A/N: As always, sending you all my heartfelt gratitude for reading:)

Crossing the Line

Billy took a moment to introduce each of the wolves, though it was mostly a formality as the Cullens - with the exception of Carlisle - had already met every wolf but the younger Quil. When Billy gestured to Carlisle, he introduced the members of his family. Again, mostly a formality. Through the pack telepathy, all the wolves knew who each of the Cullens were.

"Where's Bella?" Jacob asked brusquely once Carlisle finished speaking.

As soon as Edward opened his mouth, Emmett clamped his hand on his shoulder and squeezed a little too tightly for comfort. "Don't," he whispered lowly.

Old Quil looked at Jacob sharply. "Bella Swan is not a member of this tribe, nor is she bound by our treaty with the Cullens," he said. He ignored the petulant teen's answering scowl and looked at Carlisle. "I believe it's best to begin by discussing exactly what exceptions you are willing to make regarding the treaty line. I'd like there to be no confusion on either side."

"Of course," Carlisle nodded. "At the current time, Leah, Seth, and Paul are welcome in our territory without restrictions. We are willing to allow Jared and Embry to patrol in and around Forks, as well as our wider territory, as long as they are accompanied by either a member of our family or one of the wolves who has free and open access. We are also willing to allow Jacob to patrol near the Swan's house and around the police station if he so chooses, but only if he is accompanied by myself or Jasper. As Jasper is just now meeting Quil for the first time, no decision has yet been made in regards to him. Presently, we are not willing to allow Sam on our side of the treaty line, alone or accompanied," he explained calmly.

Jasper smiled to himself at the surprise from Embry and Jared, and the indignation from Jacob. Sam was entirely unsurprised by the news that no exception would be made for him, so he didn't have much of a reaction.

Jasper wasn't entirely sure what to make of Sam's emotions, to be honest. He was definitely angry, and Jasper would wager every cent he had that Sam would rather be literally anywhere else on earth than standing in that clearing, but he wasn't filled with the same level of rage as every other time Jasper had been near him. While his outward expression was every bit as severe and angry as usual - at least to Jasper's eyes - internally, he seemed more deflated than anything, and Jasper wondered just how much being removed as Alpha had affected him.

Based on Leah's confusion and curiosity as she looked at her ex-boyfriend, she also saw that something seemed to have shifted in Sam, even though it wasn't noticeable to Jasper without the benefit of his gift. The two had been together for a long time, so it made sense that Leah could still read Sam so well. She wasn't concerned by whatever she saw, so Jasper pushed it from his mind for the time being.

"I don't need–"

Jared interrupted Jacob before he could say more. "We talked about this, Jake," he said sternly. "We have a peace treaty with them, and if you can't be bothered to speak politely, then don't bother speaking. I don't expect you to like them, but as a wolf in my pack, I do expect you to be civil," he warned him. He turned back to the Cullens and started to speak, but stopped when he saw Esme smiling at him. "What?" he asked, not unkindly.

Emmett snorted a laugh, and Jared glanced at him. "That's a proud mom smile," Emmett explained. "Esme's great at those."

Jared looked at Esme in surprise and she just smiled wider and nodded at him. He chanced a glance at Sue and she was giving him the same proud smile.

Jacob opened his mouth to argue, but a single sharp look from his dad had him snapping his mouth shut.

This time it was Alice that snorted a laugh. "Now that was a disappointed dad look. Carlisle is very good at those. Isn't that right, Edward?"

To Edward's credit - and almost everyone else's surprise - he just rolled his eyes and smiled indulgently at Alice while his siblings all laughed. He knew she was just trying to keep the mood light. She was also his favorite sister, so he was willing to let her get away with a whole lot more than he'd permit anyone else.

Jasper honestly wasn't entirely surprised that Edward didn't snap at Alice, regardless of her favorite-sibling status. He might cause an awful lot of tension within the family, but he'd likely always put forward a united front outside of it, especially in front of the wolves, who were technically their mortal enemy.

Carlisle chuckled at his family before getting back to the task at hand. "There are a few more things I'd like to add. The first is that this is not, in our eyes, a complete overhaul of the treaty," he said, looking at every single wolf and council member. "Our willingness to have any of the wolves in our territory, with the sole exception of Leah, is conditional. If at any time we believe it's no longer beneficial, the offer will be rescinded."

