1. TROUBLE

2. CELEBRATION

3. ANNOUNCEMENT

4. SURRENDER

5. PLANS

6. REUNION

7. EVENT

8. ACCEPTED

9. DOWN THE AISLE

10. CHANGE OF PLANS

11. FAMILY

12. FATE

13. UNEXPLAINED

14. HUNT

15. ALONE

16. GONE

17. WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING

18. SLEEP

19. PEACE

20. HOME

jasper

1. TROUBLE

I SUPPOSED I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT EDWARD WOULD BE ANGRY. JACOB certainly should have known. As much as I admired -- often even coveted -- my brother's self-control, he was not without his shortcomings. My mind flashed briefly to the weekend seven years ago when he had whisked the then-human Bella away to Jacksonville to see her mother -- taken her practically against her will to one of the sunniest places in the country -- simply to keep her out of Victoria's way when Alice had seen that the vengeful vampire might try to attack. I snorted at the thought of Victoria, skillful at evasion as she may have been, slipping through our grasp. Through my grasp. I was nothing if not strategic. I sighed. Over-protective Edward. The best of intentions, but Bella, and now Renesmee, had to get exasperated at his almost ridiculous ultimatums at times.

I caught Edward's glare out of the corner of my eye. He read my thoughts with annoyance before turning back to glower, stone-faced, at the hapless Jacob. I turned and headed up the stairs to mine and Alice's room. I hoped I was out of Edward's distracted "hearing."

"Hi," Alice smiled as she looked up at me from the floor. She had spread a half dozen magazines out on the carpet in front of her and was making mental alterations to a number of designer gowns.

"Who are those ones for?" I asked warily, "If you give Bella another ball gown we may have to move in with Tanya -- I don't know that even I will be able to keep her calm."

"Oh, she'll be fine," Alice waved me off nonchalantly, "Carlisle and Esme's anniversary is coming up, and I'm sure Bella isn't going to buy something suitable for herself." She snorted at the idea. Even this noise, even for our kind, was the most melodic and musical sound -- like the tinkling of silver wind chimes.

I chuckled and folded myself down on the floor next to her in resignation.

"How is it going downstairs? Is Jacob still alive? I can't tell, you know, but as I haven't heard any howls of agony, I assume he's still breathing." Her perfect brow furrowed in irritation for the briefest moment. I knew she was still annoyed that she couldn't see the werewolves with her gifted vision. Such an amazing gift, it seemed silly to get irritated at this small imperfection. But for Alice, I knew, it truly was a second sight. She counted on her vision almost as much as her eye-sight. It was one of her senses, like smelling or hearing. Believing that it was flawed, more flawed than she had once supposed, left her feeling slightly impaired. As though she were near-sighted. I suppressed a smile. Alice didn't like it when I tried to make her feel better about her "limitations." Quickly her porcelain face relaxed again and she looked back at me, flashing the brilliant smile I loved. Even after all this time, she still took my breath away. Good thing I didn't need breath...

"Oh, Jacob's still trying to explain, but Edward's not having it. It's too bad Bella's hunting with Esme right now -- you know she's the only one who can reason with him when he gets like this. Honestly, like a motorcycle could hurt Renesmee..." I trailed off, trying to imagine how Edward felt. Well, I knew how he felt. My own "gift" allowed me to feel the tenor and emotions of individuals, of situations. I knew he was worried, furious, incredulous... I tried to reason why he felt this way. Though Renesmee was his only daughter -- and chronologically only six years old -- biologically she was almost an adult. She now looked to be around twenty, or late teens at the youngest. And when you factored in the impenetrable skin and super-human reflexes she had inherited from her father, I really didn't see how Edward could fear for her safety from something as trifling as a motorcycle.

"Well, he won't listen to me," I said, shrugging, "I tried to intercede on Jacob's behalf, but Edward wouldn't hear it. 'This is my only daughter, we're talking about, Jasper!'" I mimicked his steely voice, glowering down at the giggling Alice, "'My child...' " I rolled my eyes.

"--As if it wasn't bad enough that you imprinted on my daughter while she was practically still in the womb! Now you want to go gallivanting off across the treaty line to teach her to ride a - a - " Edward's shouts drifted up to us, even through the closed bedroom door. Not that it would have made a difference if he hadn't been bellowing in fury. As a vampire I probably could have heard him whispering. I sighed; as usual Edward's generally fraternal regards for Jacob were inexplicably absent when he was in a temper.

"You know the treaty line's not an issue," Jacob mumbled, "Sam wouldn't care

if--"

"Do you remember what happened when you took Bella on that piece of twisted metal? Stitches, concussions --"

"You know Renesmee can't get hurt --" This was the wrong thing to say. I assumed Jacob realized it. I heard his breath catch, but it was too late.

