It was late Saturday morning, and Charlie was flipping pancakes.

Bella sat at the dining table, watching her father as he hummed to himself, one eye on the sizzling pan, and the other on the local news in the living room.

Rubbing at her face, Bella could only sit there, cupping the mug of coffee before her. She was only mildly hungover from half the bottle of wine she had downed the night before. If you didn't drink consistently, your body easily reverted to the understanding that alcohol was poison, and punished you accordingly.

"You know," Charlie said, coming around with a steaming three-stack, "you used to dip these in a bowl of maple syrup. I don't think you ever really cared for the pancakes." As if to emphasize, he placed a plastic bottle of syrup right beside the plate. "I remember when Renee spent an entire morning getting syrup out of your hair."

"My sweet tooth was outrageous," Bella agreed quietly, pulling at the plate, letting the comforting smell of her childhood waft up around her in a warm embrace.

Charlie returned to the kitchen, immediately measuring out a new batch of batter for the pan. Bella didn't cut into her cakes, only admired them as they sat before her, her eyes journeying back and forth between them and her father.

"Dad," she said, "can we do this tomorrow as well?"

Charlie chuckled. "First you tell me to eat plant bacon, and now you're saying we should eat another stick of butter tomorrow?"

"Yes," Bella said simply, smiling down at her coffee.

Charlie flipped the pancake, nearly missing it with the pan. "How about we make a deal?"

"I'm listening."

"You make an appointment with one of those clinics on the fridge, and I'll make us waffles tomorrow."

Bella didn't let her smile falter. "Deal. I'll even throw in something extra. How about I watch the game with you tonight?"

"It starts at five," Charlie warned. "You better be home by then."

And suddenly, Bella lost all of her appetite. But she grabbed her fork, popped open the lid to her maple syrup, and forced herself to eat anyway.

Jasper wasn't happy. He wasn't happy when Bella came through the door to his study, and he wasn't happy when she sat before him as she had yesterday. Whenever Alice wasn't looking, his eyes betrayed his displeasure.

Of course, she had no reason to be here. In fact, insisting to be in Alice's presence was the exact opposite of what she should be doing. After their conversation last night, she doubted he expected her to appear in his study today.

Rightfully, Jasper Whitlock was discontent with all of this.

And it didn't get better when Bella retrieved the Tome from the same spot on the bookshelf. Every step she took, every move she made, his eyes were on her. Wary, cautious, and uneasy.

Now, as she sat before him and flipped through the thick pages of the Vampiric Tome, she asked, "Which section did you say it was?"

The question wasn't directed at him.

"Litigation," Alice answered brightly, fingers tapping away at her phone as she lingered by the curtains behind Jasper. She then cut by the desk towards the bookshelves, leaning against one of them as she scrutinized whatever it was on her screen. "The third clause will detail the call to trial."

Bella located the section, finger pausing on the paragraphs outlining the various clauses under Litigation. "It says here that the right to trial is protected."

"Meaning," Alice explained pointedly, "an individual who seeks a trial will be permitted one regardless of any active obligations." She looked up from her phone, grinning at Jasper. "So, Mr. Whitlock is free to pursue his trip to Volterra if he has a cause for trial."

"And he would have a cause," Bella murmured, turning her head to Alice. "You said Maria could nullify Jasper's sentence. How?"

It was Jasper who abruptly replied, "The fourth clause."

They were the first words she heard from his mouth today.

Bella read further down the page, and then flipped it over to reveal a section titled: Nullification. "How many years would Maria have been sentenced to if she had been caught initially?"

"Three-hundred years," Jasper said swifty, as if the thought was always shallow in his brain, always on the surface. "I would have gotten two-hundred, as her second-in-command. And the five others that were caught and tried would have gotten one-hundred each. Instead, her sentence was split among all six of us."

"Six of you?"

"Maria's army was substantial, but only six were captured. Myself, and the five subordinates who were with me."

Bella hadn't dug too deep into Jasper's past with the territorial wars. He wasn't forthcoming on a lot of things, but he receded deeper into himself whenever Maria was mentioned. The topic was rarely breached between them.

"So by turning her in, your sentence would automatically be reduced by fifty years?" Bella asked.

"Correct," Alice chimed in happily. "But that is only the Nullification clause. Continue, and you should find the section on Good Will Reduction."

Bella found it, and the paragraph listed the merits of maintaining good behavior within the law leading to sentence re-evaluations, possibly shortening the time served. There was also mention of contributing to the justice system, which also came with a reward in terms of reduced servitude.

This was why Alice had mentioned that Maria would be punished heavily for her evasion of the law. If Jasper brought Maria to justice, he would reap the benefits of her additional sentencing.

Bella quickly concluded, "Jasper would not only have fifty years forgiven, but his sentence would be reduced by half the years Maria will serve if sentenced today."

"We do reward those who snitch," Alice crooned.

