Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.

Challenges listed at the bottom.

Word Count: 9389

AN: AU, Probably not for Edward Fans, includes some sexual references, although they are relatively minor for the most part.

the best way to spend eternity

Edward left the woods quickly, the sounds of Bella begging and pleading with him filling him with agony. It would be so easy to go back to her, to tell her he'd made a mistake, to beg her to take him back, but he wouldn't. He couldn't.

He refused to be the reason she was in danger any longer. That she was human, with human emotions and the capacity to move on made his decision that much easier to live with. She would be fine. She'd miss him for a few weeks, but he knew she'd move on from him easily enough.

It was for the best.

Edward's mistake, as he left the woods at a run too fast for the human eye to see him, was that in blocking out Bella's begging, he also blocked out the other presence in the woods. If he'd heard the thoughts and plans echoing through the other's head, he would have turned right back around.

...

Bella lay curled up in a ball on the forest floor, conscious thought leaving her as the agony of Edward's departure washed over her, filling her so completely that she couldn't think or feel anything else.

She didn't notice the enemy lurking just feet away, watching her through gleeful eyes. She didn't understand that her life as she knew it was about to come to a swift ending. She didn't care that soon, sooner than she'd ever thought, her heart would stop beating in her chest.

...

Victoria watched with satisfaction as the human curled up, pain pouring off her in waves. It was nothing less than she deserved, and Victoria was glad she hadn't attacked as planned. This was far more satisfying than merely killing her.

She edged closer, close enough that the girl felt her presence and looked up. Victoria watched with interest as acceptance filled the human's eyes, followed by relief and hope. The human wanted to die.

Well, who was Victoria to deny her her wish? Though she was quite sure that their definitions of dead were quite different. It was a fitting punishment though. If Victoria had to live forever without her mate, then so too should this human.

Yes. Definitely fitting.

….

Jasper sat in the empty Cullen house, his head resting in his hands. He'd been consumed with guilt for days, unable to do so much as go hunting. His family was gone and it was all his fault. Edward was heartbroken and it was all his fault. Alice was devastated at the loss of her best friend, and it was all his fault.

It weighed heavily on his shoulders, the utter destruction one moment had left behind.

Not only had he tried to attack a human, but he'd tried to attack Bella. Their Bella. He was disgusting.

His phone pinged with the notification of another text message, but as with all the others, he ignored it. It would only be Alice, telling him to come to Alaska.

Honestly, he didn't want to go to Alaska. He was tired of playing the same thing over and over again. They moved. They went to highschool. He fought his nature for as long as he was able, but at some point, he slipped.

It didn't matter how long he went between, he always slipped in the end. That the family was constantly on edge, watching him carefully, didn't help. That they expected him to slip up only made it all the more easier to do it.

Why should he keep denying his very nature? He'd thought it was what he wanted, especially when he met Alice. Another life, a family, a home. He'd thought it would be perfect, and he could almost pretend that the horrors of his past had never happened.

What he got instead was a coven who, despite their assurances of love and commitment to each other, doubted him completely. He wondered, occasionally, if they forgot he was an empath. When they said one thing, and felt something completely different, it gave the game away easily.

The one thing it did give him was perspective. Carlisle and Esme, and Rosalie and Emmett for that matter, were true mates, and their love for each other was truly inspiring. He wanted that. He and Alice loved each other, sure, but it was more the love you would expect from friends, or perhaps siblings.

He wanted the sense of completeness that mated couples emanated constantly. He wanted the sureness of having someone who loved and understood him entirely, and for eternity. He wanted more from life than a charade.

He was done.

Sitting up, he pulled the phone from his pocket and flipped through the messages. Sure enough, they were all off Alice. He looked at the last one and smiled slightly.

I'll miss you. You know I'll always love you, Jazz. You're my best friend.

He was about to reply to her, when another one came through.

Finally you read them! I was beginning to think you were going to sit there for years. Look after her, Jazz, she'll need you.

Confused, he pressed the number 1 on his speed dial.

"Who'll need me?" he asked, when she answered the phone.

