A/N yes, I know I'm late, very late and I'm so sorry. But writing this chapter was truly hard; I got stuck at various points. And I wasn't sure which POV I should use, so I'd decided to switch. I hope I got it right this time.

So without any further delay, I give you what you've all been waiting for, the reunion of Jasper, Bella, Rose and Em … with Peter and Char thrown into the mix of course.

Enjoy!

Chapter 25 Not an easy start

A few minutes earlier … outside of the Cullen mansion …

Rose POV

There were two vehicles parked in the overgrown driveway … a rusty, old truck, blocking the entrance to the garage, and a black Mercedes. Emmett pulled in behind the latter. For a moment I wondered which one belonged to Jasper. My money was on the Mercedes. It wasn't the newest model, but it was definitely in much better shape than the truck.

As soon as Emmett stopped the engine, I was out, instantly followed by my mate.

"You just go ahead, I'll get the luggage." Emmett offered, already popping up the trunk.

And I did what he'd said, quickly grabbing my bag containing all my personal items from the backseat, and then I made my way into the house.

Jasper stood in the middle of the room, clearly awaiting our arrival … almost like a bellboy or a receptionist in a hotel, only dressed inappropriately. Don't get me wrong, he looked more like himself again, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, instead of the fancy pants and shirts Alice had forced upon him. This right here was the real Jasper, the one I'd missed the most, even before we'd left this town last September. And somehow I got the feeling that it wasn't just the change of clothes that made him look like that. There was something else; I just didn't know what it was … at least not yet anyway.

"Nice ride outside. Yours?" I asked. I knew it wasn't my best opening line, but it was the first thing that came to mind, feeling I needed some sort of an icebreaker. I dropped my bag on the floor, carefully though, bearing in mind that it contained something quite fragile, a laptop. I took a quick glance around the room. It had been only six months, since we'd left this house and it should feel like coming home, but unfortunately it didn't. Instead I was having this strange, eerie feeling of misplacement. Too many bad things happened here, things that had triggered so many changes, changes that couldn't be reversed. Though I truly loved this house, I knew I could never call this my home again.

My gaze finally went back to Jasper, who was shifting uncomfortably, giving off some very weird vibes. He was tense, too tense for my liking. Was he hiding something from me? Or did he just not know how to act around me?

"Well hello to you too, I suppose." He said, with a smile on his face that didn't quite reach his eyes. "No, it's not mine. It's Charlotte's new baby."

I decided to simply ignore his weird attitude and his snippy comment, and just threw myself at him, laughing. I was so happy to see him again, and I couldn't contain myself any longer. I was glad when he finally relaxed into my hug, enveloping me in a cocoon of his own joy. I was relieved to find out that his feelings were mutual, despite his first reaction. I drew in a deep breath, the first one since I'd entered the house.

Without the constant need for oxygen, of course I hadn't noticed it before. What a huge mistake on my part! But there it was … the strange but yet very familiar scent, not only clinging on pretty much every inch of my brother's skin, but polluting the air in the room, maybe even the entire house.

Bella fucking Swan … you've gotta be kidding …

I couldn't believe that I'd missed any of it before … the steady heartbeat and breathing of the human girl upstairs, the hum of the fridge, or the faint residual stench of human food … all of those tiny but unmistakable indicators, hinting to one thing.

Bella was here, right now. I growled slightly … more out of habit than anything else. I wasn't angry, more like a little irritated, and maybe a little disappointed, but mostly I was surprised. What was she doing here? And why in the heck was her scent all over Jasper?

I disentangled myself, taking a deliberate step back. The sheepish look on Jasper's face provided me with some needed answers. Right then I was one-hundred-percent sure he knew what I'd just discovered. His facial expression was pretty priceless.

Yes, my dear brother … you are so busted …

So this was it? This was the thing he'd been trying to hide from me? Was this the reason why he acted so strangely? Jasper looked at me, rather anxiously, like he was expecting me to freak out. Perhaps I would have, if it wasn't for the happiness I could detect in his eyes. I took in another breath. Yes her scent was strong, which meant she had been here for quite some time. And there was something else. I could distinctly smell the evidence of sex.

