You won't believe it, but it's true: another chapter, and a long one. I'm sick home doped with antibiotics, so that's where the time came from. Anyway, enjoy and tell me what you think!

Twilight doesn't belong to me, unfortunately.

19

Bella's POV

When the others had finally tiptoed out, I asked. "Who was that woman?"

He smiled. "That was Esme, Carlisle's wife. She is the most loving vampire, well, the most loving person I've ever met. It is not common for us to live with others peacefully, but here it's a family, and she is the mother."

"I can imagine that", I said. She had definitely looked like she could sort out all those volatile tempers. Jasper had turned to the window and become very quiet. He looked deeply perturbed.

"What is it?"

"I… let you down again. I lost it and turned monster near you… How can you bear me anywhere close to you, Bella?" He was facing away from me, and I saw how tense he was.

"Jasper?"

He hung his head even lower. "How long till you leave me because you have realized what kind of creature I am?"

"Jasper, did you not hear me tell Dr. Cullen I was fine with you? You were angry at Edward for crashing in on us like he did, and I was too."

He gave me a crooked smile. "Yes, but I did not see you behaving like a wild beast to the others in the room."

"Believe me, it was not for want of trying", I growled, which caused him to laugh. "Honestly, Jasper, if you're not human, how can I expect you to behave like a human?" He still did not look convinced, so I added. "Can you tell me something more about this 'mate' thing?"

He sighed. "It's… kind of strange, and a bit primeval, I think. Alright, when we fall in love, that is, meet the vampire we're supposed to be with, a bond is formed. We need to be with that other person; we crave them and will defend them at all costs. It is a bond which cannot be broken easily."

"Why are you worried about me leaving you then?" I asked.

"Because you're not a vampire, and even Carlisle hasn't found anything about vampire-human mating so far. Besides, Edward is also convinced you're his."

"What? Well, I don't feel anything about him, but I felt something for you right from the start."

He gave me one of his amazing smiles briefly before his face darkened again and nodded. "Yes, but that could also be because of my gift."

"What gift?"

"I am empathic, Bella. I can feel other people's emotions…"

"But then you should know how I feel about you", I interrupted him. I felt as if I was in information overdrive, but was confident that Jasper would help me cope.

"Well, yes", he said, "but that is not all. I can also influence them, and I love you so much that I might have…"

I shook my head. "Your radar must be way off balance if you think that, Jasper Hale. I've never been in love before, and now I am, and with you and not your brother, do you understand that? Besides, why on earth should I prefer Edward to you?"

He turned away again shuffling his feet nervously. "Because he's handsome, polite, good-looking, and because he is not broken like me."

I got in front of him. "He is nothing compared to you. You take my breath away, and if I weren't sure that even I could not invent anything as absurd as this I would be sure I was dreaming that someone as gorgeous and wonderful as you was even thinking about me." I got on tiptoes and kissed him again, hoping that there was a way to dispel his fear of rejection and make him realize just how precious he was to me. I would really have to talk to Charlotte about what it was in Jasper's past that had made him come to such a low opinion of himself. But I had another question first. "So, when vampires are mated, they stay together forever, right?"

He nodded.

"What happens when one of them… dies?"

His look back gave me the answer.

"You would die if I died?" I whispered.

"Not… directly, I think, but… it hurts too much, that's why we're so possessive and protective of the other."

"I don't want you to hurt", I curled into his arms.

"I'm not the vulnerable one here", he snickered. "Do you have any idea what it was like watching you go in and out of ERs these last three years?"

"Oh…"

He pulled me onto his lap sitting down on his bed again. "But now you're here, and things will be better."

We resumed where we had been before we were so rudely interrupted until the doorbell was rung with a vengeance.

Charlie's POV

When I came home that evening our neighbor was working in his garden. Bella's truck was parked out front, so I went in quickly in order not to keep her waiting with my dinner for too long.

"I'm back!" I hollered when I was inside kicking off my shoes.

No answer.

"Bells?"

Still no answer. I saw her backpack lying at the foot of the stairs, so she must have come in after school, but where was she now? Had she gone out with the girls again? Last night seemed to have been a success; she had been all flush and excited when she came in. I checked the answering machine – nothing.

Strange. I strolled into the kitchen thinking, when I had a bad premonition. I got back into my shoes and went outside.

"Chad?"

"Huh?"

"Did you see Bella at all this afternoon?"

He took off his baseball cap and scratched his head. "Yeah, think I did. She came home after school and then got into a black car that had been waiting for her. Same car that brought her home last night, some tall fellow inside.

"Thanks, Chad." I tried not to let him know just how angry I was. I had booked Jessica Stanley often enough for false parking to know she did not drive a black car. So little Miss had been lying to me two days running, and I could just imagine a cause for that.

