Hensley sighed as soon as she got into the lunchroom Friday morning. With the excitement of meeting Esme the night before, she definitely forgot cash for lunch. Her paycheck hadn't come in until that morning from her job, so she'd asked Kaufmann to spot her some cash. Leaving it on the kitchen table wasn't helpful. Luckily, she dug up some backpack money for some peanut butter m&m's out of the vending machine. Nutritious.

She ended up sitting next to Bella and the humans at lunch. Hensley wanted to sit with Jasper, but Jessica called her over and she felt obligated.

"Lexi! Do you have a date to the dance?"

Hensley opened up her m&m's. "The what?"

"The school dance. Do you have a date yet?"

Hensley's mind immediately went to Jasper. Whether or not it should've gone to Jasper was another question. "Um, no. I guess I don't really know anyone well enough to go to a dance with them." She felt awkward about admitting to Jess that she hadn't been asked yet. Shameful almost. She had never not excelled at something….

Jess rolled her eyes, "Come on. Everyone knows you made up with Hale. I'm surprised you haven't asked him."

"Well, yeah…. I don't know that he'd wanna go to a dance with me though. I mean, it's not that serious."

"Jasper seems pretty quiet." Angela pipped up, "Shy, I guess. Maybe just give him time. He'll probably ask you. Even if he doesn't, you do plan on going to the dance though, right?"

Hensley shrugged, "I guess. Gotta live it up."

"Great," Jess exclaimed, "We should go dress shopping in Port Angeles after school this week. Bella? You in?"

Bella glanced over at Jess, biting her lip, "Um, I dunno."

"Aw, come on Bella. It'll be fun."

"I'm not really a dancer. Besides, I'll be out of town that weekend."

Hensley suspected Bella's newfound excuse was just that. An excuse. "Well, you can still come with us. Give us opinions."

Bella nearly glared at Hensley, "I'll think about it. Is that all you're having for lunch?"

"I'm not really hungry." Hensley lied with a shrug. Damn Bella. Angela looked at Hensley concerned, but Jess was content to let it drop. Thankfully the other girl chattered on about where she wanted to go for dress shopping, taking the heat off of Hensley.

Bella and Hensley walked to Biology together and sat down at their respective tables. Edward and Jasper had managed to beat them.

"Hey Jasper, are you going to the dance?"

Bella's voice pulled Hensley out of her pre-class thoughts. Her head snapped over to the girl. What was happening?

Jasper didn't seem to know either because he turned around in his seat and asked, "I'm sorry?"

"Are you going to the school dance?" Bella's eyes flashed to Lexi. Was Bella asking him to the dance? Jasper had picked up some attraction from Bella but didn't think it was towards him.

Jasper looked to his brother, afraid he was taking too long to answer her, "Um, I'm not sure. Why do you ask?"

Bella shrugged, "Just curious. Lexi's going to the dance."

Hensley could've killed the girl. She stared at Bella in disbelief, trying to convey with slightly wide eyes that Hensley could kill her. Bella was never this bold. What the hell?!

"Why are you trying to get a group together? I thought you weren't going?" Hensley accused her.

"Just making conversation."

Yes and I'm just making leather from your face. Hensley thought bitterly.

Jasper knew Lexi was…nervous? Embarrassed? Slight betrayal. Perhaps Bella really was hoping to ask him. Edward would be relieved.

Hensley wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Instead, she had to listen to this stupid biology lecture. She couldn't bring herself to look at Jasper. Her hand held the side of her face to try and block him out of her vision the entire hour. How could she face him in study hall? How could she not face him in study hall? Emmett was nosy. He'd ask and then Jasper would tell Emmett and then it would be a huge mess of humiliating.

At the end of the period, she stayed back and let Jasper walk her to her next class. No need to act like a nervous child. Or at least let him see that she was a nervous wreck.

"Can I ask you a weird question?" Jasper broke their silence once they were away from Edward and Bella.

Hensley felt her heartrate quicken. Was this healthy given her condition? "Uh, sure."

"Do you think Bella has more than friendly feelings for me?"

Hensley's heart sank and a slow ache crossed her chest. Did he like Bella? No, no he couldn't like Bella. He just told her last night that he liked her. But when why would he ask?

"Ow." Jasper whispered, rubbing his own chest, "Are you okay?"

She tried to be cheerful, knowing that she was probably being dumb, "Yeah, sorry. Um, I'm not sure. I can ask her for you if you want."

"You're hurt by something." Jasper stated, completely ignoring her response. "The pain isn't going away." Something he said caused her pain. He thought his question was innocent enough.

"I'm okay." She lied. She wasn't sure why she was lying. He clearly felt it just like she did. "You didn't answer my question."