"And… would that be enough to completely forgive his sentence?"

"Yes," Alice said with a determined nod.

"Maybe," Jasper objected. "We can only predict the amount of years Maria would get tacked on for her evasion. And she has the right to defend herself in the trial, possibly leading to a reduction of years."

"We don't need to predict anything," Alice said with a slow, feline smile. "I've already seen it. It's your problem if you don't trust my visions."

He didn't trust her, period. And rightfully so.

"But given the evasion penalty," Alice continued, "I believe that the math would still work out in your favor."

Bella stared down at the page, feeling the weight of the entirety of vampiric law upon her lap. "This is brilliant." Her eyes rose to Jasper, who was watching her intently. "You must call for a trial."

Jasper continued to stare towards her—through her—for a moment too long before he peeled the top-most paper from a stack before him, and set it to the side. He examined a document quietly, then flipped it over, regarding the one beneath.

"Jasper," Bella insisted. "This is what you've wanted."

"Jasper," Alice emphasized disapprovingly, "wants to know every detail of Maria's journey to Italy, and he wants a day-by-day analysis on the impending trial. Again, he doesn't trust my visions." She looked up from her phone. "As benevolent as I am, of course I'll get him all the information he requires to feel… comfortable."

"You don't need to do any of that." Bella was watching Jasper, and then she turned to Alice. "You told me yourself that it was in Jasper's nature to put things on paper. That's all you need. An agreement."

Jasper's look of warning was there one moment, and gone the next as Alice repeated with intrigue, "An agreement."

"Yes," Bella said, giving Jasper a small smile. "You still have ours, don't you?"

There was the rumble of a drawer, and the piece of paper depicting their contract appeared on Jasper's desk. His hand rested on it, right over his handwriting, pushing it towards her with one sharp movement.

From where Bella sat, she could see their signatures on the blood contract. "Something just like this, I imagine."

Alice strolled closer, finally placing her phone into her jean pocket. And when she spoke, there was a certain soberness and maturity in her tone that Bella rarely heard. "The human makes a great point. Yes—why not just bind me to a contract, Jasper? What is this if not a simple transaction between us?"

Jasper rubbed at his jaw. "How can you guarantee that you can get Maria to court?"

"That's for me to worry about, isn't it?" Alice grinned, nodding at his desk. "Draft it."

Jasper remained staring at her. "State your terms."

Alice stood a few paces by Bella, arms crossed. "You submit your request for trial today, and be in court to receive your package by the end of this week."

"You're telling me that you can get Maria to Italy in the next few days?"

"I'm telling you exactly that." Alice's eyes darted to the blood contract. "Let's say… Thursday. The twenty-second of March. I expect you to receive her then."

Jasper immediately leaned back in his chair, expression unreadable. "Not this week."

"I have her cornered," Alice said smoothly. "I don't know if I'll be able to keep her for another week."

"Tear her apart. She can't run without legs."

Alice only smiled. "You'd love to see that wouldn't you? No. It has to be this week."

"I can't leave until Carlisle returns."

Alice began to move around the room once more. "Carlisle cannot object. Your right to trial is protected."

"Yes," Bella added quickly, fingers stiff as she closed the Tome. "And your obligation to Carlisle would be deemed irrelevant the moment your sentence is forgiven." She glanced at Alice. "This is… quite generous of you."

But Alice was hardly paying any mind to her. Her blazing red eyes were trained on Jasper, and there was a silent battle raging between them.

"Naturally," Alice eventually said with a smirk towards Bella, "it is only the right thing to do, isn't it?" She sauntered closer to the desk and planted two palms upon it. "And if I can't get Maria to court by Thursday, you can drag me there yourself for violation of our agreement." She nodded again, nudging her chin towards the papers on his desk. "Draft it."

Jasper didn't move. "State, clearly, the terms of trade."

Alice nodded graciously, lips curled, and wicked. "I, Alice Volturi Cullen, will ensure Maria Rivera's appearance at the Court of Volturi, Volterra, on Thursday, March 22nd, 2022 for the reassessment of the Southern Territorial Trials of 1870." She cocked her head to the side, and then added, "You, Jasper Whitlock, will be present at the Court of Volturi, Volterra, on Thursday, March 22nd, 2022 as Maria Rivera's recipient."

Jasper didn't miss a beat. "State the terms of termination."

"I don't believe we need one," Alice said.

But his eyes narrowed. "So you're confident you'll be able to get Maria there."

Alice pushed off of the desk, and pulled out her phone. "That's why I don't believe we need one."

"There should always be terms of termination," Jasper argued. "Mutual agreement of dissolution, at the very least."

"Are you not confident you'll be able to get to Volterra, Jasper?" Alice purred, turning to him. "I'd be happy to loan you the Cullen jet."