Billy nodded his understanding, as did Jared. Carlisle remained silent until every member of the pack and the other elders also nodded their agreement.

"In the case that happens, I will call you directly, Billy, so you are officially made aware of it. That way there will be no misunderstandings," he continued. "And Jared, I'm happy to contact you as well if you'd like me to," he offered.

Jasper smiled at the way Carlisle was preemptively keeping Edward from causing trouble. Now he couldn't tell Jacob he had to get out of their territory just because he was feeling jealous or spiteful.

"I'd also like to reiterate here, in front of all of you, that Leah is Jasper's mate, which makes her a member of our family. As such, she is covered by the treaty," Carlisle said, again looking at each and every member of the pack, lingering a moment longer on Sam. "An attack on her will be treated exactly the same as an attack on any other member of my family."

"That applies regardless of whose land she's on," Jasper added. "If she's on your side of the line, it's still a breach of the treaty."

Carlisle again stood still and silent until every wolf and every elder indicated they understood. "Good," he nodded. "Jared, it's my understanding that there is a schedule of patrol shifts. Is that accurate?"

"Yes," Jared answered. "Shifts are generally scheduled a week in advance, and every member of the pack, along with the elders, will be given the schedule every Sunday."

Carlisle nodded. "I believe it's in all of our best interests for there to be no surprises, so if any wolf besides Leah, Seth, or Paul is scheduled to be in our territory, I'd ask that either myself or Jasper is made aware of it. If a shift includes a member of your pack who needs to be accompanied by one of us, I'd appreciate advance notice so that we may make the necessary arrangements on our end. If it's a wolf who has a greater degree of freedom, I still expect myself or Jasper to be kept informed."

"That's fine," Jared nodded. "I can contact you once the schedules are handed out if any of the shifts in that particular week include your land."

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

"I'd like to add one more thing," Jasper cut in. "If there are any last minute changes in respect to our side of the treaty line, let me or Carlisle know immediately. I'll again stress his point that if any wolf besides Leah, Seth, or Paul is in our territory at any time, one of us needs to know about it. If any of your wolves cross the line without us being aware of it, that wolf will no longer be permitted in our territory," he told Jared.

"So you'll see that as a breach of the treaty?" Jacob asked incredulously.

Jasper stared him down for a few moments before answering. "I didn't say that. I said that wolf would no longer be allowed on our side of the line. If it was a breach of the treaty, the line would be rendered null and the 'peace' part of the peace treaty would go up in smoke. Why? Were you planning to test that?"

Jacob glared at Jasper, but before he could snap at him, Edward spoke up. "Yes, he is," he said, his voice cold but calm. Jasper was impressed that the telepath's outward expression betrayed little of his inner turmoil. He was furious, but aside from the tone of his voice, it would be hard to tell if you didn't know him well.

"Jacob," Sue said with a clear warning in her tone and a hard glare.

Jasper stared the boy down again until he started fidgeting under the weight of his glare. "We've already given you more leeway than you deserve. We've been trying to be respectful of your friendship with Bella but I'm happy to rescind our offer," he said coldly. "You either patrol Forks with Carlisle or myself or you don't patrol Forks at all. Those are the only two options available to you. If you decide the rules don't apply to you and you step over this line as a wolf without me or Carlisle standing there waiting for you, we'll enforce the treaty to the letter where you're concerned and you won't be allowed in our territory in your human form either."

Jacob sneered at him. "You can't–"

"I can, Jake," Jared cut him off before he could cause more problems. "I'm the one who schedules the shifts for this pack and if you can't abide by the few conditions the Cullens are asking for in order to give us a greater chance of keeping our tribe safe, your patrols will be limited to our land."

"The Cullens don't have to allow any of us on their land, Jake," Leah added. "You're not entitled to be in their territory as a wolf just because of Bella. They're offering this because it's in everyone's best interest that Victoria is taken down before anyone gets hurt."

Jacob scowled at her. "Of course you'd take their side now that you're a leech-lover," he muttered under his breath.

Jasper and Rosalie both growled at him, but Leah just rolled her eyes. "Why do you have to be such a child?" she sighed. "Grow the hell up, Jacob. And watch your mouth, because I know the elders have already warned you about saying things like that. Keep calling them leeches or bloodsuckers and I'll tell them all to start calling you mutt and dog."

