A/N: Sending all of you my heartfelt gratitude for reading. Time is one of the most precious things we have, so I'm grateful you take time out of your day to read this:)

An Informal Meeting

"Brace yourself, brother. Your ballgame gathering just went from a friendly four to a slightly uncomfortable ten."

Jasper snorted a laugh at the way Peter started a conversation in the middle, rather than the beginning. "Hey Peter, nice to hear from you. I'm well, thanks for asking. You?"

"All's well in our neck of the woods," Peter laughed. "Your woods, on the other hand, just got a little less peaceful."

Jasper frowned a little at that. "I don't know what those words mean. The figurative woods, as in the ballgame at Charlie's, or the woods as in the literal forest?"

"Both, actually," Peter answered. "Your gathering tonight has grown because your mate's a thoughtful gal, but the forest isn't quite the peaceful retreat it's been for you, the Cullens, or any of your new friends who occasionally sprout a little more fur than is typical."

"Victoria?" he asked, ignoring for a moment that he'd be seeing more than just Leah and Charlie that night.

"Well, there's that, but there's also–"

"No fucking way," Jasper cut him off with a laugh. "Sam really did get the boot as Alpha?"

"Uh, excuse me," Peter huffed. "It's rude to interrupt, Jasper," he scolded.

Alice skipped out onto the porch with a bright laugh. "You're just mad he figured it out before you could tell him," she said so Peter could hear her. Jasper smiled at her as she sat down on the step beside him.

"That may be true, but it's also true that it's rude to interrupt," Peter laughed. "Just ask Esme, she'll back me up."

"How about starting at the beginning?" Jasper asked with a smile. "Less confusion all around that way, and I promise not to interrupt until you get to the end."

"Well, there's not really all that much between the beginning and the end. Sam was stripped of his authority and Leah invited the other wolves and the older humans to watch the game with y'all."

"And they actually accepted?" Jasper asked in surprise. He knew they'd be meeting the elders and the pack the next day and would've thought none of them would want to be in the same room as a vamp or two unless it was strictly necessary.

"Some did, but not all," Peter answered. "Don't ask me who said yes because I don't know. I just know there are gonna be ten of you there. Eleven, I guess, if Edward's human is home. Although I doubt she'll socialize with y'all after Leah told her the rest of the pack doesn't find her as fascinating as that condescending ginger you share a house with or the weird little pup who follows her around like a bad smell."

Jasper laughed a little at that. Peter was no fan of Edward, and with Bella being his mate, Peter doubted she was any better. It was also Edward's obsession with the human that had made him behave so rudely towards him and Charlotte when they'd visited Forks the year before. "So who's the new leader of the pack?" he asked, then smiled when Peter started humming.

"I met him at the candy store," Peter sang the first line of the song by the Shangri-Las then hummed a little more. "That's when I fell for…"

"The leader of the pack," Jasper and Alice joined in while laughing.

"My folks were always putting him down," Emmett sang as he came tearing out the front door with a grin.

"They say he came from the wrong side of town," Peter, Alice, Jasper, and Emmett all sang together.

"Please stop," Rosalie snarked as she stomped her way outside. "It was bad enough having to live through it when it first came out."

"You don't like that song?" Peter asked in surprise through the phone.

"No," Rosalie scoffed, then looked at her twin for a moment and gave him an innocent smile. "But maybe it fits you, Jas. Bad guy from the wrong side of town pursuing everyone's favorite she-wolf?"

Emmett snorted a laugh. "Or the wrong side of the treaty line."

Rosalie just shrugged. "Potato, potahto."

"Y'all are hilarious," Jasper said with a flat look at his siblings.

"So, what'd we miss?" Emmett asked as he plopped himself onto the grass at the bottom of the steps.

"It seems Sam Uley has been ousted from his position," Jasper answered.

"Good," Rosalie said with a little bit of a scowl. She really hated assholes who were too controlling. Add in anger problems and her dislike really spiked. "So who's in charge now?" she asked.

Jasper shrugged. "I'm not sure. I haven't talked to Leah, Peter's the one who gave me the heads up. Do you know, Peter?"