"You'll find out soon. Have a bit of patience," she replied, her usual crypticness irritating him.

"Alice."

"Really, Jazz. You won't have to wait long. You know you'll always be welcome here, right? We understand, and we all love you."

He sighed. "I know, Alice. I just… I can't do it anymore. I can't play happy families anymore."

"I know. If you don't visit at least once a decade though, I'm going to be pissed."

He laughed. "Noted. Keep me up to date on where you're living, alright?"

"You know I will. Remember what I said, Jazz. She'll need you."

Before he could ask anything else, she put the phone down. He growled, throwing the phone on the sofa. That was one thing he wouldn't miss. Her riddles gave him as close to a headache as a vampire could get.

Standing up, he ran up the stairs into the bathroom and undressed, climbing in the shower and letting the hot water wash away his angst. He'd hunt, though he wasn't quite decided on what yet, and then make some plans to get away from Forks.

This was the last place on earth he wanted to be right now.

...

Guilt. It was the only explanation he could think of when he walked back into the Cullen house two hours after he left, his belly full of blood but the burn still not completely satisfied. Being here, where he'd lived with them, where he'd attacked the only human he'd ever thought of as anything other than food, was why he'd been unable to bring himself to drain anything other than an animal.

The lion he'd found would do until he could get away from Washington, he supposed. When he was back with Peter and Charlotte, he'd surely be more comfortable enjoying his natural food source once more.

He packed a bag, not paying much attention to the clothes he was throwing in, and made sure to pack a few of his favourite books. He could always re-buy anything he didn't take with him, after all. Slinging the bag on his shoulder, he took one last look at the room he'd lived in for three years and smiled.

He'd miss the Cullens. He did love them. He just… wasn't one of them.

Now his only decision was whether he wanted to ride or run. As he flitted into the garage, he heard a noise around the front of the house and frowned. Dropping his bag by the side of his Harley, he edged around the garage to find the source of the strange noise by the front door.

What he saw there was both completely shocking and heartbreaking in equal measure.

She lay by the front door, sobbing tearlessly on to her arms, her whole body shaking with the power of her sobs. Even from a distance he knew who it was, and he moved cautiously forward.

Newborns were notoriously difficult to control, and he already knew he couldn't hurt the poor creature in front of him.

"Bella?"

She looked up, her eyes bright red and wild with grief. She saw him and leapt up to her feet, falling into the instinctual defensive crouch as she stared at him.

"Jasper?"

"What… What happened, Darlin'?" he asked, walking forward slowly, his arms swinging by his sides in forced calm. Alice's cryptic messages made sense now, but how he was supposed to help her, he wasn't altogether sure.

If Alice had seen this, why hadn't she stopped it from happening?

"Victoria."

Jasper bit back a snarl, aware that he'd scare Bella if he let his feelings for the redhead out. "I'm sorry, Darlin'. The rest of the family is already gone."

She nodded, a wave of devastation flowing through her. "I know."

Jasper sighed slightly as he got within reaching distance of her. She still seemed wary of him, but she'd stood up straighter, her arms wrapped around herself. She looked like she was trying to hold herself together.

Her one and two word answers weren't doing anything to help him, though. How was he supposed to help her when he didn't know what she wanted.

"I can take you to them, if you want?"

She shook her head. "No. Thank you."

Defiance, fear, grief, anger. He'd thought she felt emotions quite strongly as a human, but this was like nothing he'd ever felt before. He could only imagine how it would feel if she had positive emotions flowing through her.

Before he could say anything else, he felt a slight wave of curiosity and she tilted her head to the side.

"Why are you still here? E - he told me that you'd all already left."

Her pain intensified when she tried to say Edward's name, and he almost reached out to hug her. The poor girl just couldn't catch a break.

"I'm… not a Cullen anymore."

She frowned. "Why?"

"I don't belong with them," he told her, offering her a small smile.

"What about Alice? I thought you couldn't leave your mate…. though E- Um. Yeah."

"Alice isn't my mate. You are correct though. When you complete a mating bond, it's painful to be away from them for too long."