Wanting to ease the tension, Jared jumped in. "Jasper, is the offer to train us to fight still on the table?" he asked.

Jasper hesitated. He didn't think Jared would allow Sam to be a direct participant, but because of the pack telepathy, he'd learn everything the other wolves learned. And Jacob was hostile enough that he wasn't sure it was in anyone's best interest for him to learn how to fight.

On the other hand, the wolves deserved to have the knowledge and skills they needed to keep their people safe. With Leah being Jasper's mate, the things that mattered most to her also mattered to Jasper now, and one of the things that mattered most to Leah was protecting her tribe. He might not be able to cross the line to protect the Quileutes himself, but he could give Leah and her pack the tools to do it to the best of their ability. And if Victoria entered Quileute territory where he and his family couldn't follow, it would be on the wolves to take her down. "Yes," he answered after a moment. "There will be a couple conditions, but as long as you're willing to accommodate those, then yes."

"And they are?" Jared asked.

"The offer doesn't extend to Sam, and Jacob may be present, but he doesn't spar with anyone in my family."

"But Sam will see everything the other wolves do," Rosalie pointed out.

Jasper nodded. "I know, but I think the benefits outweigh the risks in this particular instance. If Victoria uses the advantage that none of us can cross the treaty line, the wolves should be as prepared as possible," he explained.

Rosalie did a little grumbling under her breath before acknowledging that he had a point. "Fine," she agreed, giving him a single sharp nod. "But I'm not happy about it," she added, locking eyes with Sam. "And if you attempt to use any of that knowledge to try and hurt a member of my family, it won't be Jasper you have to worry about hunting you down," she warned him.

When Sam simply nodded and stayed quiet, Jasper caught Edward's eye and spoke to him silently.

Please get everything you can from his thoughts. His emotions have changed from every other time I've read him and I don't want to risk misinterpreting anything.

Edward gave him a barely perceptible nod.

"Will you agree to those terms?" Jasper asked when he turned back to Jared.

Jared looked at his pack, and though Sam was silent and Jacob was scowling, everyone nodded their agreement. He looked back at Jasper and nodded. "Yes."

"Fine. I'll give you my number before we leave and you can contact me to set up a time," Jasper answered. "I know some of your pack members are still in school, so I'm happy to schedule something for later in the day or on a weekend."

The younger Quil hesitated a moment before speaking. "And me?" he asked quietly. "Have you made a decision about whether or not I can patrol in town?"

Jasper looked at Carlisle for a moment to see if he was okay with Jasper making a decision before talking it over with him, and Carlisle smiled and nodded. Jasper then looked at each of his family members to see if they agreed. Feeling their acceptance, he turned back to Quil. "For now, I'm open to having you patrol in town if you're accompanied by one of us."

Quil smiled a little and nodded. "Thank you."

"So they can patrol the whole town but I have limits on where in Forks I can go?" Jacob asked with yet another scowl.

Jasper looked at him again and wondered what the hell Bella found appealing in the kid's personality. "Yes," was all he said.

Rosalie glared at Jacob. "Maybe if you didn't wish so hard that you could wipe my family from the face of the earth you'd have the same privileges as some of your fellow wolves," she snapped.

Esme frowned at that news. "Is that true? He really wishes that?" she asked, looking first at Rosalie, then at Edward.

Both of them nodded but it was Alice who answered. "I believe his exact words were 'the only good leech is a dead leech'. As far as he's concerned, the pack should have the right to annihilate all of us and it's only the treaty that stops him," she said with a glare aimed at Jacob. When she saw the surprise on his face even through his scowl, she glared a little harder. "I have ears and super-hearing, asshole. Maybe don't talk so loud next time if you don't want me to know you'd like to kill my family."

Esme wasn't at all pleased with what she'd just learned, and she understood Alice's anger, but she still expected everyone on her side of the line to remain respectful. Jacob may not deserve it, but the elders did. "Alice."

The warning was clear in Esme's voice, so Alice looked at her and nodded and quickly apologized, though not before shooting another glare at the boy she disliked so much.

Jasper ignored Jacob and looked at the council. "Now you understand why I say we're giving him more leeway than he deserves."