I got back into the cruiser and drove out to the Cullen residence, where – surprise, surprise – I found a black car parked outside the garage.

I rang the doorbell furiously. Much as I liked the doctor, this was certainly going too far.

The door was opened by Hale himself, looking like sex on legs wearing only low-hanging jeans. At least he had the grace to look taken by surprise. "Chief Swan?"

"Mr. Hale, I believe my daughter is here?"

Bella appeared the next second, her hair untidy, her face in high color, rushing down the stairs and falling over her own feet as usually. Somehow Hale caught her in his arms and she seemed quite comfortable there.

I had planned to go about this whole thing rationally, but the sight of my baby with this young man was enough to push me over the edge. "Bella, I want you to get in my car and wait outside."

"Char…. Dad, it's not… I can explain…"

"Oh yes, you will do some explaining, young lady, for example, how you came to be lying about your whereabouts for the last two days, and why you're out with this jailbird when I expressly forbid you to see him. You're grounded!" Bella hung her head and started walking toward the door.

"Don't talk to Bella like that!" Hale hissed at me, his eyes dark slits in a furious face.

His tone stopped my daughter, and she went back to him immediately. "No, Jasper!"

"What, are you scared he's going to try and beat me up?" I scoffed. Although his quiet tone had sounded extremely threatening, I was not really worried about a confrontation with a nineteen year-old.

"Please, both of you, just calm down!" Bella pleaded, touching the angry youngster in front of me.

Her hand on this half-naked man was the last straw. "You are not seeing him again. Bella, get out, now!"

"Charlie!" She turned to me, her eyes full of tears.

"Now I said!" I repeated louder than necessary.

"I love him, he is very important to me."

"I told you several times to keep away from him."

Bella's eyes were brimming over, a sight I had never been able to bear. I turned my rage where it belonged. "And you, young man, do I have to remind you she is underage? I would have thought you're in enough trouble as it is!"

The infuriating man ignored me, put his arm around Bella and comforted her.

"Hey, you!" I bellowed at him. "Keep your hands off my daughter!"

"Are you threatening me?" He asked in a disbelieving tone. He let go off her though, and took a step toward me.

Bella took a sharp breath and got between the two of us again, turning to me. "Please don't make me choose!" My heart almost stopped. My baby was telling me she would choose this man over me, and I knew she would. She was her mother's daughter after all. What should I do? I could not leave her with this… violent young man.

Our very tense stand-off was interrupted quite suddenly. "Hi ya, Jasper, isn't it a bit cold to be out like that?" A tall blond man who could be this guy's brother appeared out of nowhere and slapped his shoulder. Did you completely forget we were coming to pick you up? See, Charlotte, I told you, he had forgotten us. Get some clothes, man, we're going to the concert in Seattle." He was holding hands with a petite blonde girl, the same who had been in our kitchen the day before yesterday.

His whole attitude was so laid back that it seemed inappropriate to continue the conversation. "Bella? Your friend is going out. Let me take you home."

For a brief moment I had the impression Hale was going to stop her from coming along, but the girl put her hand on his arm and he let her pass.

Bella got into the cruiser without speaking, and the silence continued all the way back home. When we got in, she dashed up the stairs and banged the door to her room.

Great! Good job, Charlie! I congratulated myself. I made myself a sandwich and got a beer from the fridge in an effort to let her cool down. After an hour I went upstairs and knocked. "Bells?"

"Go away!"

"Bella, don't be so childish…"

"I'm childish? I thought you were mad because I had a boyfriend!"

Oh dear, her temper was out. That made two of us. I entered the room and sat down in the old rocking chair that had been there since she was a baby. "No, I'm mad because you lied and disobeyed me, and because you're spending time alone with a highly undesirable young man."

She rose from her prostrate position on the bed and I could see that she had been crying some more. "Dad, you cannot tell me to stay away from him. I can't do that."

I made an exasperated noise. "Yes, you can. Even his adoptive father warned me about him. I saw him pushing you around in our own house. What more proof do you need that that is not the kind of guy you get involved with?"

"You don't know him at all. He is kind and shy, and I love him."

"Bella, I have heard that, and I know you believe you do that, but I'm still your father and responsible for you. I don't want you to go and see him anymore, do you understand that? And you are grounded for a week at least!"

"Dad!"

"No. Don't make things worse by disobeying me again, or I will have to tell your mother that I can't handle you and she has to take you back." The idea of Bella leaving here cut me to the heart, I don't think I could bear living alone again. I would have to talk to the doctor about that boy again, maybe he could make him see reason.

Bella gave me one tear-filled look and turned away.

Knowing she would not be talking to me again that night, I gave up and left.

Excellent, Charles Swan, you've just won the father of the year award there. I tried to calm down in front of the TV, and probably fell asleep there as usual. Maybe I should talk to Billy about how to deal with your daughter having a boyfriend?