"No, but I do know your better half's best friend is the new second," Peter answered. "If I had to make a logical jump, I'd say it's probably whichever wolf was Sam's second."

"Jared," Jasper said. "He was Beta. He, Leah, and Paul are also the ones who are done with school, so he'd make sense. I highly doubt the elders would put any of the sixteen-year old high-schoolers in charge. And I'm not the only one with a mate who's clearly the better half," he pointed out with a laugh. "Where's Charlotte at?"

Peter chuckled. "My mate isn't just my better half, she's the better of pretty much anyone she's in a room with. Well, her and Esme, I guess. No offense, Ali and Rose. Y'all aren't too bad either. Anyway, Char's running the perimeter. Shouldn't be gone much longer."

All the vamps in the Cullen's front yard smiled at that. They appreciated that Peter was the kind of guy who treated his mate as his equal. He had complete faith in Charlotte's ability to keep herself safe.

"I don't suppose you know anything about Victoria?" Alice asked Peter. "I can't see her when I look."

"Unfortunately, no. I've got a bad feeling but that's about it. And that isn't because of any particular knowledge, I just know women like her and they rarely, if ever, give up."

Jasper and the other Cullens silently nodded their agreement. With how often Victoria had been around while the Cullens were gone, they knew how determined she was.

"Well, as nice as this chat's been, Ali and I need to get a move on if we're gonna make it to Charlie's by seven," Jasper said after a few moments. Feeling a spike of irritation and jealousy from the telepath who was still grounded and stuck in his room, Jasper just smiled. It was nobody's fault but Edward's that he was on lockdown. "Give Char my love."

"Will do. Tell your wolf girl we said hey. We'll have to make our way back up there one of these days to meet her. Or you could come down here instead. Give you a chance to see some sunshine and save us from having to see that jealous teen-boy who's sitting in his room with a scowl," Peter laughed. "Talk to y'all later."

"Bye, Peter!" Alice, Rosalie, and Emmett shouted quickly, knowing Peter tended to hang up a little too soon. They heard a brief deep chuckle just before he ended the call.

Jasper smiled and tucked his phone in his pocket, then pulled it straight back out when it chimed with a text.

So, um, there may be a few more of us than you're expecting tonight. Hope you don't mind.

Jasper laughed as he texted Leah back.

Just a few, huh? My understanding of 'few' must've been wrong all these years because six is a couple fews by my reckoning.

"You ready?" Jasper asked Alice, who hopped up with an excited smile.

"No fair," Emmett whined. "I want to come watch the game too."

Alice? Or Peter?

"Not this time," Jasper told Emmett. "I promise I'll wrangle you an invite at some point, but our gathering has grown by about half a wolf pack so it's probably best if it's just Alice and I tonight," he explained as he texted back.

Peter. And it doesn't honestly matter who else is there as long as you are.

"Can we take the Jeep, Em?" Alice asked with her best puppy dog eyes. She was short so she liked how high up the Jeep was but Emmett was almost as territorial over it as Rose was her BMW.

"Fine," Emmett said with a dramatic sigh, then pulled his keys from his pocket and tossed them to her with a smile. "You're too predictable, little miss short stuff."

Jasper's phone buzzed as he was getting in the passenger side, happy to let Alice do the driving, if for no other reason than how ridiculous she always looked. Her legs were so short that she had to pull the seat as far forward as it would go.

Sap.

Jasper just laughed. He had no trouble admitting to being a sappy softie where his mate was concerned.

Guilty. See you in a few.

Alice looked over at him as she pulled down the driveway, and she broke into a grin at the happiness on her best friend's face. His mate being a wolf and the conflict with some of the pack was a little bit of a hurdle, but she couldn't be more joyful that Jasper had finally found his other half.

"I'm worried about Sam," Jasper admitted a few minutes later.

"Me too," Alice nodded. "So how do we deal with him?"

"I'm not sure we're the ones who are going to have to deal with him," Jasper answered with a frown. "I still don't think he's stupid enough to cross the treaty line, so it's gonna be on the pack and the elders to keep him in line."

