I don't own Twilight

A Sacrifice

Chapter one

Jasper laid on the bed in his hotel room. Alice laid snuggled into his side with her head on his chest while he played with her hair. Whatever she had seen had saddened her and he didn't like it.

He tenderly kissed her hair and held her a little tighter sending her his calm. He always did this after particularly bad visions. He gave her his calm and she gave him her happiness. She was the happiest person he knew and her joy eased his battle weary, guilt ridden heart.

She had saved him and he wished he could give her more. The calm he gave after the visions, his unwavering loyalty, his protection, and his affection. It wasn't enough, it wasn't all she wanted but he just couldn't love her the way she wished.

He admired her, he had great affection for her, he even desired her but love eluded him. He suspected he wasn't capable of giving her that kind of love. The kind Esme and Carlisle displayed, deep, mature, understanding each other without having to speak. The kind Rose and Emmett had, playful, passionate and fiercely devoted. The kind Edward and Bella …. He stopped his thoughts there he didn't like to think of Edward and Bella.

Even now he could smell Bella in the room across from theirs. He knew she was crying, her fear and guilt almost choked out Alice's emotions which were almost a mirror of Bella's. He wanted to go to Bella and comfort her but his place was beside Alice. Her vision had to be pretty bad for her emotions to turn into such turmoil.

Alice sighed heavily and sat up. Jasper watched her, waiting for her to explain the vision. She kept her back to him and stared at the door.

"Bella was going to be the best friend I ever had." She whispered in a voice filled with melancholy.

Jasper couldn't hold back his growl. He felt his chest tighten at the mention of Bella. Was something going to happen to the girl? Is that what Alice saw? He clenched his fist and started to rise intent on going across the hall to stay with Bella and protect her. Alice's voice stopped him.

"You can go to her Jazz but give me a minute?" She whispered looking up at him her eyes huge in her pixie face. His heart warred with in him. He needed to protect Bella but Alice had saved him…

"Just a minute." Alice whispered again and Jasper melted he gathered her in his arms and hugged her tightly. He let her go when she pushed against his chest.

"You need to let me breath so I can speak." She told him with a musical giggle. He smiled at her. This was why he married her, why he was so devoted to her. Even now when guilt and fear were nearly consuming her she was able to feel little moments of happiness. He needed her but he didn't deserve her.

"I saw my past…" Alice said her eyes losing that sparkle she had moments ago. He wished it would come back.

She smiled at him sadly. "Maybe I didn't remember my past because it was too much with my visions…" She trailed off again then shook her head.

"James stalked me, I had visions as a human but they were harder to sort. They were blurry and I often read them wrong. My parents thought me insane and sent me to the sanitarium. They did things to me there…" She stopped and shuddered. Jasper wanted to wrap her up in his arms, protect her from the memories. She continued on before he could.

"James met me there. He became obsessed with me. An older vampire worked there. I never learned his name. He changed me to protect me from James." Alice said her eyes had a faraway look.

"This is all my fault. James recognized me out there and is going after Bella because he was denied me." She said her head hanging in shame and guilt.

Jasper put a finger under her chin and lifted her face. He made her look at him. "It's not your fault. Men like James like a challenge. Bella is protected by a powerful coven. If he can get her it will make him feel strong. Nothing is going to happen to you or Bella. I won't let it." He told her with conviction.

Alice smiled sadly. "Promise me you will help Bella through what is going to come." It was more of a demand than a request but Jasper had no problem nodding his head in acquiescence. He already felt very protective of her, something about her called to him. How many times had Alice held him back when he would have rushed to her defense? He knew he had to let Edward protect her but his instincts screamed at him to not let any harm come to her.

Alice leaned forward and kissed him passionately. Jasper returned the kiss and deepened it his hand running over her shoulders and down her arm. He shouldn't have been thinking about Bella, Alice needed him. Alice groaned lightly and pushed him away.

"I would like nothing more than to stay here and make love to you but we have things to do if we are to save our family and Bella." She said leaning her forehead against his.

Jasper smirked lightly at her. He knew how much she loved and wanted him. He tried not to feel guilty that he didn't feel as deeply for her. She swore he made her happy and what he felt was enough. He just needed to trust her.

"Go to Bella. She needs comfort right now. I need…I have something to do. I won't be back… till tomorrow night. " She told him leaving his arms.

Jasper grabbed her. She was lying…Alice never lied to him. He frowned but didn't want to come out and accuse her of lying.

"Please Jasper. I need to do this. Everything will work out as it should." She said her eyes determined.

Jasper didn't let go. Something was wrong and he didn't like it. His instincts were screaming at him that she was in danger.

