A/N: I figured since Alice wasn't at school with Edward and Bella, and because she wasn't interfering or pushing their relationship, that she wouldn't have helped Edward trick Bella into going to prom with him. I thought maybe with the right partner and the right friends that she could find it enjoyable.

See you tomorrow, and thanks for reading!

~ M. x

Rites of Passage

A week later, Bella found herself in a situation she never would have expected. Graduation was getting closer and closer, and the only thing left for their senior class was prom and finals. Bella had never been to a school dance and didn't have much of a desire to go to one, but Angela thought it might be fun if they asked Jacob and Jasper and went as a foursome.

"Come on, it'll be your very last chance to go to a high school dance since I know you have no intention of ever repeating this experience. It's a rite of passage for us humans," Angela had said with a smile as the two ate their lunch.

Bella looked at her skeptically. "You know I just barely managed to avoid it with Edward last year. Why would I want to go this year?"

"You and Edward were always… awkward. You were never sure of yourself around him, which made you self-conscious. You and Jasper aren't like that. You have more confidence now and you're happier. Don't you have fun with Jasper whatever you're doing?" Angela asked.

"I do," Bella nodded slowly. "But a dance? I don't even know how to dance. What if I just end up embarrassing myself?"

"Anyone can dance with the right partner. And Jasper is your right partner. Seeing him in a suit can't hurt either," she laughed.

"True," Bella smiled. "I'll talk to him and see what he thinks. Have you asked Jake yet?"

"He knows I want to go so he's up for it, but since he doesn't know anyone else who goes to school here, I thought it would be more fun if we all went together," she shrugged. "But no pressure, Bella. I'd never want you to feel like you have to do something you don't want to."

"I'll ask him later when I see him," Bella smiled. "I'd need to find a dress. Maybe Alice or Rosalie could help? No heels, though. I don't need to sprain an ankle right before graduation. I refuse to hobble across that stage on crunches."

Angela laughed as she nodded, but thought Bella wouldn't have to worry about that too much. Bella hadn't seemed to notice that she was less clumsy the last few months but Angela had. She thought it was probably because Bella had gotten over some of that self-consciousness. With more confidence in herself she didn't overthink everything so much. She also didn't take herself quite as seriously, so if she did stumble a little it wouldn't feel like the end of the world. And if she did, Jasper wouldn't make fun of her for it the way Edward had sometimes.

She had a soulmate now who would never belittle her the way her ex did and who would stand beside her and support her in all things, and that made all the difference.

"Do you like it?" Rosalie asked nervously.

Bella tipped her head as she looked at herself in the mirror. The dress was a simple fitted black, V-neck sheath that hit just below her knees, and had pale blue flowers embroidered all the way up one of the side seams. It was made in a stretchy fabric that was comfortable and didn't make her feel like she was trapped in a corset. Alice had even found her a pair of open-toed, black strappy sandals that were fancy enough to work with the dress but had no heel to make her nervous.

Seeing herself in the mirror, she actually felt beautiful for the first time in her life. She also looked miles away from the awkward shy girl who'd showed up in Forks a year and a half ago.

"I love it, Rosalie," Bella smiled and turned to hug her big sister. "It's perfect, thank you."

Bella may have changed during her time in Washington, but shopping was still something she'd prefer to avoid at all costs. She trusted Alice and Rosalie completely, so when they offered to find her something she didn't hesitate to say yes. Rosalie had been in charge of her dress, and Alice was in charge of her shoes, along with Jasper's suit and tie, and she managed to find him a tie in the same shade of pale blue as the embroidered flowers on her dress.

Alice had put her hair in a simple low, loose textured bun and Bella had put on some minimal makeup - a little bit of eyeliner and mascara and a pale pink lipstick.

After hugging both girls and thanking them again, Bella opened Rosalie and Emmett's bedroom door to go find her mate but was stopped when Rose stepped in front of her and lightly pinched her cheeks.

Bella swatted her hands away. "Ow! What the hell was that for?" she laughed.

"You needed a little bit of color in those cheeks," Rosalie smirked.

"Maybe give a girl some warning next time," she said as she shook her head with a smile. "Alright, I'll see you two later. I need to go find my Prince Charming."

Alice and Rosalie followed her out, not wanting to miss the moment Jasper saw Bella all dressed up. And they were not disappointed. Jasper stood frozen at the bottom of the stairs as he watched her walk down.

Bella's self-confidence had grown enough that she didn't automatically assume he thought something was wrong with her when he stared like that. She knew perfectly well how he saw her - he made sure to tell her often enough - and he never thought she was anything less than beautiful.

When she got to the second to last step, she jumped.

Jasper snapped out of his Bella-haze and caught her with a laugh. "You look beautiful."

She kissed him and smiled. "So do you."

Jasper set her feet on the floor. "I think you meant to say ruggedly handsome," he said with a wink.

Bella looked him up and down. "Beautiful, ruggedly handsome… either works," she said with a casual shrug.

