A/N: So this kind of feels more like individual vignettes rather than a coherent chapter, but even after rewriting it three times, I couldn't make it work any other way. Each section is a piece needed to set the stage for what's coming. Hopefully it's not too annoying.
Alice and Jasper went straight to the Swan's house on their arrival in Forks. They had called ahead to let Bella know they were coming, and she greeted the pair with a happy smile and hugs for each.
Jasper was pleasantly surprised to see Angela Weber there when Bella led them to her living room. Neither of the vampires had spent all that much time with the girl, as they weren't attending high school with the others this time around, but they both enjoyed her company. She was similar to Bella in that she never judged any of the Cullens and never engaged in some of the gossip the other humans did when the subject of their family came up.
Edward had told the rest of the Cullens about the first day Bella had seen him, Rosalie, and Emmett in the cafeteria and the rude and dismissive way Jessica Stanley and her friends spoke about the three of them, along with Carlisle and Esme. Angela didn't hesitate to quietly defend their family, and Edward heard in her thoughts that she disliked the way the rest of the school treated them. She had noticed that they were a little different and kept to themselves, but she thought she'd probably keep to herself, too, if she was judged the way the Cullens were.
So while Edward and his siblings dismissed most of the human teenagers they went to school with, they couldn't help but like and respect Angela a bit. They said hello to her in the hall and asked how she was if they were in class together. They weren't friends, exactly, but they were friendlier to her than they were to anyone outside their family.
As Alice and Jasper sat talking with the two humans in the Swan's living room, Jasper felt Alice's excitement spike a few moments before the back door opened.
When Jacob Black walked into the room, Bella introduced him to Angela. As soon as he looked into her eyes, Jacob froze and Jasper felt his entire being explode in shock.
Bella watched Angela and Jacob curiously for a moment before her mind connected the dots of what she was seeing. "Holy shit," she whispered, happiness lighting her up at the realization that her favorite wolf had just imprinted on her favorite human friend.
When the two vampires got back to the Cullen's old house later that afternoon, Alice was practically bubbling over with happiness. She was thrilled that Jacob had found his other half, and it was even more satisfying that his imprint was a human that she and Jasper already knew and liked.
Before leaving Bella's, the five of them decided to organize another barbecue at the Cullen's for that weekend. Alice and Jasper always liked spending time with the wolves, and they were eager to get to know Angela better.
The pair hadn't been in the house more than a few minutes when Jasper's cell phone rang. Checking the display, he saw it was Rosalie.
"Hey Rose," he greeted her.
"Too good for the family now?"
While her words may have sounded harsh to someone else, Rosalie was the person Jasper was closest to in the family after Alice and he could hear the light-hearted teasing in her voice.
Besides, snark was Rosalie's love language.
"What can I say, y'all are boring as hell," he laughed.
He could hear the smile in her voice when she responded. "We miss you, Jas. What have you guys been up to?"
Jasper didn't want to lie to the woman he considered a sister. He may not be able to tell her everything yet, but he wouldn't straight up lie to her. While the family knew that Alice and Jasper had been looking for Victoria, neither had shared yet that the redhead had met her demise. Jasper figured that was a safe enough thing to offer. Rose wasn't like their nosy telepathic 'brother' and wouldn't press Jasper for details. Not on the phone, at least.
When he caught Alice's eye, she gave him a quick nod.
"Not a whole lot," he answered. "You know we'd been trying to track Victoria down and damn that woman was slippery. We finally got her, though. Had a little help, but we got her."
He knew she'd likely assume it was Peter and Charlotte who helped with Victoria, and as they did help with that situation, he was simply holding back a few facts until it was safe to tell her everything.
They needed to keep some knowledge from Edward, and he couldn't risk any of the family having a slip in their thoughts that gave away his and Alice's secrets yet.
"Well that's good news. So Bella's safe now?" Rose asked.
