Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters.

A/N: Thanks to katmom and Angelinia who beta this story.

Chapter Seven

Feelings

"Hi," Bella said quietly. She couldn't help but feel a little fearful of Jasper as he stood in front of her. However this time she noticed quickly that his eyes didn't hold the same conflict that she seen earlier. When his eyes furrowed together she felt a little guilty. Obviously he could feel her fear and that caused him to be sad. "I'm sorry."

Jasper rolled his eyes and smiled at her warmly. "You have nothing to apologize for."

Bella couldn't help but feel more at ease with Jasper, she could feel the tranquility that was coming off him.

"Actually, I feel as if I should be the one that says sorry," Jasper said thoughtfully. "I'm obviously making you uncomfortable … and don't bother denying it, I know I have," he added with a smirk as Bella opened her month.

Bella gave him an awkward smile.

"I'm not going to tell you that you have no need to be afraid of me. I realize that's not going to work with you," Jasper said after a short pause as he tried to think of the best way to say what he wanted to. "I just feel like I need to talk to you about something."

"I'm listening," Bella said.

"I've been looking forward to you coming just like everyone else," Jasper said, looking back at the clearing as he felt Bella's embarrassment. He knew she didn't want any more attention on her right now. "But it seems like things are a little more complicated than I thought it would be. I think you noticed that when you first looked at me … which was part of the reason I hung back."

"Yes, I noticed. I wondered why you looked like you were forcing yourself to smile." Bella frowned, not sure why she was telling him this, it just felt like it was the right thing to do, to be honest with him at the moment. She wondered briefly if this was her own instinct or something that he was making her feel, but she shrugged, it didn't really matter now.

"I didn't think it would be this difficult," Jasper admitted. Bella shivered at those words and Jasper frowned, it definitely wasn't his intention to make her feel worse. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset you. I was just trying to say that this was harder for me than I thought and I'm probably going to have to keep my distance from you as long as I'm not sure of my abilities. I didn't want you to take it personally because I really do care … I just don't want to chances anything untoward happening."

Jasper said this all in a rush, feeling oddly panicked, knowing a lot of it was coming from Bella. But there was enough of it that was his own worries as well. He could also feel her subconscious urge to be away from him, and he wanted her to hear this before she left. Actually he was planning on leaving once he'd had his say, but Bella was looking at him curiously now, so he didn't move.

"You seem better now," Bella said, furrowing her eyes. "I mean, you seem like you can handle yourself rather well at the moment."

"It's harder for me to be around you when Edward is," Jasper explained. "That's why I asked him to give me a few minutes with you …"

"Oh …" Bella said, so that's why it took Edward so long to get the books. She then looked at Jasper and frowned. "Is it really that difficult for Edward to be near me?"

"The strongest feeling I get off my brother right now is l …" Jasper's pause here was so brief that it was hardly noticeable, "his deep feeling for you."

"But there are other things he's feeling … of course there are," Bella sighed, she knew that before, but she didn't know why that made her so sad. It was probably because she was hoping something could be done about his instinctual feelings towards her.

Bella shook her head then, putting her worries about Edward aside for a second and looking Jasper in the eye. "I'm sorry. I'm sure my apprehension with you isn't making this any easier for you …"

"I would have to agree with that," Jasper said, "and I wouldn't call what you're feeling apprehension … you're afraid of me … more so than anyone else in the family. And it's real fear …"

"I'm sorry," Bella said again.

"You don't have to apologize about the way you feel," Jasper sighed.

Bella looked at him thoughtfully and then said, "in the book I read … the one that was from Edward's point of view … I … you …" she paused here, wondering what would be the best way to phrase this and she couldn't think of anything. So instead she just spat out in a rush, "you wanted to kill me …"

Jasper bowed his head, feeling guilty about this, because there was no doubt in his mind that he would have thought that at one point during the first book.

"I realized that it was so you can protect your family … and I can understand that, to a certain extent at least," Bella continued, not sure if she was trying to cheer him up or just trying to get this off her chest.

"That is true. There is nothing more important to me than Alice … and my family." Jasper said, making it clear that Alice came first, but that he also loved his family deeply. "I would do anything to protect them and I don't see humans quite the same way as most of the others do. Sometimes I have to detach myself from situations and do whatever it takes to keep us all safe.