Alice nodded again as she thought everything through. It was a real pain not being able to see the wolves. She'd caught a few glimpses of Leah in her human form but that was it. In the future on their current course, Leah appeared to be safe and unharmed, but the future could change radically and quickly, especially when dealing with someone who had a temper like Sam. You never really knew what might set them off. "Think Emily's safe?" she asked.

Jasper took a few moments before answering. He had a pretty low opinion of Emily because of how she'd betrayed her cousin, but he wasn't a big enough asshole to want to see her trapped in a potentially abusive situation. But just like with Sam, it was probably down to the elders and the pack to ensure she was safe. "I'm not sure. If we've thought of Sam's temper, I'm sure they've all thought of it also. We can bring it up with Leah, but I'd rather do it when we're alone and not in front of any of the elders or wolves. I don't want them to think we're overstepping, especially because I already threatened Sam."

"Makes sense," Alice agreed. "Any guesses on who all's gonna be there tonight?" she asked, wanting to shift to a lighter topic.

Jasper shrugged with a smile. "Your guess is as good as mine. Probably Paul and Seth, but that still leaves four more. Maybe Sue. She really cares about Charlie and I don't imagine she'd be weird about hanging out with you based on how she was with me."

"Are her emotions really like Esme's?" she asked curiously. Jasper had told her all about their french fry date when he got home from the diner.

"Very similar," he nodded. "She's got the same warm maternal love, but that steely core that comes with mama bears is maybe a little more pronounced than Esme's. Esme's is definitely there, but Sue's is just a little closer to the surface."

Alice parked in front of the Swan's house and they sat in the Jeep for a few moments before getting out. "What's the climate like in there?" she whispered softly as she tried to get an idea of who they'd find inside.

Jasper tipped his head a little as he focused. "Good, for the most part. A few of them are a little uneasy but they're all enjoying themselves," he answered. Because of Peter's call, they were a few minutes late and the game had already started. "Well, Bella's not all that happy," he added with a slightly exasperated sigh. "She seems to be pouting upstairs just like our own petulant, grounded teen. I guess Jacob's not here to shower her with attention."

Alice smiled but quickly smothered it. "That's not very nice, Jas."

Jasper looked at her with a raised eyebrow as he opened his door. "Am I wrong?"

"Probably not," she admitted with a laugh as she hopped out, but her sunny expression disappeared as she met Jasper at the end of the driveway. "That whole situation is weird all around. And I like Bella, I really do, and Edward has been nothing but a pain in the ass lately, but if she keeps hurting my brother, I'm going to be very displeased with her," she scowled. "We both know she's not in love with the wolf but her dependency on him is making Edward doubt Bella's feelings for him."

Jasper just nodded and slung his arm around her shoulder. Alice wasn't wrong. Whatever was going on with Bella and Jacob was hurting Edward and making him question their future. Bella was just as obsessively attached to the telepath as she'd always been, so he wasn't sure why she acted the way she did.

When Leah opened Charlie's front door with a smile and launched herself at Jasper from the top step, all thoughts of Bella, Edward, and Jacob were immediately swept from his mind. "This is a nice hello," he laughed as he caught her. "Glad to see me?"

Leah gave him a quick kiss. "Not really, I'm mostly just glad you brought Alice," she teased. Fortunately she had lightning fast reflexes because she managed to land on her feet with only the slightest wobble when Jasper dropped her a little more suddenly than she was expecting. "Hey!" she laughed.

Jasper picked her up and flung her over his shoulder. "So who all's here?" he asked over her laughter as he carried her up to the front door, Alice giggling while she trailed behind them.

"Put me down!" Leah demanded, trying to sound stern but falling well short of the mark.

Charlie opened the screen door with a chuckle. "She giving you trouble already?" he asked.

Jasper laughed and righted his mate so she was standing on her feet. "Only a little. Nice to see you again, Charlie."

Leah swiped her hair out of her face and shot her imprint a playful glare while trying to keep from laughing. "Not cool, Whitlock. Not cool at all."

Alice shoved both of them aside and bounded up the steps. "Hey Charlie! Thanks for sort-of inviting me!"

Charlie smiled at the energetic girl. "You're always welcome here, Alice, you know that. You don't need an invitation."

Leah took Jasper's hand and dragged him behind her. "Come on, the Indians are already up a run and that's unacceptable. I need to get in there to support my tribe."