Oh, my … he didn't, did he? Oh, this just too good to be true …Edward would flip if he knew … not that I am going to tell him … but I am tempted …

"So, Jasper, my dear brother. Is there anything you want to tell me?" I coaxed, smirking. From the look on his face, I could tell he clearly wasn't expecting me to remain this calm.

Unfortunately Jasper didn't get the chance to answer my question, because my husband chose this exact moment to make his appearance in the house. Emmett dropped our bags carelessly by the door. He was just lucky I wasn't as obsessed as Alice when it came to my possessions, otherwise he would have never done anything like that … once maybe, but not a second time.

"Hey, bro. What have I missed?" Emmett exclaimed excitedly.

Apparently a lot, honey … I thought to myself, stifling the chuckle that threatened to escape my lips. I plopped myself on the couch, waiting for this show to run its course. This is going to be so much fun …

I knew exactly why I kept my mouth shut. For one … it certainly wasn't my place to tell Emmett about Jasper's involvement with Bella, whatever it was. I wasn't vindictive like that pixie wife of his. Like Alice had said they were never meant to be together … not as mates, so in my opinion he wasn't cheating or anything along that line. But more importantly … this task of telling my mate required a certain amount of finesse … which I lacked. I wasn't the sensitive type, but Jasper was. Hopefully, his gift would come in handy here. I was pretty sure he would need it. I had the feeling that Emmett wasn't going to be as accepting as me.

Jasper POV

I'd barely paid Emmett any attention since he'd entered the room, keeping my main focus on my sister. Her silence was starting to freak me out. I knew perfectly well that she knew that Bella was here, but it became clearer with each passing second that she wasn't planning on saying anything about it. I didn't know if I should be glad that she didn't just rat me out to my brother, or not. Probably, I should. But then again I could clearly sense her amusement combined with a dose of mischief. She was up to something.

Rose studiously ignored my inquiring stare, instead looking around the room like she's never been here before. Well, sure, it had changed since the last time she'd been here. Back then she'd called this place her home. But now it was just an almost empty house, a mere memory. It was kinda sad.

My sister's eyes finally settled on the spot on the wall I'd thrown Peter in the other day. My brother had placed the material he'd picked up today for the damage repair right underneath the crack. It was quite a lot of stuff, more than we would actually need to fix this minor damage.

"I see you still haven't found the time to fix it? What … was there something more important you needed to take care of?" She asked offhandedly, but her emotions told a different story. The bitch was taunting me. I swallowed a growl, giving her a glare as an answer instead. "And by the way … you haven't told me how that happened?" She looked at me with her eyebrows raised.

I didn't get the change to answer any of her questions, because Peter beat me to the punch. "Can't you tell from its shape? That's where the Major had thrown my sorry ass in." He informed my sister, strolling into the house, like he fucking owned the place. Charlotte entered the house right behind him. From the looks of it they had been through the woods, literally, and probably on all fours. Yikes. I so didn't want the image of my siblings doing the deed in my head right now. More than once I'd seen quite more of them than I'd liked (and of Rose and Emmett as well). I shook my head to rid myself of those disturbing thoughts, locking my gaze with Peter's.

Thanks jerk, for making it sound like I'd done it unjustified … but perfect timing, though …

Peter winked at me, obviously sensing my sort-of gratitude, but completely ignoring my grimace of annoyance. It was probably for the best right now.

Having him and Char around for the big revelation could certainly be beneficial. As far as I could tell, Rose wasn't going to be a problem. She was in the loop already, and didn't seem to have a problem with Bella being here, although she was still radiating a lot of curiosity about the details. But Emmett … well let's just say it could get dicey.

I hadn't noticed it before, but Peter was holding a brown paper bag and one of those to-go-cups with something that smelt like coffee in his hands. Apparently they had made a pit-stop at some coffee shop, to pick up something for my mate before making their return to the house.