"Oh. You two always seemed so… together, I guess."

"It made the charade easier. If the teens at the high school thought I was taken, they'd stay away from me and there wouldn't be so much temptation."

She nodded, looking up at the house. "I never blamed you, you know. Not even when it happened. I… it was my fault. I should have been more careful. Who knew a paper-cut could take everything away from you?"

She chuckled bitterly. Another stab of sympathy filled him up for her, and he looked away for a second. He knew she was right, of course. She'd lost the Cullens and Edward. She couldn't go home to Charlie any more. She was completely alone.

Looking back, he watched her carefully. She was very controlled, especially for a newborn, and he couldn't feel even a hint of bloodlust from her.

"Have you hunted?" he asked quietly.

She nodded. "Hmm. Deer. Doesn't taste great, but better than the alternative I suppose."

"You're going to follow the vegetarian diet?" he asked, raising his eyebrow at her.

"Yes, but not for the reasons you're thinking. When I woke up, she'd left me close to the house. Charlie was in the kitchen -"

He groaned in sympathy for her. She frowned at him.

"I didn't eat him. He smelled bloody awful. So did the two humans I passed on my way here. I'm not sure what E - he was on about when he said I smelled delicious, because I haven't smelled anything resembling edible from a human."

Honesty. Irritation. And strangely, some amusement.

When he widened his eyes slightly in question to her emotions, she smiled.

"Even as a vampire, I can't fit in. Makes sense, I guess."

He couldn't stop the laugh from escaping him at her words.

"What are you going to do now?" he asked when he finished laughing.

She shrugged. "I don't know. I just came to… to say goodbye. I'll just… wander for a while."

He hesitated for a moment, before he replied, "You can come with me, if you want?"

"You don't have to do that, Jasper. It's kind of you to offer but… I won't be a charity case. Not anymore, at any rate."

He frowned. "You were never a charity case, Bella."

She snorted. "You sure about that? Because the rest of the family didn't think twice about leaving me when Edward got bored, did they?"

"When he got bored?"

"He doesn't love me. Told me as much himself. I was a… a distraction. A toy, I suppose. And then the bastard left me in the middle of the forest, where Victoria found me. She was very happy, you know. She'd heard every word Edward said, and she thought, why not torture Bella just a little bit more.

"She bit me, all the while telling me that my punishment for causing the death of her mate would be to live for all eternity without mine. Sadistic bitch. I begged her to kill me. Begged and pleaded with her to end my life. I didn't care if she tortured me, didn't care if she snapped every bone in my body, but this? This is the worst torture she could have put me through."

She was breathing heavily by the time she was done speaking and her primary emotion was rage. Jasper sent a rather strong wave of calm to her, but she scowled at him.

"Keep your emotional voodoo shit to yourself, Jasper. I'm entitled to be fucking angry. It's his fault I'm like this, and I'll be damned if I go begging to any of his family to help me. They can all fuck off."

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm surprised you don't seem to be too angry with me. After all, this whole thing is at least partially my fault."

"Don't. Just… don't. Why should you be blamed for following your instincts? He knew it was a possibility, and yet he still paraded me like a toy. Why have a birthday party when he knew how clumsy I was? It was bound to happen sooner or later, Jasper.

"If he had no intention of changing me, hell, if he knew he didn't really want me, he should have stayed away from me in the first place."

"He tried, by all accounts. You were rather persistent, as I heard it."

He was being an arse and he knew it, but he was interested in hearing her thoughts on all that had happened, and he knew the best way to keep her talking was to keep her angry.

"Is that what he told you? I was leaving well alone. Yes, I found him attractive, but he was the one that pushed conversation on me. He was the one stalking me, and sitting in my bedroom without my knowledge like a fucking creeper. He was the one giving me cryptic bullshit little statements. He knew exactly what he was doing the whole time."

"I think he did love you, Bella. Empath, remember?"

"He loved the idea of me. He loved my scent, because it was more potent and by resisting it, he was proving his superiority to himself. He loved that he couldn't hear my thoughts, because it made me a challenge to him."