Jasper happily let her lead him and smiled when Charlie laughed as he was pulled through the door. "Better give her what she wants," he said with a shrug.

Charlie nodded with a solemn expression, but his eyes were twinkling with amusement. "That's generally the best way to go. What's that phrase? Happy wife, happy life?"

Leah barked a laugh as she looked at Charlie over her shoulder. "I'm not sure what constitutes a date these days but I'm pretty sure we're still under five. There's gotta be a rule somewhere that we need more dates under our belt before I drag him down the aisle," she laughed.

"When you know, you know," Charlie shrugged, then shot Jasper a quick wink.

All four of them were laughing as they walked into the very crowded living room. Leah stopped in the doorway, figuring quick and casual was the best way to go. "Okay. Jasper, Alice, this is Jared Cameron and Embry Call," she said as she pointed to her fellow wolves. "You obviously already know Paul and Seth, and that's Billy Black over there. And Jasper, you already know my mom, but Alice, that kinda old but still pretty woman beside him is my mom Sue. Jared, Embry, Billy, this is Alice Cullen and Jasper Whitlock."

"Very funny, Lee," Sue said, and Jasper smiled to see she had the exact same playful glare his mate had.

Jasper and Alice both nodded and did the polite 'hello, nice to meet you' thing, and Embry and Jared did the same.

Sue walked over and gave Jasper a hug, then held her hand out to Alice with a warm smile. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Alice."

"You as well, ma'am," Alice said as she shook her hand, her smile bright and sunny. "I've heard such nice things about you from Leah and Jasper."

"They're all lies," Leah snarked as she sat on the floor at the side of the room nearest the door where the vamps could sit beside her. Sue just laughed and took her seat beside Billy.

Jasper and Alice hesitated for a moment. As the chief of the Quileute tribe council, Billy Black deserved their respect, but they weren't sure if he'd be comfortable shaking their hands. With only the briefest glance at each other, respect won out and Alice took a step forward, and Jasper stayed locked on Billy's emotions as she approached him. The elder was slightly wary, but he saw Jasper watching him carefully and seemed to understand he was monitoring him to make sure Alice was safe. He gave Jasper a short nod and held his hand out.

Alice darted a quick glance back at Jasper, who also nodded, so she took the last few steps and quickly shook his hand. "It's an honor to meet you, Chief Black," she greeted him. She was smiling, but her expression was much more serious than it had been.

"And you," Billy nodded.

Jasper did the same, trying to ignore the emotions in the room. Charlie was both confused and surprised, as it was evident that even as Alice and Jasper were being respectful, they were also being cautious. It was Billy's politeness that was a surprise, given his past rants about the Cullens. Embry and Jared were uncomfortable and uneasy having vamps so close to Billy in his wheelchair, and Leah, Seth, Paul, and Sue were watchful but unworried.

Once Jasper and Alice were sitting beside Leah, some of the tension slowly leaked out of the room and they focused back on the game.

"Whitlock?" Charlie asked Jasper curiously once the mood was noticeably lighter. "I thought your last name was Hale."

"Whitlock is an old family name from before I was adopted," Jasper explained, but left it there. Charlie just nodded his easy acceptance.

When the Indians scored another surprising run, all the wolves did some grumbling, making Alice laugh a little. "They won't be the Indians much longer," she assured them.

"They're really going through with the name change?" Paul asked, curious if Alice knew that because of her seer gift.

She nodded. "Yep. They're leaning towards the Guardians," she said. When Charlie looked at her in surprise, she shrugged with a smile. "I like to pay attention to baseball gossip."

Those in the room who knew about Alice's gift stifled their smiles, and Charlie nodded his easy acceptance again. He really was such a nice man, and Jasper had to push aside his annoyance at Bella. She was sitting upstairs in a snit rather than cherishing what little time she had left with her dad. Charlie shouldn't have to miss out on all those typical dad things just because his daughter didn't appreciate him.

"You still interested in a fishing trip next weekend, Charlie?" Jasper asked at the next commercial break. "I've been offered a rod to borrow and I'm more of a morning person than Leah."