Jared and the three elders nodded, and Jacob found himself on the receiving end of another disappointed dad look, this one even more pronounced. The other two elders had the same expression as they looked at him and Jacob huffed a few times in indignation.

"If there's nothing more to discuss, perhaps we should end it here," Carlisle cut in. "I'd hate for what has been a productive meeting to turn into an excuse for petty squabbling. Not that I'd ever characterize the desire to murder my family as petty," he added while looking at Jacob. "I feel we've been more than generous in offering the exceptions we have, but I'll reiterate again that if I ever feel any of those exceptions are no longer beneficial, or if I feel any wolf is a potential threat to us, those exceptions will be rescinded."

The elders all exchanged a brief glance before Billy cleared his throat. "There's one more point to address. Sue came to us recently asking for an exception to be made on our end of the treaty, and after much discussion, the council has decided to allow it," he said. "Jasper, you're permitted to cross the treaty line to go to the Clearwater's house."

Jasper's eyebrows shot up and he gave Billy a surprised smile. "Really?"

"Yes," Billy nodded. "But like Jacob, the area you may travel in will be specifically delineated and you still do not have permission to roam our land freely. We are not, however, requiring you to have an escort as long as you don't stray from the area we're allowing."

Jasper completely ignored the shock from the rest of the pack and instead focused on Leah's surprised elation. "I won't, you have my word," he assured him, then looked at Sue, Old Quil, and Jared. "Thank you, I truly appreciate that."

Sue gave him the warm smile he was already so familiar with. "You're very welcome."

"Cool, that means you can help us with the little building behind the house for Leah and I to phase in so we never have to risk seeing each other naked again," Seth said with his sunny smile. "You can work at vamp speed, which will make the whole thing go a lot quicker while I just sit back and supervise."

Leah and Paul both snorted a laugh and muttered "lazy ass" at the same time.

Jasper nodded at Seth. "I'd be happy to," he laughed.

Esme looked at everyone on the other side of the line with eyes every bit as sharp as Old Quil's. "I appreciate that you're willing to make allowances for Jasper to visit his mate and her family. However, it's clear that many of the wolves are surprised by your decision," she said, addressing the council. "Just because Jasper is capable of protecting himself doesn't mean I'm at all comfortable with any member of my family walking into your territory without an agreement from the pack that they will be unharmed. There's too much hostility towards us from some of those gathered here."

Jasper and the rest of his siblings smiled at their protective mama bear.

The other mama bear among them immediately nodded her understanding. "Just as Leah is covered by the treaty regardless of what side of the line she's on, the same holds true for Jasper. The pack knows better than to go against the council, but I understand you wanting to hear from them directly," Sue said, then looked at all the wolves. "Boys?"

Jared, Paul, Seth, Embry, and the younger Quil all gave Esme their assurance that Jasper would be safe. Jacob looked around incredulously before scowling at Jasper. "Fine," he snapped. "But if you don't keep to the area the elders say or you put any of the tribe at risk, I'll end you."

Alice scoffed at that. "Okay, sure. Good luck with that," she laughed.

Jasper simply rolled his eyes. Jacob was an immature kid who thought he was more important, and more powerful, than he actually was. He was no threat to Jasper.

The whole group then turned to Sam. He looked at Jasper for a few long seconds, his emotions a chaotic tumult, then clenched his jaw and nodded his agreement. Going off what he was reading from him, Jasper felt that he was being honest, but he'd check with Edward after the meeting.

"Thank you," Esme nodded.

Billy looked around to make sure no one had anything else to add. "Well, I believe that's everything for now. Jasper, if you'd like to go to the Clearwater's now, Jared will show you what route you can take."

Jasper nodded. "Thank you, sir."

Some of the pack wasted no time leaving the clearing, though Leah, Seth, Paul, and Jared stayed where they were. Sue smiled at Jasper and said she'd see him in a few minutes before saying goodbye to everyone else and wheeling Billy towards the road with Old Quil.

The Cullens all waited until the wolves who'd left were out of hearing range before speaking. "What the hell was that with Sam?" Rosalie asked. "What did you get from him, Jasper?"

"You mean the personality transplant?" he clarified, and Rosalie nodded. "He was angry, but not the way he has been every other time. It was anger, not rage. He wasn't happy by any means, but his emotions were a lot… smaller, I guess, than usual. I don't know if that makes sense, but it's the best way I can explain it."