"You need to keep Bella safe. You're the only one who can do it." She told him with conviction.

It was Bella in danger? He looked toward the door and loosened his hold on her, unconsciously stepping toward the door. He felt Alice sadden and looked back at her.

She forced a smile and patted him on the shoulder. "It will all be alright." Jasper hesitated, his devotion to Alice warred with his worry for Bella. Finally worry won out and he turned away from Alice. His hand was on the doorknob when Alice spoke again.

"You're a good man Jasper Whitlock. Don't doubt it." She whispered.

He looked back at her and smiled. She made him feel good. He hadn't felt like he could be a good person till he met her. He felt Alice's love and sadness grow and he took a step toward her before changing his mind and heading out the door.

Bella heard the knock on her door and wiped her eyes quickly before answering it. She opened the door to a softly smiling Jasper. She looked down to avoid his gaze. It wasn't only a sorry attempt to hide her tear swollen eyes, she was also trying to hide her reaction to Jasper.

All vampires were gorgeous. Carlisle looked like an angel, Edward was perfection personified, Emmett was the epitome of boyish charm coupled with rugged manliness. Jasper…he was sinfully dangerous and sexy. He made her heart race when she looked at him, so she avoided looking at him. Edward couldn't read her thoughts but he could hear her heart. The last thing she needed was Edward finding out just how much Jasper made her heart speed up.

She felt a gentle hand brush her tearstained cheeks. She shivered at the feel of him and pulled away. "Your hands are cold." She told him as she walked back to the bed and sat cross legged in the middle. She really hoped he couldn't read her emotions because they ran wild around him. She doubted he believed her shiver was just from his cold hands.

She pushed her hair behind her ear and licked her lips, trying to gather her strength. She loved Edward more than anything but Jasper…Jasper made her want to lose control, made her want to do things she had only read about.

"What…" She stopped and cleared her throat embarrassed at the way she squeaked. "Did you need something?" Why was he here? Alice usually didn't let him leave her side. They were practically glued at the hip. Bella really didn't blame her. The girls at school talked about Edward because he was free but if Jasper was free she had no doubt that he would be top of the list as the most wanted guy at Forks high. She suppressed a giggle at her rhyme and it turned it into a snort.

She looked up at Jasper embarrassed. Why did she act like such a schoolgirl around him? When she was with Edward she was mature and dignified. Jasper made her feel...girly.

Jasper cocked his head to the side and started to grin. That grin turned into a full blown smile and Bella had to close her eyes. She was sure she would be blinded if she continued to look at him.

"Alice had a vision and told me I needed to stay with you." He told her. The embarrassment quickly left, replaced by fear.

"What was the vision?" She asked noticing his smile was completely gone.

"She didn't tell me. She only said she had to do something and wouldn't be back till tomorrow night. Then she told me I had to stay with you and keep you safe." He told her before going to stand midway between the door and window. His eyes turned toward the window and he didn't look back at her.

Bella wondered what she had done wrong. She didn't know Jasper well. She had talked to him the least. Partly because of Alice's need to have all his attention on her…Bella looked down why was she thinking such thoughts about her best friend? She felt disloyal and decided to not think of the man standing in her motel room.

Bella got herself under the covers and turned off the light beside the bed. Jasper didn't move, he stood there like a statue guarding her. He did kind of make her feel safe…'Stop it Bella!' She told herself.

Determinedly she turned her thoughts to Edward. He was out there right now tracking down James and his coven. Risking his life for her. Fear started to build again but she fought it. Edward would be alright. He would able to read James mind if he got close to him.

Edward was going to find James, he would take care of the threat and Bella could go back home and the Cullens would be safe. She repeated that to herself again and again, trying to keep her fear contained.

She looked over at Jasper finally, unable to sleep and the fear rising again. She should trust Edward, he was a powerful vampire…but he hadn't seemed powerful on that baseball field. He had seemed scared and angry. He had explained his reaction and how it had ultimately put her in more danger.

Bella had forgiven him but couldn't help looking at the man standing in her room gazing out her window. Would he have reacted the same? Would he have let a vampire look at Alice the way James had looked at her? Would he have intimidated James, bullied him into backing off? Looking at the man in the moonlight she could believe he would be able to frighten James off. Edward hadn't been able to his growls had only made James determined to hunt her.

Would Jasper have let James go free? Free to hunt her and her family? Somehow Bella didn't think so. She wasn't really blood thirsty but she couldn't help but think they all would have been better off if they had taken James and his coven out on that field instead of allowing them to run. Edward was supposed to be very fast. Why hadn't he ran after James?

Bella chastised herself for her uncharitable thoughts. Edward's first concern was protecting her. Bella shivered slightly feeling vulnerable. She looked over at Jasper and found him looking at her. She licked her lips and gave him a nervous smile.