"Can't get hurt?!" Edward repeated at top volume. "We still don't know what she can and can't do, Jacob! We haven't heard from Nahuel since the Volturi were here! Who knows what will and won't kill her! Maybe I should ask him back to explain things..." He added cruelly.

"I think that's a little -- it wouldn't kill -- I'd never put her in danger --" Jacob stuttered to defend himself.

"Well, let's see how it will turn out," Alice said, closing her striking eyes for a moment and pressing her satin hands against her temples. I looked at her, amused. Always in everyone else's business, as Rosalie had accused earlier today. Rosalie and Jacob had been souping up Bella's old motorcycle from her human days. Bella had insisted Jacob hold on to it (I was sure for nostalgic reasons as much as for her professed reason: that Jacob had put so much time and energy into it that he should benefit from his labor.). I could read how attached she was to what the bike symbolized. Although remembering the time that Edward had left her "for her own good" (Alice had told him it was a mistake, but Edward always thought he knew best...) made her extremely forlorn, the blackest I had ever felt her be, her time with Jacob and the motorcycle represented something important to her. A time when danger -- this kind at least -- was a sport. A reckless and stupid game to play. It meant youth and friendship and her Jacob and her humanity. Parts of her previous existence that she did not want to lose.

Jacob and Rosalie had bonded, for however short a period, over the only other thing they had in common besides Renesmee. Both Jacob and Rosalie were infatuated with all things automotive. I could never really understand it myself. I knew my way around a car as well as any mechanic, perhaps better than most mechanics -- certainly better than that Dowling here in Forks, I thought to myself. But the overwhelming draw of an Italian sports car or sleek new BMW for any reason other than speed eluded me. Sure, they looked nice. Sure, motorcycles were fast. But few of them were faster than I was. Or, I thought grudgingly, at least not faster than Edward was.

Rosalie and Jacob, however, had put their seldom-deterred loathing for one another aside for a few days to prepare Renesmee's birthday present. They had added some much-needed mass to the body of the little Honda, seriously increased the ability of the engine, and given it a brand new shiny bronze paint job. The custom-color just hinted at the red hue it had been under Bella's possession, but shone almost the exact shade of bronze as Renesmees's hair in the light. Rosalie and Jacob had been very proud of themselves, their feelings toward one another almost fraternal. That is, until Alice's voice had echoed out our window and into the open garage that Edward would be home from Charlie's soon and would be furious at their intended gift. Rosalie had muttered back that Edward was being ridiculous, but she seemed to know the truth of Alice's words. She had blithely strode off into the forest, muttering disparaging remarks about our brother's unreasonableness until she was out of earshot, and, I imagined, out of Edward's immediate range of thought-reading. Jacob, however, had chosen to stay. Whether out of defiance or disbelief, I wasn't sure, though I wondered at anyone who would question Alice. She may not always be right, but only a fool would bet against Alice.

Sure enough, Edward had arrived moments later and immediately read the guilty pictures in Jacob's mind. It was lucky -- or perhaps unlucky, as Jacob had put so much work into the gift now -- that Edward had been away for so long. First in Alaska making arrangements for Carlisle and Esme's anniversary celebration (we were including Tanya, her sister Kate, and Kate's new mate Garrett, and Carmen and Eleazar in the festivities), and then over at Charlie's checking in on the final set-up for Renesmee's birthday party. Edward had been gone nearly a week, which had given Rosalie and Jacob the time they needed to work on the gift without him knowing anything about their plans. From the slightly guilty air I had felt sliding off Rosalie all week, I was sure she had timed this purposefully. With Jacob I couldn't tell. The thought that Edward might not approve had either not occurred to him, or it was simply overpowered by his confidence that the center of his universe would enjoy the present. Certainly if he had thought Renesmee would like the motorcycle, he would not have cared much what Edward would think, or what trouble he might get into. Renesmee's happiness was paramount.

And so Edward had launched furiously into one of his many tirades about Jacob's irresponsibility and, though I thought it was below the belt, unsuitability for his only child. When I heard him snarl out Nahuel's name the first time, the only male half-vampire in existence, to our knowledge, I had decided I would step in. I didn't think Edward would truly ever let Renesmee run off into the jungle half a world away with Nahuel, however angry he might be with Jacob, and I was sure Bella preferred the union between her best friend and her daughter to that of a stranger, no matter how unorthodox that union might be. But I could feel the intense pain, very nearly panic, rolling off Jacob's large frame in waves as Edward's words summoned up one of his darkest fears. Jacob would not survive without Renesmee.