Jared nodded. "The council and I spent a few hours talking to him this morning. Him and Emily both. Being removed as Alpha wasn't anything he'd anticipated and he was furious at first, but he eventually had to acknowledge that it was no one's fault but his own," he explained. "Emily was probably the biggest help in that respect, to be honest. She's been pretty disappointed with his behavior since Leah imprinted, and hearing that made a big impact on Sam. I think the fact that we were outspoken in our worry about Emily's safety got to him also. He's still got a lot of guilt and shame that he hurt her the first time, and it was a wake-up call that we were all worried he'd hurt her again if he didn't rein in his temper."

The Cullens all silently absorbed that for a few moments before Jasper looked at Edward. "What did you get?" he asked.

Edward shrugged. Most of what he'd heard confirmed what Jared said, but he was skeptical about Sam's change of heart being a permanent change. "Everything I heard is in line with what you and Jared already said. He still hates our family, and you in particular, but there were no thoughts about breaking the treaty or causing any more trouble," he explained. "I'm skeptical, but not because of anything I heard."

"Speaking of personality transplants," Leah said, giving Edward a pointed look, making him scowl a little and roll his eyes.

"There's the Edward we all know and tolerate," Alice teased, then laughed and gave him a hug. "Just kidding. We love you, even when you're being a pain in the ass."

"Thank you for keeping calm," Jasper said. "I know Jacob pissed you off but you did well not showing it. I appreciate the effort that took."

The rest of the Cullens all added their agreement. Edward might make life a little too difficult a little too often, but they did love him. And knowing how easy it was for Jacob to push his buttons, they were proud of him for not reacting in a way that would've created more tension.

"Does this mean I'm no longer grounded?" Edward asked Carlisle and Esme hopefully.

"And there's the reason for the personality change," Emmett laughed.

"That and Carlisle threatened to ship him off to Alaska if he caused any trouble," Alice added with a grin.

Edward just shrugged. He would've kept quiet even without the threat, because only seeing Bella at school and not being allowed to talk to her any other time was wearing on both him and his mate. Bella had forgiven him for what he did to Leah, but things weren't quite back to normal because they had very little time together.

Carlisle quickly glanced at Esme, who gave him a single nod. "We're willing to lift some restrictions," he said, pulling Edward's phone out of his pocket and handing it to him. "You may have this back and you're no longer restricted to the house during the day. We do, however, expect you home from eleven at night to seven in the morning."

Edward smiled and nodded his understanding. It was far from perfect, but it was much, much better. "Thank you."

Leah looked at the telepath in surprise. She'd never seen him smile like that before. He was usually all scowls, glares, and the occasional arrogant smirk when he was gloating in front of Jacob that Bella was his.

Hearing her thoughts, Edward gave her one of those scowls she'd come to know so well, making Leah roll her eyes. "Oh quit it, you know it's true."

Edward ignored her and instead asked Carlisle and Esme if he was allowed to talk at home again.

Esme gave him a sharp look. "If you can be polite, yes. One wrong word and your punishment is back in effect," she warned.

Edward smiled again and gave Esme and Carlisle quick hugs, then took off like a shot, calling out a belated 'thank you' over his shoulder.

"Well, as nice as this little love fest is, I've got a building project I'd like to get moving on," Leah said, grabbing Jasper's hand. "The sooner we get done, the less chance I'll have to bleach my eyeballs again."

"You?" Seth laughed. "I'm pretty sure I'm the one who's most traumatized. No kid wants to see that much of their big sister."

Jared smiled at the two of them. He knew life in an all male pack wasn't always the easiest thing for Leah, but having Seth along for the ride made it slightly less awful, even if it did mean she'd seen him naked a few too many times. "You ready?" he asked Jasper.

"Sure," he nodded, smiling and sending the rest of his family his reassurance. Not crossing the treaty line was so firmly drilled into them that it was no surprise that they were all a little nervous. Jasper wasn't nervous himself, but he couldn't blame them. If it was any of his family members stepping onto Quileute land he'd be just as worried.

Alice quickly darted forward to hug Jasper. She knew he wasn't in any true danger, but seventy-two years of being protective of him was a hard habit to break.