"I'm sorry that was ever directed towards you even in a reality that will never exist. Because, Bella, you are part of my family now," Jasper said in a heartfelt manner. "And I'm not just saying that because you're with Edward. I'm talking about you."

"You don't really know me yet," Bella said, admitting her fear rather easier than she should have, it was just so easy to talk to Jasper … even when they were discussing his thoughts on killing her.

"I suppose not," Jasper allowed, "but I'm looking forward to getting to know you better."

"And how are you going to do that if you're keeping away from me?" Bella questioned archly.

"Hm … we have plenty of time," Jasper chuckled, "besides, I'm sure Edward will find a way to control himself soon enough … he is rather highly motivated to doing that after all."

"Well, I look forward to that," Bella smiled. "I don't feel as nervous around you now … but am I going to feel that way when I get home?"

Jasper laughed at that. "I promise I'm not messing with your feelings right now, Bella."

"Good," Bella chuckled.

"Well, see you soon," Jasper smiled and then he was gone.

"Goodbye, Bella," Alice said and Bella startled a little. She had almost forgotten that Alice was there because she was so still and hadn't spoken a word. "I'll see you tomorrow," she added and hugged Bella as Edward came out the door.

"You ready to go?" Edward asked and Bella nodded as they headed towards her truck. Edward again opened the passenger's side door for her before getting in the driver's seat. Bella didn't protest against this because she had paid just enough attention to the road on the way down here to know that she wouldn't be likely to find her way back.

"Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" Edward asked over the roar of the engine as he started the truck. "My family wasn't anything to worry about."

"I suppose not," Bella admitted. "It went better than I thought it would go … though it's still odd to know they all like me so much already."

"You better get used to it, that's the way it's going to be," Edward chuckled. "How was your conversation with Jasper?"

"You weren't listening?" Bella questioned, she highly doubted that.

Edward eyes twinkled with amusement. "Of course I was listening. I just thought it would be polite to ask you."

Bella rolled her eyes. "I think things will be better."

"That's good," Edward smiled and they were now on the highway, the truck starting to groan because of the speed Edward was going. Edward grimaced at the vehicle briefly before he looked back at Bella. "So what's the plan tonight, do you want me to come over as soon as you're done with dinner or do you have other plans?"

"Actually, I do have to do homework, I didn't do anything yesterday and I'm already behind," Bella admitted with a pout.

"I can help you with that," Edward offered.

"I think you would be more of a distraction than anything else," Bella admitted glumly.

"I could do the work for you … it wouldn't take me any time," Edward said.

"Showoff," Bella made a face and then shook her head. "I don't want to cheat."

"And I don't really want you to cheat either," Edward said. "I just don't like the idea of not being with you for any longer than I have to be."

"I know the feeling," Bella agreed. "Just give me a few hours, Edward, and then you can come over and I can read the book."

"So you don't want to read the book with Jacob?" Edward questioned, trying not to say Jacob's name harshly, but he didn't quite manage that.

Bella made a face again. "And have another person who knows what I was thinking … it's bad enough that your family knows! I'll just tell him the main points or something like that."

"Okay," Edward smiled and then frowned again. "What am I supposed to do for two hours without you … hm … maybe I can wait in your room …"

"No," Bella shook her head. "That wouldn't really help with the distraction theory."

"Fine," Edward sighed, but he already made up his mind that he wasn't really going to go far, he'd wait for her in the tree he had been staying in. They were pulling in the driveway as he thought this and soon afterward she was walking into her house alone. She went to the fridge, trying to think about what she was going to make for dinner when she found a steak marinating and a few baked potatoes that just needed to be warmed up before she could serve them. There was a note on them;

I knew you would need this.

Alice

Bella smiled at the note, and took the food out of the fridge and put in the oven. Okay, so there were some advantages of having a friend who could see the future.

Charlie got home about half an hour later and dinner was nearly ready by that time. The meal they had was rather quiet; neither Swan was much for talking. Not long after that Charlie was watching one of his games and Bella went to work on her homework. Her mind wasn't completely on her work, it kept straying to Edward, wondering what he was doing now, but she kept focusing herself back to her work. The moment that she was finished with her last math problem she heard a noise at the window (she was sure that he did it on purpose so she wouldn't get scared), and Edward was standing there.

A/N: Okay, I know this chapter is short but that's because it was supposed to be part of the last chapter. I think the next chapter will be short too. It will be about Bella's thoughts on Twilight as she reads it.