Jasper couldn't help but smile. Rosalie hadn't been particularly close with Bella before the family left, but she'd liked her well enough. When Bella had stopped allowing Edward to dictate the time she spent with the rest of the Cullens, Rose's respect for her grew. Family meant everything to Rosalie Hale, so when Bella was willing to go against Edward when it came to getting to know his family, the human had gone up considerably in her estimation.
"As far as we know, she is. Victoria had a little side plot brewing but Peter and Charlotte nipped it in the bud before there was any danger. Alice has been keeping an eye on her future and she hasn't see anything to worry about."
"Good. Edward was a dick for telling Alice not to look for Bella's future," Rose scoffed.
"What's up with you guys? Any word from Edward?"
"We haven't been back long, but it's been pretty quiet. Edward actually called Esme this morning, but he was barely on the phone for two minutes - just long enough to let her know he was still alive. He wouldn't say where he was or when he would be back, the inconsiderate ass," she said dismissively.
While Rosalie wouldn't complain if Edward stayed away from the family for a while, Jasper knew she was pissed that his actions were hurting Esme.
"So. Any idea when you might deign us mere common folk with your presence again?" she asked.
"Probably the beginning of next week," Jasper laughed. "Alice just wants to stop at the old house and grab some things she forgot."
While not the whole truth, obviously, it was true. The family had packed up so quickly that some things had been left behind.
"Fine," Rose sighed dramatically. "I suppose we can suffer through until then, dear brother. I love you both, stay safe."
And with that, Rosalie hung up. Jasper just shook his head with a fond smile. She never was one for goodbyes.
Spring was coming early to the Olympic Peninsula, and with the weather warming up more regularly, Bella decided she was ready to try another new hobby. She had seen some of the Quileute boys cliff diving and thought it looked fun. Jacob had promised to take her the next time he went, so Bella called Jasper on Friday night to see if her two vampires wanted to join them the following morning before they all met at the Cullen's house later in the day.
They wouldn't be going through the village itself - simply hugging the coast to the cliffs where they would be jumping - so the elders had made another exception for the two. After learning that he and Alice would be permitted in the wolves territory again, he quickly agreed.
When they met their friends the following day, they were relieved to see that Bella had borrowed a wetsuit from Leah. While the air may be warmer, the water of the Pacific was still cold.
After watching each of the wolves take a running leap and dropping into the water, Bella crept a little closer to the edge. Jasper, feeling both her anticipation and her nervousness, asked if she wanted to jump together the first time.
He knew that his mate was more open to trying new things since the Cullens had left, and he knew it was her way of trying to work out who she was. Jasper was happy to see her confidence in herself grow, but he couldn't lie and say he wasn't more comfortable knowing he'd be there to pull her back to the surface as quickly as possible.
For Bella's part, she had always trusted Jasper with her whole being. She knew he would always keep her safe, so she gave him a relieved nod.
Jasper stepped forward to take her hand. "Ready?" he asked with a smile.
Bella felt her own smile grow as she looked at him. She knew she was putting her faith in just the right place, so she simply nodded again.
"Aright, on three. One. Two. Three!"
And with that, the two leapt off the cliff together, Bella's exhilarated laughter trailing behind them. Jacob and Alice were watching with wide smiles of their own. Seeing their best friend so happy would never not be a wonderful thing.
After everyone had jumped a few more times, and after Bella had changed out of her wetsuit and finished the thermos of hot chocolate Alice had brought to warm up her favorite human, the group separated to clean themselves up and meet at the Cullen's old house.
Bella and Jacob had finally finished the work on their motorcycles, and just before she climbed on hers, Bella was stopped by Alice.
"Wait! Helmet please," she reminded Bella as she tossed her the helmet she'd retrieved from their garage earlier that morning, then gave Bella a playful glare. "Safety first, little miss thrill-seeker."