This has to stop. It is my job to take care of her. I groaned internally. But for now I decided to let this matter slide. One problem at the time …

Charlotte flitted over to Rose's side and they hugged fiercely. "It's nice to finally see you again." They both exclaimed at the same time, causing them to start giggling like school girls.

Emmett's and Peter's greeting went over quite differently of course … only a manly pat on the back and a quick 'hello'. But apart from that, they all were feeling the same, happiness and elation, and a certain need to quench their curiosity.

"What's with the human food, dude? Did you change your diet?" Emmett joked, eying the items Peter held in his hand.

"Hardly," Peter snorted, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "This isn't for me; it's for the little lady."

"Who?" Emmett asked, confusion written all over his face. He still hadn't sensed Bella's presence in the house. I wouldn't go so far as calling my brother dense, but sometimes he was a little slow. But then again, even Rose hadn't picked up Bella's scent right away.

True, as vampires we did have very keen senses. We could hear a pin drop in a room of thousand people talking and music on at full volume; we could smell how slightest hormonal change did have an effect on the scent of a human's blood standing a few yards away … the list goes on and on. Too a human our abilities might be incredibly fascinating, maybe even something to envy, but to a vampire it both a blessing and a curse. As predators we did need those keen senses. They did help us hunt (our natural or non-natural prey), and they always worked as a sort of defense mechanism, to warn us in time whenever another of our kind was near.

But the constant strain on all of our senses could be quite exhausting, sometimes even nauseating. Especially in the first days after the change the onslaught of stimuli was very confusing, downright scary even. But with time and practice we'd all learned to tune out certain things, concentrating only on the most important sensations. It was definitely easier to accomplish this task in times of peace and quiet.

Considering our different upbringing, Peter, Char and I continued to be on our guard, paying close attention to everything that went on around us, always ready to act accordingly. It was hard to change a habit like that one, not that we would want to anyway. 'Better safe than sorry' that was our motto. Maybe this was reason why we'd managed to stay alive for so long in the first place … who knew.

But try as we might, we weren't perfect. There were times when we got too damn distracted … and well certain things could slip our notice. But that happened rarely, at least to me … and before Bella, that was. Being around her made me lose focus, especially whenever she was touching me.

But right here and now, I knew I had to pay extra attention. Yes, Bella was alone upstairs, but that didn't mean that I'd left her alone. All I had to do was splitting my focus in order to keep a close watch on my mate's emotions, while doing the same with Rose and Emmett down here.

Bella seemed to be doing fine on her own, as far as I could tell. Not for the first time, I had a little trouble to pinpoint her emotional mood exactly. She still continued to close off her emotions from me … even now, knowing that we were mates and all that. But somehow I got the impression that she didn't always do this on purpose, like she wasn't having any real control over her gift … not yet anyway. This was why I wasn't mad at her for doing this yet again, and under these particular circumstances, because I knew she trusted and loved me without reservation.

But even though I couldn't solely rely on my special gift, I still had my other senses to work for me. By now I was so accustomed to her breathing rhythm and the sound of her heartbeat, that it was easy tell what she was up to or how she was feeling, even though I wasn't with her in the physical sense.

So of course, I'd noticed right away when Bella had left the bathroom, walking on her tiptoes down the hall, trying her best to be stealthy, but of course failing completely. And I was fully aware of the fact that my beautiful mate was right up the stairs, waiting in the hallway, hiding from sight, but listening in to our conversation. I was pretty sure that she's barely caught on a word, since we were speaking to low for her human ears. Well that was before Emmett opened his mouth.

So it really wasn't a surprise … at least not for me or Peter or Char … that Bella chose the moment Emmett asked his question about her identity to make her appearance at the top of the stairs.