Leah snorted a laugh at her imprint who never slept. "I hope you're not expecting to borrow my fishing gear," she warned him. "It's way too nice to waste on a first-time fisherman. Besides, if you ever get around to inviting me to come with you, I'm not sharing."

"Leah, don't be rude," Sue scolded with a laugh. "I offered him a rod so he could go out with Charlie. Your father's is sitting in the garage collecting dust, which is a shame. Far better for someone to get some use out of it."

Jasper fought back a flinch at the shock and surprise in the room and smiled at Sue. "And I appreciate it. I may be a first-time fisherman," he said with a quick glare at his mate. "But I promise not to drop it or lose it or break it."

Charlie laughed at Leah and Jasper's playfulness and nodded. "Sounds like a plan. I've got Saturday off so we can set out early."

Alice jumped in, having seen that this was a possibility. "I've done a little research and there's supposed to be a great spot about ten miles north of where Leah said you usually go. It might be worth giving it a try."

Those who were just meeting Alice and Jasper for the first time all felt a fair amount of relief at that. Charlie's usual fishing spot was technically on neutral ground, but it was basically in La Push. Alice was giving Jasper a way to fish with Charlie while still honoring the Quileute's territory.

Billy, Jared, and Embry had been quietly paying attention to just about everything the vamps said or did, and they started to relax just a little more as the evening wore on. Seeing Leah and Jasper teasing each other had them softening a little, as it had been a long time since they'd seen her look so lighthearted. And Embry and Billy started looking at Jasper with slightly kinder eyes after he asked Charlie to go fishing with him. It was no secret on the Res that Charlie was somewhat disheartened by Bella's apparent disinterest in him, and they appreciated that Jasper was making an effort to spend time with him.

They also found Alice's enthusiasm for baseball entertaining, and smiled a little whenever she cheered loudly for the Mariners and booed at the Indians. She reminded them a little bit of Seth with her sunny smile and cheerfulness.

Bella came downstairs in the eighth inning, but all she did was get a glass of water, say a quick and awkward hello, and hightail it back upstairs, which disappointed her dad. Jasper caught Alice's eye and tipped his head towards the stairs. From her emotions, he thought Bella's feelings were a little hurt that Alice hadn't gone up to say hello when she got there.

Alice nodded and hopped to her feet. She was enjoying watching the game with everyone but she felt a little bit bad that she'd been neglecting her friend.

Jasper rolled his eyes a little that the first thing Bella did was ask about Edward. He'd known she was eavesdropping, but he still internally sighed when she then quietly asked Alice if it was really a good idea for Jasper to go fishing with Charlie. Leah heard her and gritted her teeth, gently squeezing his hand in reassurance.

Alice didn't even try to hide her annoyance. "I'm going to be charitable and assume you're not questioning Jasper's control and are instead worried about if he feels obligated to go with him. Jasper really likes your dad and it'll be nice for Charlie to have a new fishing buddy, so of course it's a good idea. End of story."

All those with supernatural hearing smiled a little at Alice's defense of both Charlie and the vamp who was clearly her best friend.

Bella stammered out an awkward apology and said she was going to get some sleep and she'd see Alice at school in the morning.

Alice gave her a sharp nod, but softened a little at her friend's obvious embarrassment. "You hardly know him at all, Bella, but he's the best man I know," she said quietly.

Bella simply nodded, so Alice said goodnight and went back downstairs, closing Bella's door behind her. She sat down beside Jasper and leaned her head on his shoulder for a moment while silently letting him feel her love and reassurance.

Jasper just smiled and accepted the love. He knew Bella didn't necessarily have anything against him personally, but Edward harped on and on about the dangers of being around vampires so often that Bella had obviously - and selectively - internalized some of it. Which was ironic, considering she regularly spent time alone with a vamp whose singer she was without a care in the world.

Jasper pushed those thoughts aside. He had his best friend on one side of him and his soulmate on the other, and he was sitting in a room filled with mostly positive emotions. The Mariners were up a run at the top of the ninth, and he had a fishing date for the coming weekend with his mate and the man she considered an uncle. The meeting the following afternoon was a big question mark lurking over their heads, but in that moment, sitting in Charlie Swan's living room, life was too good to waste thinking about those few pesky thorns.

