And here's chapter 4, everyone... This story is beginning to come together in my head, so my updates might be a bit more frequent, but I make no promises. I'm jumping around on PoVs a bit here, which is why I chose 3rd person for this story. Helps make things a bit easier to follow along with, I think. Might I add that I don't like that you can't put asterisks in these chapters to break up the sections... it's really quite bothersome.

SM is the stage; I am merely a player.

On with the show!

Chapter 4

Whitlock Estate (not far out of Manhattan)

A door slammed, startling Peter from his newspaper. The Major had asked to go out alone, unaccompanied, which for him wasn't much of a problem. No one could handle an attack like Major Jasper Whitlock. Peter had some of his buddies keep an eye on the Major though, just to make sure he stayed out of trouble. Trouble being spelled I-S-A-B-E-L-L-A.

"She blew me off," Jasper bellowed. "What the hell did I do wrong?"

"Can I be frank, Major?" Peter asked. Jasper nodded. "I don't think she's gonna be your run of the mill dame. I think she likes to be treated with respect but as an equal, she doesn't want to be doted upon, like you did the other day. I wouldn't be surprised if she returned everything you bought her, just because she doesn't like that you did it behind her back."

"She'd better not," Jasper whispered through clenched teeth. "She'll be mine. One way or another, I'll see to it. Even if I have to change the tactics I've used for nearly two centuries, she'll be mine."

With that he headed out of his house and towards her apartment with the intention of confronting her on her attitude from the night before. "I wouldn't, Major," Peter said, stopping him at the door. "First of all, it's the middle of the night and she's human. I'd bet my last bag of blood that she's asleep. She might not even be home. Also, she doesn't want you near her right now. Granted her dog wouldn't do much other than get his drool on you if he attacked, but still. If you really want to win her over, you need to do it the right way. She's got a fire to her, I'll tell you that. You witnessed it and I witnessed it. I said not to let her get away and I meant it. But you've got to get her first, and this is not the right way."

Jasper knew he was right, he was just letting his emotions rule him. Something he had to deal with for nearly two centuries. Being an empath had its drawbacks, letting the emotions rule you was one of them. He turned around on his heel and went back into his office, trying to devise another plan for winning over Miss Isabella Swan in a way she would deem acceptable. By mid-afternoon the next day, he had a plan.

James' place (dump in the middle of the city)

Three A.M signaled last call, followed by bar close, and the end of James' shift. Victoria waited impatiently for him at their crappy apartment down the street from the club. When he didn't come home promptly at three-thirty, she knew something was up. Usually it meant there was some poor sap at the club who smelled really good to him and he didn't bother to come get her before pursuing the unsuspecting human. She hated when they didn't get to share every meal together. His venom mixed into the victim's blood always offered an extra spicy tang that she loved.

She set off looking for him, following his scent from the club. He was a tracker, which meant he knew how to hide his trail, but she could always find him. He was stalking around an old building. It was a warehouse that had been converted into an apartment complex. They had lived in one similar until the superintendent got a little too friendly wit her and James broke his neck. He was a tasty one. "Lover, what are you doing?" she asked him as she hopped down from the light post she'd been watching him from.

"Met a girl tonight," he answered. "She was… different. She hung out with those yellow-eyed Volturi members and I even saw her yelling at The Major." Victoria's eyes went wide. "Yeah, she was yelling at him and he truly seemed afraid of her. I gotta know who she is. And she didn't smell too bad, either."

"James, you know I don't mind when you bring other women into the bedroom, but only if we get to eat them afterwards," Victoria complained.

"Oh we'll be eating her alright," James agreed, though Victoria felt that he didn't mean the same thing she did. And that made her insanely jealous.

Cullen Home (downtown Manhattan)

Bella woke up to the smell of coffee and bacon. One of her favorite combinations. Jasper was just stirring as she sat up. He opened his eyes and looked around, concerned until he found her. Then he stood up, stretched and began wagging his tail. "Morning buddy," she greeted, scratching his head and snout. He licked her hand. She got out of bed, stretched much like Jasper did and padded across the floor to the bathroom. Her clothes from the day before were on the counter, seemingly freshly washed, so she donned them after cleaning up and headed out the door.

"Morning dear," Esme greeted as Bella entered the kitchen. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very well, thank you. That bed is so comfy, and those pajamas were simply divine. I could have slept for years like that." Esme smiled. "If it's alright, I'm going to take Jasper on a quick run before breakfast. Kind of our morning routine. He's getting antsy, as you can see." Jasper was turning in circles and nipping at Bella's legs.

"I'd be happy to take him," Rosalie offered as she entered the room. She looked every bit as stunning as she did the night before. Bella noticed that both she and Esme were dressed to impress, and had perfectly coiffed hair. At 8am on a Saturday.

