Chapter One

Bella

I wasn't looking forward to working this morning which was something of an oddity. I loved my job at the Port Angeles Examiner especially as I spent most of my time on the road sniffing out new stories. I enjoyed digging for the truth even if most of the time it led to something far more mundane than I had been led to believe. Kids finding tracks of Big Foot which they themselves had faked were old and tired but kids who found piles of Big Foot crap in the woods, well that was a new one on me!

Domestic disturbance calls often turned out to be rather less violent than first reports suggested although like the cops I took every story on face value until I got the facts. Things like the high school graduations and prom dances were food and drink to a local paper along with the unfortunately all too regular accidents on the highway but I still found something fresh to bring to a story usually.

As I showered I thought back to the conversation I had on the previous day with the editor.

"Bella, I want you to take a couple of days away from your usual assignments."

"Why? What did I do Matt?"

"Nothing, it's just that we have a new photographer joining the staff and as you are so good at what you do I thought you could show him the ropes, help him find his way around."

I groaned, I hated newcomers and even more than that I hated being given the task of nursemaiding one.

"Can't Harry do it?"

"He's still on the city council refuse scam."

I rolled my eyes, finding out the city councillors had appropriated some of the refuse collection budget for a "fact finding trip" to Florida was hardly front page news, it had happened before, just pull up one of the old stories and change the names and the department!

"He's still messing around with that? What's up? He's found a Deep Throat who is telling him the councillors have hookers booked for the trip or something?"

Matt just handed me a sheet of paper but I could see he was smiling, he knew something but he wasn't going to tell me what that was. The guy was probably a real geek whose only conversation was about focal lengths and shutter speeds!

Realizing I would have to hurry or I would be late I swallowed down some coffee, grabbed a couple of pop tarts and ran for my car. It was raining, as usual, and the roads were slick. It was at times like these I missed the old red pickup truck my dad had bought me when I first came to live with him in Forks which was the first thing I replaced when I started work. That beast was just too thirsty for the mileage I racked up on this job but it had been safer than my new compact.

I arrived just before my start time and noticed a new motorbike parked outside, all shiny black paintwork and gleaming chrome. Did this incredible machine belong to the new guy? My spirits soared at the mental picture of the rider that floated into my head until I remembered that most guys who could afford a bike like this were either old enough to be my grandfather, fat, bearded and tattooed, or all of the above, so I sighed, put my dreams of a leather clad Adonis back in the mental cupboard and ran up the steps and into reception.

April, the fluffy brunette who manned the front desk was sitting staring into space looking dreamy which was her usual expression and jumped as I addressed her.

"Nice bike outside, did you see the owner?"

She nodded,

"Yeah, he's the new guy but he was taking his helmet off as I told him to go to the third floor so all I saw was his hair and the back of his head. He looked good in leather, though."

"Yeah, so did the cow April. See you later."

I struck fat off the list, if he looked good in leather he wasn't morbidly obese at least. As the elevator doors slid open I walked into the corridor looking around for a new face but the only ones I could see were familiar.

"You looking for the new guy Bella? I put him in your office, didn't want Betty the Barracuda getting to him first."

"Thanks, Harry."

Betty was the gopher and a man-eater who wasn't fussy what they looked like as long as they were wearing trousers and breathing.

I grabbed some paperwork from my tray and a fresh coffee then took a deep breath and studying the top sheet swung into my office only to stop dead. I had no idea what my new colleague looked like face on but from the back I could have jumped his bones. He was still wearing his leather pants and boots but his helmet and jacket were hanging over the back of a chair.

Pulling myself together I cleared my throat,

"Hi, I'm Bella and it seems we're gonna be working together for a few days."

He turned from his study of the street outside and smiled taking two steps and grasping my outstretched hand from which the paperwork had slipped.

"Hello Bella, I'm Jasper, Jasper Hale."

So, there was a God after all and he'd sent me one of his angels in human form, every girl's dream guy, and here he was standing in front of me holding my hand while I struggled to get my brain to think of something to say and my numb tongue to work.

"He…., hi. I was admiring your bike."

I cringed inwardly, stupid, stupid, couldn't you have thought of something witty or entertaining to say to this Adonis?

"Thanks, I haven't had it long but it runs like a dream."

I nodded and felt relieved as he bent to retrieve my papers and I was no longer staring into those honey coloured eyes. I gave myself a mental kick and taking them from him I took a seat behind my desk. Good idea Bella, get a little distance, pull yourself together and speak before he thinks you are brain dead!

He didn't look old enough to be a newspaper photographer, more like a student but once we began to talk about his work I found him extremely knowledgeable without being a boring geek. I explained the kind of work we normally got and he told me a couple of funny stories about previous jobs he had been on while working freelance. Before I knew it I heard Betty asking for food orders. We usually sent her for lunch orders but today I decided it would be great to eat out with Jasper, a good excuse to show him the town and introduce him to some useful people.

"I guess two pop tarts weren't enough, I need to eat. Come on and I'll show you around town. By the way, where are you staying?"

"Forks, with my family. Well, strictly speaking, my foster family but we're pretty close."

"Forks? Wow, that's where I live. My dad's the Police Chief so watch your speed on that beast."

I cringed again, couldn't I say one interesting thing apart from work related stuff?

He laughed and my heart did a back flip, this guy was seriously gorgeous and from the sound of things unattached, it just got better and better. As we walked out to the stares of every warm blooded female in the building it occurred to me that Jasper Hale must be one of the new doctor's family, dad had mentioned the doctor and his wife had a foster family. Not only was he mega hot but he was almost my neighbour, could life get any better?

Jasper

I had been concerned about taking this job but the thought of yet another year in High School was just too depressing to contemplate so I did a few courses in journalism and photography and found I enjoyed them. I didn't need to spend too much time in close contact with humans but at the same time, I found myself fascinated by their tragedies and celebrations. I could hardly remember my own human life and when I became a vampire, human life meant nothing, now I found I was interested in understanding them, just as Carlisle was fascinated and determined to help where he could. I had been told I would be shown the ropes by one of the female reporters Bella Swan and had wondered what she would be like. What I hadn't expected was what I encountered, a beautiful young woman who called to the most primaeval part of my psyche and I was only too willing to spend the next couple of days with her.