"I'm not concerned about Bella right now. What's wrong with you? What happened?"

Hensley wasn't ready to admit she was overly jealous and acting stupid. Luckily the gym was only a few feet away. She turned to face him, picking up the pace as she walked backwards, "Nothing. I'll see you in study hall!"

She tried to push her discovery out of her head as she got changed for gym. Much easier said than done. Thankfully, if Emmett and Cooper thought something was wrong with her, they didn't say anything.

Truth was they didn't have to. Both boys saw Jasper frowning at the gym doors all sad and shit. They knew something was up between him and Lexi.

On the brighter side of things, volleyball was supremely helpful in making Hensley temporarily forget about her love life issues. Volleyball was Hensley's favorite sport and she excelled. Hensley had formed a team with Emmett, Cooper, a senior boy named Jason, and a fellow Junior girl whose name was Carly. Carly and Jason looked leery about joining their team, but Hensley was calming enough of a presence that they agreed.

Besides, Carly was on the volleyball team and Jason was also an athlete. Hensley really wanted them on her team.

They were great too. So far, in the few days they'd been playing, their team was undefeated. It was helpful that the uneasiness of Emmett and Cooper's spots dissipated within the first game they'd played. Both Cullen boys were much more outgoing and 'normal' with Hensley around.

The match they were playing started out great. They easily beat the team they were against in the first game. During the second game Hensley started feeling…weird. Not just any kind of weird, but 'm&m's are not a sufficient lunch' weird. In short, Hensley's blood sugar was taking a dip due to lack of food.

She went up for a block and came right back down, tripping backwards over her own feat as she lost her balance. White specks covered her vision as her head spun. Hensley alternated between blinking and keeping her eyes closed in an attempt to make the stars disappear and the earth to stop moving beneath her.

Two cold hands found her shoulder and her thigh.

"Are you okay? You smell different." Emmett whispered, barely audible.

Hensley started to nod but the shift in her position instantly told her that was a bad idea, "Yeah. Just dizzy."

After a few more moments she opened her eyes and let Cooper help her up, waving off the other team and her gym teacher.

Thankfully she was able to keep her balance the rest of the hour. Her condition wasn't getting much better though. As soon as her group got to the lunch table, she was shakily fumbling through her bag for more vending machine money. She was not having as much luck.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Emmett asked as he eyed her up.

Hensley nodded. She opened up another pocket and fingered the 50 cents she had left over. Had there been anything in there that cheap?

Jasper took her right wrist and held it up. Her hand was shaking slightly, unable to be controlled since it was due to lack of sugar. "You're shaking. Are you sure?"

Emmett frowned at Lexi's hand and quickly got up to walk away. Rosalie rose an eyebrow at his back but said nothing.

"I'm fine." Hensley protested, taking her hand back from Jasper, "Just a little adrenaline from gym."

She watched Jasper frown at her as well. He didn't protest anymore though. Now to find another 50 cents….

A few minutes later Emmett placed a bag of chips and a candy bar in front of her.

"What is-"

Emmett shushed her, "Eat it. You need to have sugar."

"But-"

"Don't argue with me. Eat your snack. What did you have for lunch?"

Jasper and Rosalie shared their confusion while Hensley reluctantly complied with Emmett's demands.

Jasper broke first, "What is going on?"

"Her blood sugar is low. That's why she collapsed in gym today."

"You collapsed in gym?"

Hensley glared at Emmett, "I did not! I just got a little dizzy and…fell."

Jasper stared at her with wide eyes, "Does this happen often?"

"What did you have for lunch?" Emmett asked again.

Hensley didn't try to look between the three Cullens that were staring at her. Her eyes settled on her chips as she took another one and bit a small piece off. Though she hadn't seen his expression, she could feel Emmett's raised eyebrow look boring into her skull. "I had lunch."

"What did you have?"

"Peanut butter balls in a crunchy shell."

Emmett's shoulders dropped with his face, "You had peanut butter m&m's for lunch? That was it?"

Hensley pursed her lips. She was really hoping Emmett wouldn't catch on. "I forgot my lunch money at home."

Jasper frowned at her too, nudging her with his knee, "I'm a table away. I can give you money for lunch."

"I'm not asking you for lunch money! It's…" Embarrassing. "not your job to take care of me."

"Lexi don't be ridiculous. You need to take care of yourself."

"I can handle myself."

"I have no doubts about that, Darlin'. I'm not saying you can't. Pay me back if it makes you feel better!"

The table fell into an incredibly awkward silence. Hensley slowly ate her chips staring at the empty space ahead of her.

"Are you feeling better?" Jasper asked when she finished.