"Now, Edward," I had said soothingly. I was contemplating whether or not the situation warranted some physical soothing as well. I knew my brother would be even more furious with me once the artificial calm wore off if I did "control" the situation. I decided to try words first. "You know Jacob would never let anything happen to Renesmee. He's almost as protective as you are about her -- "

"Stay out of this, Jasper!" Edward had snapped, a low snarl building in his chest. I glanced at Jacob. He was studying his feet, but my words seemed to have bolstered his confidence. The feelings of pain were ebbing away, a rebellious defiance replacing them. I thought of Edward's overprotectiveness for the ones he loved; those who, unlike the rest of us, had once truly needed his protection. Maybe it was impossible to erase the feeling that these people needed looking-after, needed his constant supervision. Surely Bella's nearly-devastating clumsiness had warranted his paternal watchfulness. I cringed internally at the memory of her eighteenth birthday, where I had nearly ripped her throat out when I smelled the irresistible scent of the single drop of blood that oozed from her paper cut. I had been good for so long, and yet even now I was sure that the smell of a drop of human blood would send me into that same frenzied bloodlust. It was a good thing Charlie wasn't as clumsy as his daughter. I might have had to stay home tonight... Renesmee, on the other hand, had never so much as fallen down. Granted there was the constant surveillance of six ever-watchful vampires and a pack or two of very careful werewolves to ensure she was never injured, but I doubted she could be injured by anything other than the same species that protected her. I was almost certain that only a vicious werewolf or a hostile vampire could leave a scratch on her creamy skin. Certainly running into a tree or a boulder, even at top speeds, would only damage the landscape. Renesmee would walk away unscathed, just as we would. Edward knew that, but there was always that slight anxiety within him. We just didn't know everything about Renesmee. There were others like her, but they were far away and we had been unable to contact them for years. Still, the odds that she could be so easily damaged, so human, were slim to none. Edward was her father though, I conceded, and so I had left Jacob with his renewed sense of entitlement to wait out the confrontation with my universe. My Alice.

"Hmm. Let's see." Alice repeated. She opened her eyes and smiled brightly. Her nightingale's voice trilled a merry laugh. "It will be all right. Bella will set everything straight, as usual. And I'm sure Renesmee's going to be thrilled!" She laughed again. I took her hand and held it between both of my own.

"Always in everyone else's business," I repeated with a chuckle. She smiled back at me and kissed just above my left eyebrow. I leaned in and kissed her lips gently. Smooth, satin lips, still curved in a smile. She leaned her head against my shoulder, her tiny hand still in mine.

"So what are we doing for our anniversary, Major Whitlock?" She asked coyly, tracing one of the many battle scars on my arm with her finger. I rolled my eyes. Not only was our anniversary months away (although it was our fiftieth, so the occasion warranted some advanced planning), but it was impossible to surprise Alice. I'd only managed it a few times in the half-century we had been together, and it was only through very last-minute decisions. They were never the best gifts, not the most thoughtful, obviously. I wished, just for once, she would let me actually plan something...

"As if you don't know," I snorted.

"Oh, Cancun! I've got the perfect bikini! Dior. And we haven't seen the ruins in ages!" She chattered excitedly, "It's lucky that private beach will be available! Remember the last time when we decided to go during hurricane season so we could stay at the Club Med?" She laughed at the memory of our disastrous vacation. Although the sheeting rain and gale-force winds didn't bother us, it would have been a little conspicuous if two tourists had been lounging by the pool in the middle of Hurricane Bonita. We had been stuck inside the hotel room most of the trip. Not that I minded that...

I could feel her sincere enthusiasm and was glad that I knew her well enough to orchestrate something she'd like, even if I couldn't surprise her. She looked up at me mischievously through her jet black lashes. "And you'll never guess what I found at that little boutique on the Champs Elysée! I've been saving it for months!" She winked at me, and streaked away to the enormous closet before I could coerce her into showing me the -- no doubt irresistibly scandalous -- lingerie she had stashed away. There were times when I longed for the chivalry and demureness of the era in which I was raised; the "Yes, ma'am,"s and holding doors and elegant floor-length skirts... This was not one of those times.

"Why do I have to be the only one that's ever surprised?" I asked her in mock anger, striding across the room and feigning a tug on the heavy closet doors she had closed behind her.

"There!" She said in smug satisfaction, throwing open the doors. "You won't find them now!"

"Them?" I faked a groan. I knew she was right though. Even if I had the heart to ruin her surprise, she would know where I would look. The lingerie would not be unveiled for another nine months, three weeks, four days, and a handful of hours...

"Uh-oh," Alice smiled, another mischievous pixie-grin. She turned her beautiful face expectantly in the direction of the stairway. Then she looked back at me with her head tilted to one side, as though she were preparing to eavesdrop, "Bella's home."