"Me." The sound of my angel's voice rang through the entire room, and all eyes immediately went to her. She was a vision of beauty and strength, walking down the stairs with her shoulders square and her head high. My mate. She was truly magnificent. There was no nervousness in her eyes, only determination … and when she looked at me, I could see love … and a great amount of lust.

Mine … My feet moved on their own accord, closing the distance between me and Bella.

Then I heard a gasp and more than one chuckle coming from behind me, causing me to freeze on spot, still a few feet away from the staircase. I didn't want to take my eyes of my mate, but I knew I had to actually see what was going on behind me. There were too many emotions swirling around making it nearly impossible to get a clear picture. So I turned around, very reluctantly though, away from my mate.

Peter and Char wore matching grins on their face. Even Rose was smiling slightly. Her emotions hadn't changed since the first moment she'd realized Bella was here. She was still very curious about the circumstances, which was to be expected. But to my surprise there wasn't even a smidgen of animosity, no feelings of resentment coming from her. If anything she seemed to be a little proud of Bella's cool behavior and this reaction was definitely something I hadn't expected coming from my sister, considering that she didn't seem to have many positive feelings about Bella in the past. Beside Emmett, Rose always had been the easiest person to read around the Cullen clan. She was like an open book, not known for holding back her true feelings, or her thoughts. Edward would agree with me on that. Rose could be annoyingly straightforward, but it was part of her charm. Anyhow … I'd understood her reasons, hell I'd even shared her point of view on many of them back then, but now things have changed … for me, and apparently for Rose as well.

"Bella." Emmet managed to choke out. Of course the single gasp of surprise earlier had come from him. He stared at my mate in shock, open-mouthed, like he was trying to say something else, but didn't know how or what. Many emotions ran over his face. Shock was the most prominent one, quickly followed by guilt. And there was longing, a lot of it. I could feel his struggle, his indecision. I knew he wanted nothing more than to pull her into one of his legendary bear-hugs, apologize and move on from there. But at the same time he was afraid that she might not want to, that she might resent him.

I turned around again. Bella had finally reached the bottom on the staircase. "Emmett, Rose … nice to see you again." She greeted my siblings politely, gracing them with an equal polite smile, one that didn't reach her beautiful brown eyes. Then she averted her gaze, looking anywhere but at Emmett or his wife.

"Likewise." Rose replied with a smirk in her voice. Emmett on the other hand was anything but amused. Strong waves of disappointment and sadness hit me. It was a reasonable reaction on his part, considering his favorite little sister showed him the cold shoulder. He clearly hadn't been expecting this. But then again, did he actually think she would just forget everything, and act like nothing had happened? Why should he fare better than me?

I tried my best to fight off his feelings, before they could overwhelm me. Instead I concentrated on my mate's emotions. True, Bella was acting all cool, calm and collected, but I could sense that's all it was … an act. Deep inside Bella was nervous as hell, but she definitely did her best not to show it. I'd never pictured her as a good actress, but I had to admit she could have fooled even me with that indifferent look on her face.

Peter seemed to sense the tension in the room and decided it was time to step in. His intention was clear. He wanted to lighten the mood for everybody's sake, but mostly he was concerned about Bella. "Hey there, little pigeon, I've brought you something." He moved past me, holding out his gifts for her, grinning like a fool. "I'd thought you might need it, what with the all the action today."

Bella was blushing slightly, but decided to overlook my brother's innuendo. She took a last step forward to close the gap between herself and my brother, graciously accepting Peter's offerings. She moaned, after taking a sniff at the beverage in the cup. That sound went straight to my groin.

So not the right time … I cautioned myself. Getting a boner right there and then wouldn't be very helpful, now would it?

"Ah, Peter. You've brought me my favorite coffee." She took a sip, and then she opened the paper bag and smiled. "And blueberry muffins too. Thanks, you are the best."

"You hear that, Char. I'm the best." Peter gloated, glancing over to the couch where Charlotte and Rosalie were still sitting comfortably.