"He looks fucking hot and you know it," Rosalie laughed from behind her.

Bella eyed Jasper again. "Yep, fucking hot works too," she smiled.

"Pictures!" Esme called as she walked into the foyer. "Oh, you both look gorgeous!" she practically squealed. For Esme, seeing Bella standing tall and confident filled her with happiness and pride. She'd grown up so much since she'd first stepped foot in their home, and Esme knew that some of that maturing, that new confidence she had in herself, was down to the man at her side. They were a perfect complement to each other.

Rosalie had been kind enough to lend Jasper her BMW for the night, so after photos were taken, the couple headed to the high school to meet Angela and Jacob.

The two were sitting on a bench near the parking lot, holding hands and talking quietly. Both looked up with bright smiles when Jasper and Bella walked over. Jasper could hear some of the other students whispering about them. Jessica Stanley's gossiping ways meant most of the seniors knew Bella had a boyfriend, but no one else had seen the two of them together aside from her. Add in that Angela was with a tall, handsome mystery boy and the four of them would be a source of gossip all night.

None of them were bothered by it. They were each with people they enjoyed, friends who truly cared about each other and just wanted to see the others happy.

Bella, for her part, refused to let the whispers or stares bother her. She was determined to enjoy one of her last high school celebrations, as she knew her time as a human was slowly running out.

"That was more fun than I thought it would be," Bella said as she flopped back on her bed.

Jasper smiled as he lifted each foot to ease her shoes off. "It was fun," he agreed. "And you even danced. And danced well, I might add."

Bella sat up and smiled. "Angela told me anyone could dance with the right partner but I didn't believe her. She's the smartest human I know so I probably shouldn't have doubted her."

Jasper pulled his already-loosened tie off and leaned down to kiss her. "I'm glad you had a good time."

And she had. Even through her nerves when they'd first walked into the poorly-decorated Forks High gym and all eyes seemed to be trained on the four of them, Bella had a smile on her face. After Jasper masterfully swept her around the dance floor for their first dance, her nerves had evaporated and she spent the next two hours simply enjoying the company of three of her favorite people.

When they'd gotten back to Rosalie's car after saying goodbye to Angela and Jacob at the end of the night, they'd found a bag of comfortable clothes for Jasper and a note from Alice that Charlie had offered to work an overnight shift so one of his officers, who was a single father, could stay home with a sick kid.

On discovering they'd have an empty house, Bella briefly debated whether she was ready to take the final step in her and Jasper's relationship, but she didn't want to be one of those teen cliches who lose their virginity after prom. With her luck, she'd end up pregnant in some bizarre loophole of vampire logic. She did not need to have that conversation with her father. Besides, she had plans in the works and if she pulled it off, she and Jasper could share a first time far more meaningful than a high school prom. Rite of passage or not.

"Shower?" she asked as she stood up. They may not be having sex yet, but they'd found plenty of other fun ways to share intimacy with each other over their time together.

Jasper's gift alone was something of a miracle. She'd asked him about it one night on a dare from Angela and the hands-free orgasm that had torn through her had rocked her world. After catching her breath she'd given his smirking lips a hard kiss and thanked him.

She'd found he was equally as skilled with his fingers and his mouth.

To Bella, sharing a shower with Jasper was just as intimate as some of the other things they'd done with each other. There was something to be said for being so at home with a person that you didn't feel self-conscious without your clothes on. Bella didn't feel the need to hide in the dark or under the covers. She could stand naked in Jasper's arm under the hot water and be perfectly at ease. Him turning her to gently wash her hair was just a lovely little bonus.

Once they were tucked up in bed, both in soft pajamas and Jasper's skin still holding some of the heat from the shower, Bella cuddled close to his side.

"Have you talked to Peter or Charlotte lately?" she asked, a smile of contentment on her face from his gentle fingers in her hair.

"A few days ago. They had plans to go meet up with a friend of ours in Boston."

"A vamp friend?"

"Yes, a vamp friend," he chuckled. "You'll find that not many vampires are friends with humans."

"How did you meet him? Or her?" she asked curiously, always happy to learn anything new about Jasper or his other family.

"Him," Jasper smiled. "Garrett was passing through Texas shortly after I left Maria and the four of us spent some time getting to know each other at the ranch," Jasper explained. "But Garrett's a nomad at heart, even more than Peter and Charlotte. Those two love to travel but they also like having a home base to come back to."

"Do you think they'd come here to visit?" she asked. "I remember when they were on the phone during the bonfire that Peter said it wasn't time to visit yet, but he'd see you soon."

Jasper hummed as he thought about it. "You don't think the wolves would freak out about them being here? They do have red eyes."