"Can…can you come sit with me?" She invited hoping he would say yes. She didn't want to be alone. Jasper looked out the window one more time and Bella thought he might refuse.

"You would be able to hear from here too." She grimaced at the sound of her voice. She sounded weak and whiney.

Jasper didn't say anything but came over to the bed. He sat against the headboard and pulled his long legs on to her bed. Bella moved a little so she wouldn't be touching him. Touching him would be dangerous. Not that he would want her…not when he had Alice.

"Wouldn't it be better to change me? James wouldn't be able to hurt me if I was a vampire." Bella said quietly, finally voicing her thoughts. She hadn't said it to Edward. For some reason she was scared of his reaction to such a request. Edward hated being a vampire and wouldn't want her to be 'cursed' with it.

"The change takes three days of excruciating pain while the venom changes you. You would be vulnerable during that time and it would be harder to hide you." Jasper said. Bella was somewhat glad she got him talking to her.

"But if we went somewhere remote till it was over. The family could guard me while I changed. James wouldn't go against all of you." Bella reasoned.

"What about your family? We would have to fake your death…you are awfully young." Jasper said turning to look at her.

"I…My mom has her own life now and Charlie has always had his own life." Bella said a little sadly. They had never felt like a family. She had never felt cared for by either of them. She didn't resent them but how much would they really care?

"I don't know your mother but I have seen Charlie around town and I have felt his emotions toward you. I think you underestimate his love for you." Jasper told her.

Bella was a little surprised by his words. Charlie loved her? They rarely talked. He wasn't a bad father but he really didn't show his love. Jasper would be an expert on emotions though wouldn't he? He was an empath.

"I missed my family after I was changed. You should get as much time with them as you can. I would give anything to taste my mother's cornbread. Hear my sister laugh. Watch my father bow his head solemnly to say grace before dinner." Jasper had a faraway look in his eyes and Bella watched him in awe very curious about his life before. According to Alice he was older than all of them except for Carlisle.

"Once you're turned you will have to distance yourself from them. Humans knowing about vampires is dangerous." Jasper told her.

"Why?" Bella asked. Edward had hinted at danger but he had been vague and wouldn't tell her the specific dangers.

"There is a coven of vampires called the Volturi. They are very powerful and one of their strongest laws is that humans remain ignorant of vampires." Jasper told her solemnly.

"Can you tell me about them?" Bella asked curiously.

Jasper talked for hours explaining about vampire society. He told her of their rules on changing children. The powers of the Volturi, their laws and personalities. His explanation brought about questions and she soon learned of his own vampiric transformation. She cried as he told of the wars he fought in Maria's newborn army, the lives he had taken and the depression he had felt as his powers grew and the emotions of his victims became too much to bear.

She could almost feel his shame at his ruthlessness. She reached out a hand and covered the hand that laid in his lap wanting to offer him comfort. He seemed startled for a moment but then a smile graced his lips and he turned his hand over holding hers he lifted it to his lips and kissed her hand.

Bella felt her face heat up and hoped that the darkness hid her blush. It was such an old fashioned gesture but it made her tingle right down to her toes. He didn't let go of her hand as he laid it in his lap.

"You should get some sleep darlin'." He told her. She nodded but internally she wondered how he expected her to sleep when her body was aching to get closer to his.

"Tell me about your childhood….no wait I want to hear about being a soldier in the confederate army." She told him smiling slightly.

"I was the youngest major in the army…" He started to tell her about enlisting and rising quickly through the ranks. He told her about how different reality had been to what he had envisioned. He told her how he was cold and hungry most of the time. How even being a farm boy and seeing animals slaughtered there was just something very different about seeing a man dying beside you. Especially when that man was your neighbor and friend.

His stories went from war to his childhood. Bella smiled and drifted off to sleep thinking about a golden haired boy running in fields with a dog beside him.

The door slamming open startled him. He had been so intent on watching the sun make its path across Bella's face he hadn't smelled Edward until he was here in the room. He jumped from the bed guiltily, very aware of how bad their position looked.

Bella had snuggled into him as she slept and he hadn't stopped her. His fingers were lightly running through her hair when the door opened.

Jasper didn't need to be an empath to feel the anger that Edward was projecting. He gathered his thoughts trying to find a way to explain. Bella looked at Edward sleepily. She seemed confused but then she smiled widely.

"Edward you caught James?" She asked. Jasper knew he should trust his brother but he found that highly doubtful. They should have let him track down James but Alice had insisted he stay with her.

Edward growled and clenched his fists. "Alice and James are dead." He bit out and glared hatefully at Bella.