Alice had caught a vision of Bella and Jacob riding without helmets and she wasn't going to let her favorite human bash her head into a rock just because the girl occasionally forgot that she wasn't quite as invincible as her supernatural friends.
"Yes, ma'am," Bella agreed easily with a salute and a smile, making both Alice and Jasper laugh.
After securing her helmet, Bella and Jacob took off down the mountain path, while Alice and Jasper set off on foot along the coast to the Cullen's house.
Saturday afternoon found seven wolves, two vampires, and three humans around the table on the Cullen's back deck.
Jasper and Alice could hardly hide their shock when Leah Clearwater parked her car in their driveway and Sue had gotten out with her. Leah had told her mother about their last visit with the vampires and that Jacob had found his imprint in one of Bella's friends. When Sue heard they were all getting together, she asked her daughter if she thought Alice and Jasper would mind if she tagged along.
The tribal elder had worried she might be more wary around the two vampires when on their land rather than her own, but she was pleased to find that she felt as comfortable in their presence as she had at the celebratory bonfire at the Black's home.
"Hey Leah," Jasper greeted her with a smile before turning to her mother. "Hi Mrs Clearwater. It's nice to see you again, ma'am."
"Please, call me Sue," the elder said as she walked right up to the two vampires to shake their hands. "I hope you don't mind me crashing your party."
"Of course not," Alice assured her with a bright smile. "This is a lovely surprise. Why don't we head around back, though. Jasper has decided he's the king of the grill and he's likely to get grumpy if any of the others touch it."
Jasper hip-checked her with a playful growl. "Watch it or I'll tell everyone it took you four tries before you baked an edible cake."
"Look, Whitlock, baking is way harder than plonking slabs of raw meat onto a fire! I'd like to see you do better!"
"You had a recipe to follow! How hard could it be?"
The two were distracted from their teasing by Sue's laughter. "Speaking of baking, would one of you mind giving me a hand?" she asked. "I brought a couple apple pies. I got mine right on the first try," she said with a twinkle in her eye.
Alice and Jasper were both still laughing when they walked around the back of the house to join their friends.
Angela Weber was just as open-minded and nonjudgmental when she learned the truth about the supernatural world as the Cullens had found her to be before learning their secrets.
That's not to say she wasn't shocked, especially when she discovered she'd found her soulmate in a boy who was part-wolf.
Jacob hadn't wanted to start any relationship he might have with Angela on unequal footing, so the two had spent a lot of time talking in the days after the initial imprint. He had been open and honest with her about the tribe's history and legends, and had described his role as a protector of his people. He'd even phased in front of her so she could see him in his wolf form. Bella had smiled at the shock on her face at seeing just how big the wolves were, but Angela had simply shaken her surprise off and accepted it as easily as she had all the other information that had been thrown at her recently.
With Alice and Jasper's permission, Jacob had also shared how they came to be part of his story and a bit of basic information about the two.
Angela had been quietly fascinated by everything she learned, especially when Jacob told her about how he, Alice, and Jasper had come to be friends. While she had always like Alice and Jasper - along with the three Cullens who had gone to school with her before they left town - based on the way the 'Cold Ones' legend had been passed down through the generations, she had been surprised that the wolves would be open to working with the two vampires.
She was glad to know that the boy who had imprinted on her had been open-minded enough to initially hear the two vampires out, to work with them to keep her friend safe, and to then build solid friendships with the two.
Angela had also spent a lot of time in the preceding days talking with Bella. While Angela obviously knew about her relationship with Edward Cullen, Bella was now able to be completely honest about the way their relationship had unfolded, along with how it had ended.
While Angela was grateful that the boy had saved Bella from both Tyler's van and a group of would-be rapists, she was dismayed to hear some of the ways he'd behaved as a boyfriend, and she was downright angry - a rare emotion for the girl - when she heard the things Edward had said to her when breaking up with her.
