Path Of the Empath: A Twilight fanfic

The disclaimer-I do not own the Twilight series or any of its characters

Chapter 1-Emotions

JPOV:

Oh good lord. I knew that face. It was the party face. I stared into the wild-eyed face of my wife and cringed wondering which one of us was destined for the latest "Event Of The Century". Please don't let it be me.

I had walked out onto the porch of our Washington home when I heard Alice walking up the drive, but now my instinct was to retreat quickly back into the sanctuary of the house before it hit me. The house had been empty all day. Not just void of vampires, but void of their feelings too-which suited me just fine. Edward and Alice had been at school, Carlisle at the hospital, Esme was out shopping with Rose and Emmett was with them. A day with no outside feelings sneaking their way into my body was rare. I had thoroughly enjoyed it. I could tell that the blissfulness of the day was about to expire in a rabid frenzy of party planning. Normally I reveled in the climate of Alice's emotions, but once she started the frenzy the feeling became overwhelming. Of course the frenzy eventually led to a quite pleased, relaxed and accomplished feeling Alice-which led to a pleased, relaxed, accomplished and happy feeling me…but not before the initial impact. As soon as she got one step closer it would happen. I would feel the stress, anticipation and the overdrive of her multi-faceted mind. Our eyes met…

"Jasper! Don't you even think about hiding from me!" she cried out as I tried in vain to close the door quickly. "Today is Bella's birthday, and we have tons to do before she gets here!"

"We should really consider how tons of birthday planning will make Bella feel sweetheart", I tried lamely, bracing myself against the tumult of her feelings-and against the door, with her on the other side of it.

"What is that supposed to mean silly?" Alice looked appalled. "She will absolutely love her birthday party!" the cadence of her voice soothed me, and I relaxed my hold on the door.

"Alice, I know how much you love parties, but I have also felt how Bella feels when she is forced into the spotlight. Trust me. It makes her feel uncomfortable. If she feels uncomfortable, then Edward will feel both uncomfortable and angry. Then he will take it out on you, and you will feel defensive and unappreciated. Then you will fight with him which will cause Esme to be melancholy, and when she is upset-Carlisle gets upset. Of course Rosalie will then act smug, causing Edward to get territorial-causing Emmett to get territorial, and further upsetting Esme and Carlisle. After all of that happens, Bella will look around with her cheeks at full blush and feel terrible for causing us discomfort in our own home-which will start the whole cycle with Edward again. Please, love, don't do this to me", I was trying. I was even fighting dirty, playing on her emotions for my well-being.

It didn't work.

She slipped through the doorway smiling sweeter than any angel in heaven could and kissed my frowning lips. Ooh. She fought dirty too. As soon as I felt her breath and perfect lips I felt the torrent of love. I wasn't sure if it was me that felt it first or if she had and projected it to me. It didn't matter, because now it was bouncing back and forth between us. Each of us feeling it and sending it back at the same time as it grew and spiraled. I was losing both control and the birthday battle. My wife is the most beautiful, sweetest, most conniving, dangerous creature I ever met.

"Ok. What can I do to help this catastrophe along?" I am so weak when it comes to her. As soon as the words were out of my mouth I was flooded again. Emotions were like waves constantly crashing over me. I was used to this, but Alice's party planning and shopping frenzies were like tsunami's and flashfloods. The dizziness I felt was worth the look on her face though. She was like a kid on Christmas.

"I have everything under control, of course. Everyone is on their way home. They are so excited!" she grinned. "Maybe…"

Uh-oh, here it comes.

"…you should go hunting though", she looked more serious, uncomfortable even.

I was surprised as she finished the sentence. I was expecting to be the present wrapper, or balloon blower-upper, or…

Then it hit me. She wasn't letting me bail out of the decorating. She thought I couldn't handle a night in close proximity to Bella. She thought I would slip and accidentally drink the blood of our brother's human girlfriend. The shame for my weakness filled me and she must have felt the intensity of my guilt.

"Oh, Jasper-I didn't mean it like that. Of course I know you can do it. Why make it any harder though?"

"Alice, I would never hurt Bella."

She must have felt the intensity of my determination as well, because she let the topic of hunting drop. We spent the rest of the afternoon pretending she hadn't ever doubted me, while we decorated. After stringing lanterns through the trees, and arranging pink roses on every visible surface we had completely forgotten it.

As the others arrived home they caught wind of my party excitement-which was really Alice's party excitement. The feelings grew exponentially as they became excited and started bouncing it back to me. I want to be aggravated but there is too much positive emotion going on right now. There hasn't been a real birthday in this family in decades. Birthdays tended to become tedious after seventy years or so…especially when there was no actual aging. We had given up the tradition long ago. Besides, not one of us could stomach the idea of a birthday cake. I smiled at the monstrosity of a cake that was being created for one human. Bella had better like cake…or maybe I can convince Emmett that it would make for an excellent food fight…

"Don't you dare!" Alice glared from me to Emmett. Oops. I guess that plan was out…for now.

Emmett just looked confused. Of course he had no idea that in Alice's vision he was the accomplice in my birthday cake war. Of course he would count himself in if he did know. I just smiled and thought very hard about not throwing cake at Emmett and Edward. The future can always change later…