"I appreciate that, Rosalie, but I need the exercise, too. Gotta burn off those margaritas. You're welcome to come with, if you like." Rosalie looked out the window, checking the weather and agreed. Bella had checked it earlier, overcast most of the day but no rain, thankfully. She then went to change into more suitable attire for a run. Returning moments later, her hair was braided back, and she had on a pair of yoga pants with a racer-back tank and matching hoodie. Her sneakers matched the ensemble as well. Apparently they always were fashion forward in this household, even when working out.

With a happy Jasper, Rosalie and Bella left the house and headed towards the park. After stretching her legs a bit, Bella took off at a leisurely pace, warming up before her sprints. Rosalie kept up pace rather well, telling Bella she was a regular jogger, too. "How often do you do this?" Rosalie asked.

"Twice a day, but the morning run is always the most intense. Sometimes more times a day if I have trouble getting inspiration for a painting. Seeing the scenery around me usually helps with that. Even in the concrete jungle of New York, I can find the beauty in my surroundings. Ready for a sprint?" Rosalie nodded, grinning, and Bella took off.

Rosalie was surprised at how fast she was for a human. Not that it was any comparison to her own speed, but Bella could definitely run from a human if she was being chased. She wondered if she'd even be faster than Edward once she was turned. She had to feign that she was not as fast, and that she tired quickly, slowing down to a jog a few seconds before Bella did. "You clearly do this more often than I do," Rosalie said, panting.

"Well, join me more often, and you'll be just as fast, Rosalie," Bella joked.

"Call me Rose. It's what friends call me," Rosalie replied. Bella smiled at that. Not even a week in New York and she'd made a family of friends. She still had Jasper Whitlock to deal with, but she was confident that she could handle him and any goons he might send her way. And even though she told him she never wanted to see him again, she couldn't help the thrill that went down her spine at the idea of looking into his deep burgundy eyes again, or running her fingers through his curly honey hair. She wondered if it was half as soft as it looked.

While they were on their way back to the Cullen house, Bella saw a red-headed woman perched in a tree near the edge of the park. She wasn't dressed for climbing, more like dressed for clubbing, complete with six inch stilettos. "I didn't think anyone climbed trees around here," Bella called out to the woman. "I commend you on your skill; that can't have been easy." She glanced at the branches and noticed that the woman had to have jumped fairly high to even grab the lowest limb.

"Oh it's plenty easy, for some of us," the woman replied, her voice not matching her body and face at all. She had an almost child like soprano voice, but her face was lethal and her body reminded Bella of a cat. Jasper began growling at the woman. He always knew the bad ones.

"I see you're bitter as ever, Vicky. James didn't put out last night?" Rosalie commented. Victoria bared her teeth and hissed at them. Weird, Bella thought. Jasper's growls became ferocious barks, his teeth bared at hers. "Come on, Bella. Let's get back to the house. I'm sure breakfast is ready by now." Bella agreed and left the strange woman in her tree.

"You knew her?" Bella asked once they were out of the park. Jasper's reaction to her told Bella that Victoria was dangerous. Very dangerous. He hadn't acted that way around the other Jasper, so clearly something was up with that woman.

"Yeah, she's with the bartender from the club. You met him."

"Oh yeah; James, I think? He was cool; made great drinks. Does she get jealous or something?"

"Or something," Rosalie replied. "She's just a bitter old witch. Doesn't like people, but James sure does, so she sits at home while he works at the club and does other things. She'd rather he stayed at home with her, but he is who he is, and somehow they stay together."

Once they were back at the Cullen house, Esme plated eggs, hash-browns, bacon and pancakes for Bella, along with a steaming cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice. "Holy crow Esme, did you own a diner in another life? This looks amazing. Perfect hangover food.

"Not that I have a hangover, but still. This is amazing. Thank you." She looked around the room, seeing no other place settings at the breakfast bar. "Did you already eat?" Bella looked at the spread and wondered how she was going to stomach all of it. She was used to eating a small bowl of granola with yogurt and fresh fruit in the morning, and occasionally a protein shake.

"Yes, couldn't wait any longer," Esme answered, giggling and holding her stomach as if it was full. Bella didn't even see any dirty dishes in the sink. She must have been out running longer than she thought.

"Well, thank you for making extra for me. I really appreciate it." As she went to start eating, she heard the tell-tale sign of a large dog thoroughly enjoying breakfast while his tail thumps against the wall in happiness. She turned to find Jasper digging into a bowl of kibble, happy as can be. She noticed it was the same kind she always bought for him.

"Emmett remembered the kind you got when he took you shopping the other day. He made a point of picking up a bag last night while you ladies were out," Edward explained when he came into the room. "Good morning, by the way."