Hensley looked over at him and nodded. Jasper placed a gentle hand on her knee, rubbing it softly. The touch was far more comforting than she cared to admit.

Emmett tried to give her money at work that night. It took a bit of convincing, but he eventually let it go. Only after Hensley revealed that Kaufmann had given her lunch money that she'd forgotten at home though.

Jasper was on a mission of his own that evening. Carlisle got home around 5:30 just like he always did. Jasper was sitting on the couch waiting for him but trying not to appear like he was waiting for him. He didn't want Carlisle to unnecessarily worry.

Their father figure came home, kissed Esme, greeted the family, all normal parts of his nightly routine. He went upstairs to wash up a bit and then settled into his office. Perfect.

Jasper tried to keep his mind clear as he headed upstairs and knocked on Carlisle's door. No need to have Edward worrying and adding to any of Carlisle's anxieties.

"Come on in, Jasper." Carlisle answered his knock. Jasper slowly opened the door and closed it behind him, trying to feign some semblance of privacy.

"What can I do for you?" Carlisle eyed him up. It wasn't very often Jasper visited with any intention other than wanting something new to read.

"I have a question."

Sensing the concerned emotion coming from Carlisle,, Jasper backtracked, "It's not anything bad or worrisome. Everything is fine."

"Okay…" Carlisle was not at all convinced. "What's going on?"

"Well, it's more of a medical question." Carlisle did not relax, his anxiety heightening ever so slightly. Jasper continued on, hoping that the faster he got it out the better Carlisle would feel, "Lexi was really shaky and had to have food to feel better. Something about blood sugar?"

"Ahh yes, a blood sugar dip." Carlisle's worries drifted away, completely casual about the medical issue. Jasper didn't understand that emotion shift. "Usually caused by her skipping meals or not having a sufficient one. Most humans can tolerate minor shifts throughout the day, but she's always been a bit touchier with that. Why do you ask?"

"I'd just never heard about it and was curious. How do you fix it?"

"Just having food will help. Normally some peanut butter, honey, crackers, or a little bit of candy will help."

Jasper nodded, already planning his next task. "Okay. Thanks, Carlisle."

"Anytime." Carlisle smiled at his son and went back to his book. He knew the gears were turning in Jasper's head. He also knew that no one was going to stop them.

On his way to the store, Jasper's phone vibrated in his pocket. This wasn't usually a big deal because typically only one person called Jasper's phone. This time, a slight anxiety creeped into his lungs at the vibration, a little voice in his head warning him that Lexi died driving home from work or something.

Luckily, it was just Peter.

Unluckily, it was just Peter.

Peter only called for one reason and that was to visit. Normally, Jasper was fine, maybe even a little excited, when Peter and Charlotte came to visit. Peter was like a brother to Jasper and, after they left Maria, Charlotte had quickly grown to be a sister to him too. They didn't see each other very often though, about once every few years. Therefore, it was nice to have time to catch up.

This wasn't the best of timing though.

"What's up?" Jasper answered the phone. He knew exactly what was up and prayed that it would work out in his favor.

"Major!" Peter's gruff voice greeted him. He had a slightly higher voice than Jasper, but its gravely nature gave off the same 'don't fuck with me' tone. "Your favorite people are coming to visit."

"Of course, you are. That's the only reason you call me."

Peter sighed, "Someone's a whiny bitch this evening. Hanging around Cooper too much?"

"Always. When are you coming?"

"We'll be there tomorrow around midday. Though, I'm sure Alice has already seen us coming."

Jasper mentally cursed, "If she did, she didn't tell me. I might not be around much until tomorrow night, but Cooper and the family will be here."

"Where you off to?"

"Just got some stuff to take care of." He was hoping that Peter wouldn't ask too many questions. Jasper wanted Lexi to meet Peter, but not yet. Definitely not before she spent a little more time around his family. Or before he had a chance to tell Peter that Lexi was part human.

"Well, sor-ry mister popular. I'll give ya more notice next time so you can clear your schedule for me. Didn't realize you became such a hot-shot."

Jasper chuckled, "Yeah, yeah. I'll see you tomorrow, Peter."

The next afternoon, Jasper was excited to show Lexi his nights work. He'd gotten to the library before her and waited impatiently for her arrival. He was next to her car by the time she got out and greeted her with a small smile.

"Hey you. What's up?" She laughed at his unusual demeanor.

"I have a thing for you. Promise you won't be upset with me."

Hensley scrunched her eyebrows together, "What is it?"

"No, no. I asked you to promise." Jasper took off his backpack, waiting to open it until he got her promise.

"Well, I can't promise. Not if it's something that I should be upset at."