"Yeah, yeah … don't let this go to your head, honey. Seriously Bella, you have to stop stroking his ego, it is big enough as it is." Char groaned in exasperation, toping that with a roll of her eyes, causing Bella to giggle. Their little banter clearly had a positive effect on my mate's mood. She began to relax a little more. Probably exactly what Peter had intended.

"Yeah, I kinda noticed that already." Bella stated. This time Rose joined into the round of light laughter that followed. Emmett, Peter and I were the only ones who didn't find this funny … but for different reasons though.

"Hey. This is so not the way to treat your food provider." Peter complained.

Bella sniggered again at his choice of words, but sobering up, when she took in the pout on my brother's face. Her emotions told me she wasn't completely fooled, but felt the need to apologize anyway. "I'm sorry, Peter. Of course, I'm grateful that you look out for me … bringing me food and everything." Then she placed her hands on his arm, using it as leverage to pull herself up on her tiptoes, only to place a quick, gentle kiss on Peter's cheek.

Peter POV

Never in my wildest though nonexistent dreams had I expected Bella to do something like that. Truly, this girl never ceased to amaze me, or any one of us for that matter. The amount of faith this mere human had in our restraint was really something else. And I was going to do everything in my power to show her that her faith wasn't misplaced, and I was sure so was my mate. Bella was too damn important to all of us, not just to Jasper.

There was no sign of hesitation or fear or revulsion when she touched me. But then again, I would have been very surprised if she'd actually shown a reaction like that. She was obviously so used to the 'slight' temperature difference by now, that she didn't show any sort of reaction at all, like she didn't even notice it anymore. We were just people to her, not bloodthirsty, crazed predators.

Weird … but I am not going to complain or anything. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth and all that …

Her lack of response to my icy touch made complete sense though, considering the fact that she has been involved with my kind for quite some time now, touching and all. And not to mention the fact that she quite obviously had been starting to get really physical with my brother … probably only seconds after Char and I had left the house earlier. It was about time. The sexual tension between those two lovebirds has been palpable, and strong, and very catching, which was why I'd taken my mate for a little private shag in the woods. Not that we needed the extra boost, but it was nice just the same.

But evidently I had been the only one of us who had gotten lucky, the only one who'd scored so to speak … twice, I might add.

It was easy to tell that Bella and Jasper had been interrupted (hopefully not mid-coitus). He was way too tense, a clear sign of his sexual frustration. Poor bastard! Jasper really was in need of some release, and I wasn't talking about the kind he found this morning. No what he needed was a real good fucking session, one that lasted hours and then some. I had a feeling though she was still human and therefore not as durable as a vampire that Bella would be up to the challenge.

Anyway … at least he had gotten Bella off in time. But then again that was standard procedure for us Whitlock men; we always made sure that our mates came first, before we allowed ourselves to do the same.

I was pretty certain that Bella would be quite embarrassed if she knew what I knew. Aside from the slight glow on her face, I could smell her scent all over him, and I was sure so could every other vampire in the room … well maybe except for Emmett. He seemed to be the only one who still wasn't up to date, considering the permanent confused and slightly strained look on his face.

The warmth of Bella's skin against mine, when she laid her tiny hand on my bare arm was incredible. But that was nothing compared to the feeling of her soft, warm lips against the cool, hard surface of my face. The sensation was very, very pleasurable … though not in a sexual way. But still, I couldn't stop myself from closing my eyes for a second, and letting out a low sigh of pure contentment.

Major fucking faux pas on both accounts … Bella's peculiar choice to show her affection and gratitude and then my lapse in self-control … especially right here and now. The atmosphere in the room has been strained enough before but our recent actions made things worse … and fast.

Sure rationally, Jasper knew that there was no need to be jealous, but when it came to our mates … well let's just say that all reason could go out the window in a matter of seconds, and for no good reason to begin with. So it was no big surprise that Jasper's possessiveness got the better of him. He crouched and growled in warning, telling me to back off, to let go of his mate. And it wasn't a low growl this time, and unfortunately not the only one. The second growl came from Emmett, and his wasn't directed at me.