"Yes, good morning Edward. Wow, you seemed to read my mind. I was wondering that very thing."

Edward chuckled. "I wish I could read your mind, Bella. I'm sure it would be a fascinating place. No, I just saw your confused expression and that you were looking towards Jasper. It wasn't hard to put two and two together."

Bella seemed appeased at his answer. "Well, that makes one more Cullen to whom I owe thanks today. Where is Emmett, anyway? And everyone else for that matter?"

"Alice is at her shop, Emmett is at the coffee shop, and Carlisle is at my shop. We have employees of course, but we like to have one of us there as often as possible," Esme answered. "But I'm off today, as are Edward and Rosalie. What would you like to do?"

Jasper finished his breakfast and sidled up to Bella, sitting right up against her. She didn't know why but he'd always done this. He leaned against her as if to make sure she was really there or perhaps to make his presence known. Either way, her hand always went to scratch his head automatically. "Well, I was planning on taking all that stuff that I didn't buy with my own money back to the stores," Bella answered.

"No!" Both Esme and Edward yelled.

"Um, why not?" Bella asked.

"There is a lot more to Jasper Whitlock than meets the eye. Trust me, if you return that merchandise, or even mention the idea to him, he will take it as a personal insult, and that won't end well," Esme answered.

"Should I… should I be afraid of him?" Bella's eyes were wide with almost fear.

Esme exchanged a glance with both Edward and Rosalie. "Not necessarily," Rosalie replied. "It's just… he and his business associates… operate a bit differently than most, so they can come off as intimidating. He is dangerous, without a doubt, but I don't believe he would harm you. Not intentionally anyway."

That was a lot to take in. Bella had already gotten the Italian Mafia feel from both the Cullens and Jasper Whitlock's goon on more than one occasion. "What's really going on here?" she asked, crossing her arms on her chest. "Is there some kind of family feud or turf war that you have with him?"

"Sort of," Edward answered. "His family and our family both own a lot of businesses in the area. Not necessarily competing ones as far as type of business, but there's a long history there and we just have never gotten along, so it's best that we stay away from each other and out of each other's circles. It seems though, that he has already pulled you in so-to-speak, even against your will. But like Esme said, even if you never speak to him again, you cannot under any circumstances return the clothing he purchased."

"But it was over two hundred grand!" Bella exclaimed. "That's not just a little shopping, that's overkill. I admit, I should have been paying more attention, but most of the stores didn't even have price tags on their stuff, which already told me it was pricey, and I was having a lot of fun, but still. He can't be okay with me spending that much money. Right?"

"I'll put it this way," Edward replied, placing his fingers on his chin. "Two hundred grand would be earned in about twenty minutes." Bella's eyes went ever wider, her eyebrows hitting her hair line. "Jasper is a businessman. A very good one at that, so that amount of money to him is almost literally nothing. Trust me. He probably didn't even notice."

"Very well," Bella acquiesced. "Either way, I should go home. I have a lot to do before my apartment is finished and I need to get painting. Deadline's approaching."

Edward offered to drive her home, which Bella gratefully accepted. Jasper hopped in the backseat and they made their way to her apartment. In companionable silence, they rode through the streets of Manhattan, and Bella gazed out the window, making a mental list of all the places she still wanted to see. A Broadway play or musical was high on the list.

As if reading her mind again, Edward mentioned a musical. "My family and I are going to see In the Heights this weekend," he said. "Rosalie and Emmett can't make it though. They're going to some weekend coffee shop convention thing in Canada. So we have a couple extra tickets. Would you like to join us?"

"That would be lovely; thank you, Edward!" she exclaimed.

He waved his hand in dismissal. "Think nothing of it. If we haven't said it enough already, you're one of us now. There are perks that come with that."

They arrived at her apartment and Edward walked her to the door, leaving his car double parked. A few cabs honked at him and offered a few choice words and hand gestures but he ignored them. "Thanks for the ride, Edward. Let me know the time for the Musical and I'll be ready." She leaned up and kissed his cheek before entering the building.

Jasper seemed happy to be home and after checking all the nooks and crannies for any new scents, he curled up on his dog bed and huffed a sigh of contentment. "I'm glad to be home, too, buddy," Bella told him. He didn't move, save for thumping his tail against the floor.

She decided to get to work on assembling her bed, as it wouldn't do to sleep on the mattress on the floor anymore. It was a bit too "college apartment" for her tastes. After connecting two pallets together to make the frame, she took another apart and fashioned a headboard out of it and attached it to the frame. Bella then created a cubby system out of another pair of pallets and set that underneath the frame, so she'd have some storage under the bed for things she did need often.