He rolled his eyes at her and opened up the front pocket of his backpack. Inside was a jar of peanut butter, honey, cheez its, and the same kind of candy that Emmett had bought her yesterday. Hensley stared at him in disbelief. She wanted to be upset with him. She wanted to be upset that he spent this money on her. But at the same time, it was insanely cute.

"Jasper…."

"No, no. Your silence was taken as acceptance of my terms. You can't be upset."

"You didn't have to do that." She nudged him, closing and locking her car.

Jasper walked back to his truck so he could put his bag back. They were touchy about bags in the library for some reason. "No, but I wanted to. I'm taking care of you, remember?"

Hensley did remember his words the last time they were in Port Angeles together. That didn't mean she was used to them.

They started their Saturday afternoon in the psychology and physiology section of the library. This was a physical issue after all. By the end of the day, they had moved from there to general medicine to relationship help to vampire legends to Hensley desperately googling on her phone. Google suggested she was depressed.

"This is stupid." She whispered as she angrily closed her phone. "We cannot be the only people who have this."

"To be fair, I'm over 180 years old and I've never heard of this. Carlisle is over 340 and has never heard of this. Maybe we are?" Jasper rubbed his face. He wasn't tired. Vampires didn't sleep. But he was tired of searching. He needed the answer to slap him in the face already.

Hensley felt defeated. She didn't need answers. But she wanted them. There was always an explanation for something. Always. She racked her brain for any other places they missed. Anything else they could check. It was unlikely; with their heightened abilities they were both quick readers and made fast work of the books. Maybe she just needed a bigger library….

"Let's get some dinner." Jasper said finally, checking his own phone, "The library's about to close anyway and I don't think you've had lunch."

He wasn't wrong. Hensley had skipped the meal to allow more time to get ready. She was doing really well until he talked about dinner, then she realized how hungry she was.

"What do you guys like to eat?" She asked as she started to pack up. Food was never a topic of conversation for them. Hensley had thought about what Jasper and his family liked or didn't like to eat, but she'd always forgotten to ask. It was just never important enough to bring up.

Jasper shrugged, "Nothing, I guess. We can eat and will eat, but we don't usually."

"So, it's nothing you guys ever choose to do. Just do it for appearances?"

"Exactly." A smirk fell upon his face, "That means you get to pick, pretty lady."

Hensley didn't complain. Fine by her, that meant she got what she wanted. "I want fried rice."

Jasper stared at her for a moment, blinking slowly. "Really?"

"Yeah? Is that not okay?"

"No that's fine, that was just was much easier than I thought it would be." He remembered witnessing conversations between Emmett and Rosalie or Cooper and Alice where the female in the scenario refused to make decisions. It was odd coming from those two women, who on most occasions seemed more than willing to dictate what they wanted. When it came to making a decision if their mate asked them to, it the exact opposite. Jasper never really understood it. Then again, the last actual relationship Jasper had been in wasn't exactly healthy.

Hell, who knew if this relationship could be classified as healthy. If they both felt pain at certain scenarios, didn't that mean someone was pulling some strings somewhere?

Jasper tried his best not to think about it. Just a totally normal vampire/half-human relationship going on.

Part of him was a bit nervous. Jasper had struggled with his self-control in the past. Though Lexi was far from human, she wasn't inhuman either. It was clear she had a heartbeat and blood running through her veins. Inside her body, her blood was quite tolerable, especially if he had hunted recently. And even if he hadn't the pain was moderate in comparison to an actual human; semi-easily ignored. Outside of her body was another story. Would her blood smell more human? Human enough for Jasper to desire it? The thought of…feeding on Lexi was repulsive. He could never hurt her. Not intentionally.

But the thought of feeding on humans generally was unpleasant to Jasper. Until he got a taste.

Speaking of getting a taste, Jasper needed to hunt. The burning was easy to ignore when he was distracted by his mate.

Mate. Jasper was mated. The right corner of his mouth twitched up in a smile.

Three weeks ago, Jasper wasn't sure if he was good enough to be mated. Now he met her. Finally, he met her.

Peter and Charlotte's smells filled the house when he came home, not that he needed them to know they were there. Peter was standing in the living room waiting for him, arms crossed over his chest. Jasper wondered what he could be upset about. He knew Jasper was going to be late.

Jasper glanced around at his family who, minus Edward, were also gathered in the living room. Emmett was amused, as was Cooper. That could only mean one thing. Damn.

"Major." Peter greeted him. His red eyes seemed to size Jasper up, "Cooper tells me you got a girlfriend you're not introducing me to."

Cooper, of course.

"Cooper, have I ever told you I really regret goin' back for you?"