She kept her opinions to herself, though. While Bella's eyes were beginning to open when it came to the uneven power balance in her relationship, she still hadn't accepted it completely. All Angela could do was listen and be a quiet support for Bella to lean on when she needed it.
While Angela knew from Jacob that the other wolves and the tribal elders weren't hostile to Alice and Jasper, she knew they weren't favorably disposed towards other vampires, and was worried the atmosphere at the Cullen's would be a little awkward.
She was happy to see her concerns were unfounded. Everyone was just as at ease as Bella assured her they'd be.
As the group sat around and chatted while all but the two vampires ate, Angela observed everyone with a small smile.
She was fascinated by Alice and Jasper's ability to communicate without words. The two would glance at each other and share a nod or a smile, and it was as if they were having whole conversations in those few silent moments.
Angela was also happy to see Jacob's obvious affection for the two. It was clear how much the two vampires cared for Bella and she imagined she would be seeing a lot of them in the future. Watching Jake teasing and chatting with them as easily as any other group of friends reassured her that she would never be asked to choose between the boy who had imprinted on her and Bella and her vampires.
Especially if she was right about what she was seeing blossoming between Jasper and Bella. She knew her friend was avoiding acknowledging some unpleasant truths about her relationship with Edward Cullen, so her heart wasn't currently open, but Angela could see the potential in front of her and couldn't be more pleased that her friend might just have found someone who would make her so much happier than her former boyfriend ever had.
While she was new to all things supernatural, she was pretty sure that she was looking at her friend's soulmate.
Jasper caught her eye then and shot her a quick wink, and a wide, beaming smile broke across her face.
Looking around her at all the people fate had chosen to tie her life to, Angela wasn't sure she'd ever been happier than she was in that moment.
After nearly all the food had been devoured, Alice offered to take some dinner to Bella's father, who had called his daughter to let her know he was stuck on a double-shift because one of his officers was home sick. The man had been kind enough to feed her and Jasper in the past and she wanted to return the favor. When Bella asked if she wanted her to come along, Alice waved her off, telling her to just relax and have fun.
Not long after that, Leah asked Jasper if he wanted to spar with her before she and Sue headed home. The two had done so on their last visit, and Jasper had a sneaking suspicion that Leah wanted to show her mom what she was capable of. Jasper easily agreed and Leah loped off into the trees to phase.
The rest of the group watched as the two playfully fought on the huge lawn that sloped to the river behind the Cullen's house. Because of how loud everyone was, the sound of Jasper's cell phone vibrating was lost in all the noise.
Knowing Leah could never take Jasper down on her own - none of the wolves could, he wasn't considered a warrior in his world for nothing - Jacob hopped up from the table.
"Incoming, Major!" he called out before taking a running leap and phasing on the fly.
Jasper's bright laughter filled the air and the three rolled around the yard as they each tried to get the upper hand.
Jasper had just swept Jacob's back legs out from under him as the rest of their friends cheered them on with loud whoops and hollers when he felt someone's absolute shock wash over him and glanced up, distracting him enough that Leah was able to knock him down with a quick lunge. The air rushed out of him with an 'oomph' but not before he saw Rosalie and Emmett standing in the open door to the house, staring at the scene in front of them with their mouths hanging open.
"What the fuck?" Rosalie exclaimed at the same moment Emmett said "Bella?"
This was immediately followed by Alice tearing into the yard and skidding to a stop with a panicked "Oh shit!"
'Oh shit' was right, Jasper thought as he hopped up and brushed the dust from his clothes. How the hell were they going to explain this?
A/N: What can I say, I love Angela and couldn't help myself. I wish I'd had a friend like her in high school, and I wanted Bella to have another human she could talk to about the mythical creatures in her life.
And I wasn't planning on bringing any of the other Cullens in this soon but Rosalie is hella impatient and decided this had gone on without her long enough.
Thank you to everyone reading, and an extra thank you to those who've taken a few minutes to leave me feedback on this story. I always love to hear what you think!
Take care, M. x