantasies brought to life and started looking like my brother again.

He held his hand out behind him, reaching out to where Emmett was standing.

"Done," he said triumphantly, "Edward just called me god."

Emmett laughed, and tossed an envelope into Jasper's hand, "totally worth it," he said, "never has losing a bet felt so much like winning. Oh, Jasper," he sighed breathlessly, just as Edward had done, "oh, god almighty."

I wondered how much time the Cullen's speant practising their impressions of one another. They were eerily accurate. Then, I regretted thinking that, wishing that Edward couldn't hear every idle thought that passed through my mind. He still hadn't looked at me.

"Seriously?" Edward said, "Jasper Whitlock, I expected a little more decorum from you."

Jasper shrugged, "Emmett wanted me to try it on Bella, but I didn't think she'd like it. So, I bet him that I could get you all worked up."

Edward growled. I'm not sure which brother he was most annoyed at, perhaps he didn't know either. "I hate you both," he said, "you are the least funny people I have ever met."

Jasper and Emmett appeared to disagree, however. They were both laughing fit to burst. Even Rosalie was chuckling.

Alice, was not laughing, she was standing perfectly still.

Jasper paused and looked at his wife, "Ali?" he asked, "you're not cross. No, but, you are determined. What is it?"

"You need to come with me," she said firmly, "right now."

Jasper looked confused, but he was at his wife's side in less than an instant, "of course. Am I in trouble for flirting with Jane? You know why I did that."

Alice shook her head, "not that, I'm not annoyed. But, I need to get you alone. I need to . . . reclaim what's mine."

Jasper grinned broadly, "everything is yours," he said brightly, "everything."

"Mmm," Alice agreed, "this may take a little while."

Jasper grabbed her hand, "let's get started," he said, and he led her into their bedroom.

Edward sighed, "great," he said, "that's all I need, a mind full of Jasper and Alice's antics."

"Jealous?" Emmett asked him, "maybe if you ask nicely, they'd let you join in."

Edward growled.

"Come on, Eddy," Emmett went on, "it would be heavenly, almost a religious experience."

Edward didn't warn him again, he threw himself through the air and tackled his brother to the ground. I guess all the tension that had built up during Jane's visit was being released in typical Cullen style: Emmett playing practical jokes, Edward scrapping with his brother, Alice doing whatever she was doing with Jasper.

Rosalie heaved a longsuffering sigh, then she walked over and opened the front door.

"Out," she said, firmly, "take this outside, now!"

Edward looked up from his position on top of Emmett and frowned at his sister.

Emmett took advantage of this momentary distraction, he grabbed a handful and, pulling Edward by the hair, flipped his brother over his shoulder.

There was a loud crash as Edward hit the floor, followed by an even louder growl as Edward reacted to that indignity.

Rosalie narrowed her eyes, "one," she said, "two . . ."

Her husband and brother jumped up and ran out of the door.

I laughed, "what was that about? What happens when you get to three?"

Rosalie shrugged, "it's only ever happened once," she said, "I'll tell you about it sometime. But, right now, you tell me something. How are you doing?"

I thought for a moment, "I'm not sure," I admitted, "I'm worried about Edward, and I'm still angry with Jane, and I have literally no way of knowing how I feel about Jasper right now. The way she kept calling Edward a puppet, I despise her for that. What was it about, anyway?"

"Carlisle," Rose said. "It was about Carlisle and how he encouraged Edward to abstain from human blood. When Edward was still a newborn, it was suggested that Carlisle was treating him cruelly by denying him human blood, that he was treating him as a puppet."

"Carlisle never forced Edward to follow his way of life, though."

"No," Rosalie agreed, "but that's not how everyone sees it."

I had been to Volrerra - though my memories were, thankfully, hazy - but, sat here, surrounded by Cullen's, it was hard to imagine anyone thinking of that other, bloody, murderous way of existence as normal.

"Um . . . I feel a little awkward asking you this, since I'm not Alice, but, earlier, when you and Edward had some time alone, did you manage to get his hands to stop shaking?"

I nodded, "he was in control of his hands before we saw Jane again," I said.

Rose nodded, "that's good, could he," she grinned at the words, and I knew what she was going to say.

"He was absolutely fine with precise movements," I assured her, delighted to find that I could recall in crystal clear detail each and every one of Edward's movements since my change.

She nodded, "his hand was barely trembling at all this time. So, why are you still worried?"

I grimaced, Rosalie would probably understand this particular pain better than anyone, but her relationship with Edward gave me little hope. I didn't want to hear him hurt by my thoughts, sniping back at me with snide remarks and eye rolls.

"He can read my mind," I said.

"Ah," Rosalie grimaced in sympathy, "that sucks."

"I think he's angry with me," I said, "I tried to apologise, but he ignored me."

She frowned, "why would he be angry with you? All he's wanted since the day he met you is to read your mind."

"I doubt he wanted to read what he did. I was thinking about . . . well, not the right stuff."

Rosalie laughed, "Bella, Edward's been reading minds for decades, I doubt you could shock him. He knows people aren't in control of their thoughts. He knows it's completely unreasonable to be angry with someone for thinking. Believe me, we have all had that conversation with him!"

"And why has everyone had that conversation with him?"

"Well, because he's a nosy, moody idiot and gets worked up about what he sees in people's minds, but refuses to mind his own business."

I looked pointedly at her, and Rosalie sighed, "alright, I guess that wasn't the most helpful thing to say. But, seriously, Bella, you have nothing to worry about. Edward adores you. The way he feels about you, it's completely different from how he feels about anyone else he's ever met!"

"Yes," I said, "he loves me and adores me more than anyone else, and I'm the only person whose mind he can't read. That's not a coincidence, is it? Now that he can read my mind, everything he thought was special about me has gone. Now he can see that there's nothing unique or wonderful about me, how long is that love going to last?"