Hello everyone. Sorry for the delay in this next chapter being posted. With the holiday season, things have been difficult for finding time to write. I hope to speed up some as the season comes to its climax. Perhaps on my next story, I will write it fully first and upload a chapter a day so that everyone doesn't need to wait so long.

Happy holidays to everyone! Please enjoy this chapter.

My sleep had been restless.

After running from Jasper, I ate quickly and hid in my room, willing no one to bother me. I had tried to go to bed early, but I simply tossed and turned for a few hours before a sensation of exhaustion flowed over me. Wanting to escape my day, I welcomed it and succumbed to sleep at last.

However, I was not lucky enough to have sleep keep me. My dreams floated between wanting to kiss Jasper and watching my father and friends be beheaded. The conflicting extremes left me reeling and screaming until I sat up, drenched in sweat and heaving for air.

As my heart rate settled, I glanced around the darkness of the room until I focused on the doorway. It was open and a shadowed figure stood in the doorway. Gasping, I clutched the blankets close to my chest, but the figure made no move to enter. I swallowed.

"Can I help you? It's not polite to stare at someone while they sleep." I growled out at them.

No verbal response came. The hand waved and than knocked on the air. I reached over and turned on the light next to the bed on the side table and focused back on the doorway. Jasper stood there, not moving.

I waved him forward, but he simply shook his head and then knocked on the air again. Cocking my head to the side, I asked, "why are you standing in the doorway?"

He pointed to his ear, shook his head and then knocked again before placing his hand palm out. I stood up and walked towards him but the closer I got, the more I realized that his hand appeared to be pressing against something. Like the small skin displacement when you press against a glass.

Reaching up, I tried to touch his hand and realized there was a gap between us, but I felt like I was pushing on something solid.

"What?"

I looked into his eyes, and he smiled. He mouthed slowly 'shield'. I removed my hand and focused, like I had in the field. Whispering to help centre myself, I chanted, "stop shield, stop shield, stop shield."

Suddenly, a roar of sound surrounded me. I blocked my ears and stepped back. I could hear yelling elsewhere in the house.

"How come I can't play with the shield? I would only test its limits. I wouldn't hurt her. It was only a bucket of water – and it wasn't even cold!" Peter's voice rang out.

"What is he talking about?"

The house went silent, and Jasper chuckled. "Well, darlin'. You started letting off some strong fear while sleeping until you finally stopped feeling. Or so I thought. Peter then, in his normal mischievous ways, went running in from outside, carrying a bucket full of water, rushing upstairs. I followed as he was throwing it through your bedroom doorway. I tackled him but eventually I realized that the water and bucket didn't go anywhere. Your shield came up. So, I waited and scared my Captain off."

"I wasn't scared!"

I chuckled. "Oh, Petey! I hope you weren't scared, but it isn't nice to try to soak a sleeping human."

Emmett guffawed and then repeated in a sing-song voice, "Yeah, Petey!"

"Shut up and don't call me that!" Growls erupted and then yelling started again as a few crashes were heard.

"Take it outside and if you break anything, you have to remake it!" Jasper yelled out.

Two solid slaps could be heard, and both Emmett and Peter asked, "What was that for?" at the same time.

Rose and Charlotte simply stated in unison, "Behave."

I shook my head and walked back to my bed before taking a seat. Jasper followed, sitting next to me and rubbing circles on the back of my hand. "So, what made you bring your shield out, Isabella?"

Sighing, I sat back, resting against the headboard but leaving my hand in his, enjoying the soothing motions. "I kept seeing my dad –" I chocked on a sob and closed my eyes. He shushed me gently as he pulled me into his arms. I simply grasped onto his shirt in my fists and buried my face against his chest, trying to control the tears to avoid a full meltdown.

After a few minutes, I sniffled and sat back. "Sorry. I hope I didn't wreck your shirt."

He brought his forehead forward to rest against mine. "Don't worry about it. It is just a shirt. It can be washed."

I nodded. "So, you said I stopped feeling?"

He chuckled as he adjusted himself to be on the bed as well, resting against the headboard. "Well, no. I realized once I was upstairs that you just shut your emotions off from me. Since the destruction of Victoria, your emotions come and go. There are moments that you cut them off from me."