Then all hell broke loose. Before Bella could comprehend what was going on, Emmett jumped Jasper, pulling him further away from her and me, clearly misreading Jasper's growl for what it was. Emmett only managed to get a grip on our brother and throw across the room, because Jasper hadn't seen it coming. His focus had been on me and his mate.

I had barely enough time to pull Bella out of the way, but I managed to do so, even without making her drop the coffee cup or the muffin in the process. It would have been a shame, especially after what I'd had to endure in that awful stinking coffee shop.

Jasper slammed back first into the wall on the opposite side of the room, very close to the spot I'd landed in the other day. The crack in the wall wasn't hard to miss. I knew getting more material than actually necessary wouldn't be a waste of money. Well, I didn't know know, but I did have a hunch. Call it intuition, or experience, whatever. But to tell the truth, I hadn't anticipated this to happen, or at least I'd hoped that something like this could have been avoided.

But we were nowhere perfect. Hence the situation we were in right now … with Jasper currently pinned by his throat by the hand of his own brother. Snarls of anger rang through the room. But oddly Jasper didn't even try to free himself. Yes, Emmett was probably the strongest of us all, physically speaking, but he still was no match for the Major.

To my surprise Bella quickly caught on what was happening around her. She struggled against my hold, desperately trying to get to Jasper. I could sympathize with her, watching your mate in danger was hard to bear. But what could she do? She was just human. Char flitted to my side, in case I needed help to restrain Bella, which of course I didn't. Rose on the other hand hadn't moved an inch from her seat on the couch. She was merely watching, probably knowing that her interference could make things worse. She shot me a fleeting look, asking me without words what we should or shouldn't do. I shook my head minutely, and she caught my drift. This was between Jasper and Emmett … and Bella.

When she realized that I wouldn't budge, Bella turned her head to give me a glare that would put Medusa to shame. Wow, I've never expected to see a look like that on that pretty, angelic face of hers. It kinda reminded me of Jasper's expression just before he would kill somebody … cold and determined, but still fucking beautiful in its glory.

Looks like the God of War has truly found his Goddess … I mused.

"Let go of me, Peter." She commanded in a calm, but unrelenting tone. And she sounds just like him, too …

I knew better than to argue, and loosened my hold on her at once. Apart from the consistent stream of snarls and growls still coming from both Emmett and Jasper, the situation was under control. They didn't beat the crap out of each other, in fact they didn't move at all. Rose's, Char's and my non-interference might have something to do with it. Apparently our combined calmness was fuelling Jasper's own thereby helping him to stay focused and not lose his temper after all. I still didn't get it why he didn't just free himself, showing Emmett who was in charge around here, but then again who was I to question the Major's motives.

Bella stepped out of my embrace, and turned around to face me. "Thanks. Here," Bella shoved the cup of coffee and the muffin into my hands, "Please, hold them for me. I want to finish them later." She said calmly, with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Sweetie, please be careful." Char cautioned.

Bella gave my mate a curt nod and a small smile as an answer, and then she turned away from us. "She'll be fine." I whispered into my wife's ear. I was curious to see what she was going to do. But at the same time I was prepared to pull her away if things wouldn't go as planned.

Bella took in a deep breath, to steady herself, and then she walked over to Emmett and Jasper with the same confidence I had seen a couple of times before. She was truly magnificent. There was no fear, only purpose. She was truly worthy to be the Major's mate.

Bella stopped a few feet behind them, keeping a safe distance, just in case. Smart girl …

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Emmett? Get the hell away from him!" Bella demanded.

A/N Please don't be mad at me for stopping here. This is just the first part. I had to split this chapter into two. Hopefully the second part will be out soon.

And a little but certainly interesting side note … my story is currently being translated into Portuguese by GRAZY LUTS. For those of you that speak Portuguese, please go and check it out, and leave her some love. I'm sure she is doing a great job. This got me thinking. Does anyone want to read my story in German? Send me a PM, and let me know.