"I mean, didn't Peter and Charlotte essentially save the tribe from a fledgling newborn army? I feel like that might help ease some of their concerns. And the whole pack trusts you, as do the elders, so if you think it's safe for them to visit, I can't imagine they'd give you a hard time," she shrugged. "The wolves might not want to spend time with them, but I don't see them making an issue about your family coming to see you. Plus, I think they've all come a long way in how they see vamps… they know now that red doesn't necessarily mean dangerous or unsafe, just like gold doesn't always mean harmless."

Jasper nodded. He'd wondered if the pack's experience with Edward and all the pain he'd caused Bella - physically and emotionally - might make them see their old assumptions in a new light. "I can ask Peter and Charlotte next time I talk to them. You want to meet them? Is that why you're asking?"

Bella tipped her head back to look at him, smiling when he gave her a kiss. "Of course I want to meet them. Aren't they like… my in-laws or something? What?" she asked when Jasper started laughing, the sound enough to trigger her own.

"I don't think in-laws is really a thing for vampires, sweetheart. Honestly, most human relationships don't fit. Mate, sire, and coven. That's about the extent of vampire relationships. The Cullens are the anomaly in our world," he smiled. "And I don't think in-law counts unless we're married."

"Do you want to get married someday?" she asked.

He grinned at her. "Is that you proposing?"

"No," Bella laughed. "I'm just curious if a wedding is something you'd ever want."

"I can't honestly say I've thought about it too much. Human rituals had no place in my life for almost a hundred years. By the time I left the south, things like weddings, birthdays, Christmas… all of that was from a long-forgotten distant past. It wasn't until Alice and I came to the Cullens that I started even remembering those things existed," he shrugged. "And for many in our world, a human marriage doesn't mean much in the face of an eternal soulmate bond, not to mention that the documents used to obtain one are nearly always forged anyway so the legalities are a little murky. The Cullens are anomalies in this world in more ways than one."

Bella nodded her understanding and Jasper was thoughtful enough to not draw attention to the pang of sadness she felt about his past. He was also respectful enough of her right to privacy that he ignored the little flare of resolve he felt in her.

Instead, he kissed her until she started to get a little lightheaded from oxygen-deprivation, and then easily agreed to her laughing request that he please help her fall asleep.

Two and a half weeks later, Bella was sitting in an uncomfortable folding chair, zoning out as Jessica Stanley gave her commencement address. The days since prom had seemed to fly by in a blur of spending time with her dad, studying, exams, and Jasper.

She'd made sure she and her dad ate together every morning and night, taking dinner to the station when he was stuck at work so they could have their meal there. He'd even tried his hand at cooking. He was truly awful at most things that didn't go on the grill, but the man somehow managed to pull off the best homemade macaroni and cheese she'd ever tasted. Just in the last two and a half weeks she'd asked him to make it three times.

Finals had come and gone, obviously, and Bella was confident she'd done well. It helped that she had centuries-worth of knowledge and learning on hand whenever she needed a little help.

And then there was Jasper. All the ways they got closer every single day, big or small, sometimes made her heart feel too big for her chest, like the peace and happiness inside her was too big to contain.

For his part, Jasper loved watching Bella become more and more herself with each passing day. As he tuned in to her emotions from the audience at the Forks graduation, he smiled to himself. Whatever she was thinking about was filling her with happiness and contentment, but she also wasn't paying a lick of attention to her surroundings and was about to miss her row being called.

Jasper sent her a little zap of alertness and she quickly blinked herself back to the world.

When Bella turned to look for him, her eyes went wide. Because not only was Jasper there sitting beside her dad, but so were Alice, Rosalie, Emmett, Carlisle, Esme, Jacob, Leah, Paul, and Sue Clearwater. And at the end of the row in his wheelchair, was Billy Black. Bella had to quickly blink again, this time to stem the tears that sprang to her eyes.

As she took her first step across the stage just as her name was called, she broke into giggles because holy shit, her cheering section was both huge and loud. After accepting her diploma and shaking hands with the principal, she looked into the small crowd to see that every single human, wolf, and vamp who'd come to support her and Angela - with the exception of one, obviously - was on their feet, clapping and hollering and whistling. Billy Black may not have been able to stand up with the others, but he more than made up for it with his piercing whistles and cheers.

The photos that Charlie Swan snapped in those moments showed a beautiful girl with a huge smile and eyes bright with amusement.

As Bella settled back into her seat to await the end of the ceremony, she couldn't keep the smile off her face. If you'd asked the Bella Swan who had just moved back to Forks what she hoped to get out of living in Washington, her answer would have been simple and short. All she'd wanted was to enjoy living with her dad for a while and to make it to graduation with nobody even noticing she was there.

Now here she was, a year and a half later, and she had not only her dad, but some new best friends, two found families - one vampires, one wolves - and the kind of love she never dared dream of for herself.

Sure there had been some rocky patches along the way, and more would surely come, but in that moment, all Bella could think was that she was glad she'd never dared dream of something more, because nothing she dreamed up could come close to how wonderful her life had become since she made the decision to move back in with her father in the rainy, sleepy, nothing-much-happens-here, magical town of Forks.