After completing the bed, she made it up finally, adding the few throw pillows she'd acquired from Esme's store. The bed looked so inviting; she couldn't help but lie down and revel in the comfort for a few minutes. Jasper joined her, curling up on top of her feet, pretty much ensuring that she didn't move. She grabbed the throw blanket from behind her and tucked herself in for a short nap. Especially after having the big breakfast at the Cullens, she was more than ready to rest a bit.

Bella made a quick lunch for herself and filled Jasper's dog bowl. He glanced at the bowl, hearing the clinking sounds of the rubble hitting the ceramic, but didn't move from his comfortable spot still on the bed. "Guess you're not hungry, eh? The Cullens stuffed you right up." She scratched his head and went about her day.

She tore apart the rest of the pallets and began work on constructing a wardrobe for all her new clothes. Five hours and as many splinters later, she was sanding the surface to smooth it out, so it would take paint better. Her plan was to paint the bed frame, the vanity, and the wardrobe a turquoise color, and then sand it again so it would give an aged look. She broke for dinner, deciding to take Jasper on a short walk to the nearest food cart. It was a gyro cart and Bella purchased two gyros for herself with extra tzatziki sauce and a dish of just the gyro meat for Jasper as a treat. The next cart down had smoothies for sale, so she got a strawberry mango smoothie and took off for the park to find a clean enough picnic table to enjoy her meal.

"Well if it isn't Bella," she heard a somewhat familiar voice call out. Turning, her eyes alighted on James, the bartender from the nightclub. "And who is this?" he asked, pointing at Jasper who was growling lowly.

"Hi James, this is my dog, Jasper," Bella replied, keeping mindful of her surroundings, making sure there was a quick getaway if necessary. Something about James just rubbed her the wrong way, and it didn't help that he was with that red-haired witch either.

"How are you both doing this fine day?" he asked, cocking his head in an inhuman way. Bella had to blink twice, trying to shake the creepy feeling she got.

"Just fine thank you, working on setting up my apartment," she replied. "Just took a break for dinner and a bit of exercise."

James chuckled. "Yes, I can tell that you definitely exercise regularly, you've a great body." He shamelessly eyed her form, seeming to like what he saw, even though she was seated and most of his view was blocked by the table. Jasper continued growling. "Am I upsetting your pet?"

"He just doesn't know you," Bella lied smoothly. "He doesn't like people he doesn't know."

"And I doubt she likes you either," a musical, perfect voice called out. Bella turned and saw none other than Jasper Whitlock standing there, staring James down. James turned away and exchanged a few quiet words with Jasper. There was a fire in Jasper's eyes that did something to Bella, making her body heat increase slightly. She shook her head to get rid of that feeling and reminded herself that she had just the night before, told him to scram. Or something along those lines. Either way, he wasn't supposed to be coming near her.

James scampered off like a dog with his tail between his legs, and Jasper the dog offered one clipped bark that sounded like, "And stay out."

"I'm very sorry, Miss Swan," Jasper addressed. "I know you asked me to stay away and I had every intention of doing so. It truly is a coincidence that I'm here. I was trying a different route that didn't go near your building and it led me here. I saw him talking to you from across the way." He pointed towards a jogging path on the other side of the small park. "I knew he was bad news, so I had to interfere. I do hope you'll forgive me."

Bella blinked a few times before responding. "Actually, I'm grateful to you. He was starting to invade my personal space, and bothering Jasper. I think I should limit my interactions with him to when he's making drinks at that club. Maybe not even that."

"A wise decision, Miss Swan," Jasper Whitlock agreed. "I'll um, leave you to enjoy your meal." He pivoted on his heels and began jogging away before Bella could ask him to join her. She was partly glad for that, as she still wasn't sure what to do about him. Though the desire to run her fingers through his mess of curls was at an all-time high. And she had to wonder if James would still be an issue. He didn't know where she lived as far as she knew, but this park was close enough to home that it worried her. The locks on her apartment door were pretty tough to break, but that didn't mean he couldn't find another way to her. She'd have to be ever vigilant and perhaps start carrying that gun her father had bought for her.

At any rate, she got some inspiration for her next series of paintings and took a roundabout way home before setting up her easel with a canvas and pulling out the paints. Jasper Whitlock had just become her muse.

A/N: As you can see Rosalie is a bit OOC, she doesn't hate Bella, nor is she jealous of her. Also James is a bit OOC, too. He's still a tracker, still wants Bella, but not as much as a meal, but as something else. Victoria is her same jealous self.

And for those of you that might be wondering, the relationship between Edward and Bella will be strictly platonic. They'll be best of friends. He and Alice are truly mates. No cheating or changing up my pairings in this story.

Up next will be a little confrontation with James, Victoria and Bella. Who will come to her rescue this time? The Cullens or the Whitlocks?