"It'll be fine," Jasper laughed as he hugged her back. "Would you like me to text you when I arrive safely?" he teased.

Alice pulled back to look at him. "Yes," she answered, completely serious.

Rosalie laughed and wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulders. "Come on, you can pretend to be interested while I tell you all about the changes I've made to Jasper's truck this week. That should keep you busy."

Paul laughed at the look on Alice's face. "By busy, do you really mean bored?" he asked Rosalie.

"Both," Rose smiled. "She'll definitely be bored but keeping it from showing on her face and pretending she's interested in all the minute details for my sake will keep her busy."

Emmett laughed and then grabbed his pixie of a sister and flung her onto his back. "Come on, short stuff. I'll be bored with you."

"Don't forget to text, Jas!" Alice called through her giggles as Emmett took off running for home with Rosalie hot on his heels.

Everyone still standing in the clearing watched them go with smiles, even Jared. He'd seen some of the Cullens interacting through Leah, Seth, and Paul's thoughts, but it was different somehow seeing it for himself. The 'siblings' of the family acted just like he and his pack mates did when they were together. They loved and teased and laughed just like any family. Maybe more, actually, because not all families were happy families. He only knew Jasper's story and a tiny bit of Alice's, so he didn't know exactly how all the Cullens came to be Cullens, but it was easy to see that they loved each other and were a true family.

Maybe Leah was right, Jared thought. Not all vampires were like the vampires of their tribal legends. He didn't fail to notice the smile Leah's imprint gave him at his shifting emotions. He didn't call attention to it, which Jared appreciated, but he did see the understanding in Jasper's eyes.

Esme was just wrapping Jasper up in her own hug, which was slightly less constricting than Alice's, when her phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and grinned at the name on the display.

"Hello, Charlotte," she answered.

"Hey Mama Bear!" Charlotte's cheerful voice rang out. "I know it's futile to tell you not to worry, but Jasper's gonna be just fine."

Esme nodded as she, Carlisle, and Jasper all laughed. "Impeccable timing as always."

"That's life with a gifted better half," Charlotte laughed. "Hey Jasper!" she said a little bit louder, even though it wasn't necessary. "Is your wolf gal there with you?"

Leah looked at the phone in surprise. "Charlotte, as in Peter and Charlotte?" she asked Jasper.

"The one and only," Jasper nodded with a huge grin.

"Esme, I know this is poor manners, but would you mind passing the phone to Leah for a minute?" Charlotte asked.

"Of course."

Leah took the phone a little nervously, though she couldn't say what exactly she was nervous about. Maybe just because she knew how much Jasper loved Charlotte and she secretly hoped they could eventually become friends.

While the Cullens tried not to listen in to give Leah some privacy, the wolves were shameless in their eavesdropping. Seth and Paul because they were nosy as hell, and Jared because he knew there was a vamp with red eyes on the other end of the line.

Their conversation wasn't long, it mostly consisted of Charlotte officially welcoming Leah to the family, and Leah handed Esme her phone back with a beaming smile that made Jasper's still and silent heart feel like it was skipping a beat.

Carlisle briefly pulled Jasper aside and gave him his very best dad hug. When he pulled back, he kept his hands on Jasper's shoulders and smiled at him. "This is something I never thought I'd see, and I can't tell you how proud I am in this moment," he said quietly.

Feeling the pride, love, awe, and admiration from his coven leader, Jasper had to blink a couple times. Sometimes he still found it wild, and occasionally overwhelming, that a coven leader who loved the way Carlisle did existed in the world, and that he'd been fortunate enough to land on his doorstep one day in 1950. Rather than answering with words, Jasper loosened his control on his gift and silently let Carlisle feel his love and gratitude.

Perhaps he loosened the reins a little too much, because Paul huffed a few times and glared at him, though it had more amusement than heat behind it. "Rein that shit in before I get all teary-eyed," he snarked.

"Sorry," Jasper laughed as he stepped back to Leah's side and took her hand.

"Ready to do this?" she asked him with a smile.

Jasper looked at Carlisle and Esme for a moment and then nodded at his mate. "Yeah. Let's go."

Carlisle and Esme held their breath as Jasper took a few steps forward and became the very first member of the Cullen family to ever cross the treaty line.