Leah and Jasper decided to walk back to the Cullen's while Alice drove the Jeep. Leah had a patrol shift starting at midnight, and she decided to get some time in with her imprint and she'd just go on patrol from his house. They were in no particular hurry and it was a beautiful spring night, so they walked at a human pace, enjoying the quiet that comes with living in a small town.

"That went pretty well, huh?" Leah said after a few minutes.

"It did," Jasper smiled. "Billy, Jared, and Embry were a surprise, but I think it was a good thing they came along. It'll probably make tomorrow a little less adversarial."

Leah nodded her agreement. "Meeting you in an informal setting for the first time was a good move."

"I think Jared's going to make a great Alpha for y'all," he told her honestly. "He was cautious and observant and felt protective of all of you, even Billy and Sue, but he wasn't hostile or close-minded. I know he came to get a read on me before tomorrow, which was definitely a good strategic move so he isn't walking into the meeting tomorrow blind. He seems to genuinely care about the safety of the whole pack."

"He does," Leah nodded. "Unlike Sam, he's capable of being objective, and he's willing to work with you guys if it gives us a better shot at keeping the tribe and Charlie safe."

Leah took a few minutes to tell Jasper everything that happened at the meeting with the pack and the elders. "Paul's not thrilled about being Beta but he knows he's the better choice," she ended with a casual shrug.

As much as Jasper wanted to contradict her, because he knew she'd be a competent second, he had to agree with her. The wolves worked together as a pack, which meant they had to trust each other. If there were any doubts about where Leah's loyalty lay, it would make it harder for the pack to function the way they were meant to.

"What are you thinking Sam might do?" he asked.

"Who knows," Leah sighed. "Be an asshole? Rant and rave? Cause more tension? All of the above probably."

"Should we be worried about Emily?"

Leah smiled a little that he cared enough to be concerned, because she knew Jasper wasn't the greatest fan of her cousin. She couldn't say with any degree of certainty that Sam wouldn't lash out at home, so she answered as honestly as she could. "I don't know, but the pack and elders will keep an eye on both of them to make sure she's safe."

Jasper just nodded and they walked in a comfortable silence for a few minutes.

"So my mom really offered you my dad's fishing pole?" Leah asked curiously.

Jasper looked at her with a smile. "Not to keep, but to borrow. I gather from the emotions in the room that that's a big deal?"

"Very," she laughed, though her emotions were tinged with sadness. "The man was obsessive about his fishing gear. Touching it was practically a high crime growing up."

Jasper wrapped an arm around her and tucked her against his side. "I know I don't know very many dads all that well, only two really. Well, kinda - Carlisle and Charlie, even though Carlisle's not an actual father and Charlie's more a pseudo-father to you. But whatever," he cut off his ramble with a laugh when he felt Leah's amusement. "What I'm trying to say, obviously not all that well, is that your dad would be so proud of you. You're a wonderful person, Leah, and if it's at all possible that he's watching over you, he's doing it with a smile."

Leah rested her head on his shoulder for a moment. "Thank you."

"You know what would make him even more proud of you?" he asked, wanting to lighten the mood. "If you beat me home," he laughed, then took off like a shot.

Leah smiled and ran after him. He wasn't using his full vamp-speed, so it didn't take too long for her to catch up. As soon as she was within reach, she launched herself at him and let out a triumphant shout when she actually landed on his back.

Jasper's steps never faltered. They'd have to talk about the meeting the following day and try to brace themselves for whatever was to come, but Jasper just wanted to see his mate lighthearted and happy for a little while longer. He flew through the forest, their bright laughter the only sound in the quiet of the night.

Important note for anyone who posts on AO3: There's an app called The Archive Reader that's completely unconnected to AO3 that is profiting off the fics posted there. There's no effort to reach out to the authors to ask if he can reprint their works, and he charges for access. I'm pretty new to that site but all three of my stories are there so you may want to check if yours are as well. I've emailed him through the app asking him to remove mine. I haven't gotten a reply yet, but that's an option if you want to try and do the same.

PS: I just checked for the two of you who I know write, and Theadosia57 and angelcolbert, both of your accounts are on the app. Just FYI.