If Jasper didn't appear at court by the date specified in their contract, he could face another sentencing, given he would be in violation of their agreement. It only made sense that they should dictate an agreed method of contract termination.

"Mutual agreement of dissolution," Jasper repeated. "Or nothing."

Alice easily assented. "Deal."

But Jasper didn't move to draft the contract. His gaze fell on his desk, and then made a round around the study. He was looking at anywhere but Bella.

And then there was the sound of paper, and scratching. Bella blinked as her vision blurred, but it was only Jasper, moving at an incomprehensible speed.

Merely seconds later, two new pieces of paper appeared on the desk. From where Bella sat, she couldn't make out the words, but the structure of the script seemed very similar to that of their blood contract. The two new documents looked identical, and Bella realized that this was how it should normally work for any law-binding agreement. Both parties should have a copy of the contract, and if the terms to dissolve the contract had to be based on mutual agreement, both copies would need to be destroyed.

Alice appeared before the desk yet again and swiftly grabbed a pen. With a grand flourish, she penned her signature on both documents. Pushing the contracts forward, she said, "Your turn."

Bella could practically see the gears turning in Jasper's head, working in overdrive as his eyes darted between the two contracts. She hated that he was in this position—that she had put him in this position—but this was a necessary step.

Yes, this was a necessary step. But Jasper wouldn't understand that she needed him to have this guarantee. She couldn't live with herself if he didn't.

But it pained her, still, to see his shoulders fall. The tension in his muscles released, but it was in defeat. A pen in his hand, he flipped the papers around to face him, and signed.

When Bella looked for Alice, she was at the back of the room, on her phone, typing away with speed that could barely be perceived by the human eye. It was a miracle that the technology could keep up.

Bella got up, avoiding Jasper's prying eyes, because now he couldn't seem to look away from her as she returned the Vampiric Tome to its place.

"How lovely," Alice noted, "that Carlisle will get to be there for your retrial." She glanced up from her phone, thumbs hovering. "Give me your request for the hearing, and I can have it delivered to Demetri by tonight."

Bella approached Jasper's desk, eying the two identical contracts. To their right rested her blood contract—the one with her and Jasper's signatures. She reached for it, but Jasper's hand landed on hers before she could grab it.

She dared to meet his eyes, and it felt like he was staring into her soul. The hardness of his expression chilled her, but she gave him a smile as she tugged her hand free and peeled their contract from the desk. She saw Jasper's familiar script, and the creases of the paper from when she'd had it folded in her pocket. She remembered the first time she had sat on his desk when he demonstrated the bite—when he showed her what she had to give for what she wanted to receive.

As she read the words again, as her eyes traced Jasper's looping signature, she asked, "Could you light the candle?"

"Bella."

The warning was clear, and Jasper shouldn't have given it.

Bella only turned her head back towards Alice. "I don't think it's appropriate for us to be bound by a blood contract anymore." She dragged her attention back to Jasper, who didn't hide the wrinkle of incredulity on his brow. "I've learned enough. And with Edward back soon, with the wedding looming… it's just not right to continue this arrangement." Her head flicked back to Alice. "Don't you agree?"

Alice's knowing gaze darted to Jasper. And after a long moment, she said, "Of course, I agree. Edward would adore your utmost devotion."

"And I can't give that to him if I'm going behind his back. I can't be his mate unless I commit wholly," Bella said. "I need to be done with this."

Jasper's jaw worked, tensing and releasing. "You have the right to end it."

Alice then laughed. "Ah, yes. Such ridiculously loose terms of termination."

Bella folded the contract neatly, adhering to the previous creases. "The candle, Jasper."

It was only a breath later that the wick of the tall, white candle at the corner of the desk ignited with a flame. The smell of smoke from the match Jasper had produced wafted through the air.

And then, without an ounce of hesitation, Bella held their contract to the flame. Jasper plucked it from her when the fire consumed most of it, before it could start to burn her skin. And Bella watched as the paper continued to crumble to ash in his hands, the fire licking his palm in search of further destruction, but meeting resistance against hardened flesh. Jasper curled his fingers shut, extinguishing the flame completely.

And then Bella flinched when she realized that Alice was standing right at her side.

Her head was cocked as she regarded Bella with a small smile that failed to reach her crimson, bloody eyes. "What is your game, girl?"

"There is no game, Alice."

"Why the change of heart?"

"Not a change of heart, but acceptance." She nodded at her, forcing her stare to remain steady. "I understand my fate."

It was Jasper who demanded with tempered fury, "Do you?"

Did he realize that his hands were clenched into fists on his desk? Bella let her gaze fall fondly on his knuckles, wishing she could reach forward and grab them in reassurance. But she only smiled as best as she could.

"Thank you," she told him softly, eyes rising to meet his, "for all that you have taught me."

And then, with her heart pounding, Bella navigated around Alice, and headed for the door.

A/N: Bella, Bella, Bella...

Thank you for reading!

~blu