My mouth opened in an 'o' as I thought about what he said. "Wait, so it has happened before now? I can block you?" He nodded. "Huh. That could be useful." I muttered to myself.

His deep, low chuckle reminded me that he can hear even when I mutter. I bit my lip as my face heated. Even after all the time being around the Cullens, I still had trouble dealing with the lack of privacy. But perhaps, I can use my shield, if I could figure out how to do so purposely, to provide myself moments of privacy.

"It is still early yet, middle of the night. Did you want to go back to sleep?"

I shook my head vehemently. "I don't want to keep reliving that right now. I think I am up."

Jasper sighed as he stood. "I would say I could help you with that, help you sleep peacefully. But I have a feeling you will refuse my help. So, lets get you some early breakfast. What do you feel like?"

Chuckling, I rose to my feet and stretched. "Don't worry about me. I can make it myself. I'm just going to take a quick shower first before coming down."

"I don't doubt your ability, darlin'. I was simply offering. But I respect that you want to make your own food. I will be downstairs." He then bowed his head slightly and left.

I couldn't stop the smile. It was great to have someone actually listen and accept that I can do things on my own. So glad I had left the controlling relationship with Edward.

My shower helped clear the rest of the sleep cobwebs from my brain and allowed me to settle my emotions again. Once dressed, I made my way downstairs. Rose and Charlotte were in the living room talking quietly amongst themselves. Emmett and Peter bounced to their feet once I descended the final step to the main level, rushing to me.

"Can we try out your shield?"

"I want to see if I can run and bounce off it?"

"Can you block everything or just people? Like if I threw a tree at you, would it protect you?"

"Oooh, oooh. What if we dug down could we dig around and get through from underneath?"

"Or if we could get enough of us, I wonder if we could push the shield and roll her around inside the ball to wherever we like."

"That would be so awesome!"

Exasperated, I threw my hands in the air. "Boys! I can barely keep up with your questions. And we are not playing with my shield right now. I don't even know how to make it appear on command. Once I figure that out, we can discuss –" their eyes widened, mouth dropping into a huge cheshire grin, so I shook my head as I finished. "We can DISCUSS potential testing of what it can do. But I will have full control over what the tests involve."

"So not fair." They said in unison, lips pouting out.

"Told you Em, she is not stupid. Well, not anymore now that she finally left Ed-twat." Rose spoke from the couch before continuing in her conversation with Charlotte, who simply laughed lightly.

I headed towards the kitchen. Jasper sat leaning against the counter, shaking his head. I rolled my eyes at him. "Kids, what can you do? Guess we need to buy them a new toy so they leave me alone." My joke brought a smirk to Jasper and he nodded.

"Well, that I am sure we can arrange."

"Hey! I'm not a child. I am old enough to be her great-great-great-great-great-grandfather." Peter said as he entered the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest.

"Oh, I am so sorry, grand-pappy. Should I get you a walker or a wheelchair instead?" I spoke over my shoulder while pulling together the fixings for a quick sandwich.

Jasper finally succumbed to the mirth in the room and busted out laughing, bending at the waist, full body shaking with his laughs. The laughter was contagious and I joined in, along with Emmett and the ladies from the living room while Peter groused.

"Well, I'll be. No respect. No respect for your elders. Whippersnappers."

That was enough to finally send me over the edge, I dropped the knife I was using on the counter and gripped the edge to hold myself upright as I bust out laughing harder. When I finally managed to calm myself some, I looked to Peter with a smile. "Thank you. I needed that." My nose burned a little, like I was going to cry but I took a deep breath and forced myself to return to my sandwich I had abandoned on the counter.

"No problem, Suga'. You are family now." With that he left, exiting out the door and heading off towards the barns. Charlotte, Emmett, and Rose followed shortly after, still calming from their laughter fits as well.

Jasper stared at me, eyebrows scrunched together but a smile still on his face. "You are amazing you know that? Peter likes you. And he doesn't generally like anyone."

I shrugged, biting my lip and keeping my face averted, the heat travelling up my neck. "He actually is easy to like, once you understand his humour."

"No. It is more than that. You will see. I know you don't like to have someone watch you to eat, so I am going to fetch Nugget and perhaps we can go riding later?"

I simply nodded my head, not trusting my voice. The door clicked shut and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding.

My dreams where I was kissing Jasper fought for dominance in my head. God! Control yourself, Isabella!