Raising his eyebrows, Jasper couldn't help but be impressed. Seemed she had Edward worked out to a tee.

"Come on a road trip with me?" he asked suddenly. "If you want to leave at any time, I won't try and stop you. You can drink whatever you want. We'll go wherever the road takes us and I'll keep you away from the Cullens if that's what you want."

"Why?"

Her anger had lessened, and he could definitely feel more curiosity from her now.

"Because I'm going anyway and I like you. You'll make it that much more interesting. Besides, you have eternity to spend time on your own if that's what you want. It'll be fun."

Indecision consumed her, and he left her to make her choice, running back to the garage and starting the Harley up. Putting his bag in the backbox, he pulled his helmet on and rode it from the garage to where she stood.

Holding out the spare helmet, he grinned at her. "Coming?"

…

Jasper loved riding his Harley. He didn't get much of a chance, what with Rosalie and Edward always arguing about who would drive them around, but when he did, he felt free. That he had a beautiful woman sitting behind him with her arms around his waist only made it better.

They'd been travelling for a little over a day, stopping only for fuel, and he'd never had so much fun. Bella seemed to love the speed and the freedom of the bike as much as he did, even though she didn't appreciate the helmet.

"Jasper? I'll need to hunt soon."

Though she spoke normally, he heard her over the wind perfectly, and he nodded.

"Alright, Darlin'. You want a forest or a back alley?"

She snorted with amusement. "Wherever you're going is fine. Neither smells particularly enticing to me."

He rolled his eyes. Now he had to make a decision on his diet, a decision he'd been struggling with since they left the house. He knew that they'd have to be in the presence of humans on their road trip, and he just wasn't sure he wanted to smell them without eating them anymore.

Besides, drinking from a human actually made the thirst easier to handle.

"Back alley it is."

"Criminals, if we can find them, please. I won't kill an innocent," Bella replied quietly. He couldn't feel regret coming from her, but he could feel conviction, and he nodded again.

"Two scumbags coming right up."

He smiled at her chuckle and pulled off at the next junction. Anticipation had always been half the fun of hunting humans, and now he'd made his decision, he was practically salivating at the very idea.

...

Watching Bella drain a human had been strangely erotic. Jasper finished his first, quickly disposing of the evidence. When she was finished, he disposed of hers too and they climbed back on the bike. When he felt her rest her head on his shoulder, he paused in starting the engine.

"Alright, Darlin'?"

"Fine. It didn't taste great, but better than the smell."

Shaking his head in wonder, he laughed.

"You really are one of a kind, Bella Swan."

"I guess so. Hey, what's your surname now? You said you're not a Cullen anymore."

"Ah. Jasper Whitlock, at your service, ma'am."

She chuckled. "It suits you."

Before he could reply, his cell rang. Picking it up, he grinned.

"Peter."

"Major."

"What do you want?"

"Is that any way to greet an old friend?"

"When it's you, yeah. What do you want?"

"You wound me. I had me a feeling that you've come back to your senses?"

"Perhaps."

"I also had me a feeling that you'll be passing through my neck of the woods some time in the next day or so."

"And?"

"I'll prepare the spare room. See you tomorrow, brother."

"Later, Peter."

Putting the phone back in his pocket, he turned back to Bella.

"You up for a detour?" he asked, knowing she'd heard both sides of the conversation.

"Where are we going?"

"Peter and Charlotte, friends from way before I knew the Cullens, don't live too far from here. Clearly he's expecting me now, so…"

He felt a little trepidation and fear from Bella, but she shrugged and nodded. "Go ahead."

He started the engine, smiling when she wrapped her arms around his waist again, resting her head against his back.

"You don't have to worry, Darlin'. They'll love you."

He laughed out loud when he heard her mutter, "Stupid empath," into his shoulder.

...

When Jasper pulled the bike up outside a two story house, he felt a spike in Bella's nerves. They climbed off the bike, and he took her hand in his like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"They'll love you," he reiterated quietly.

"Jazz!"

Bella stepped back when a woman sped out of the door and dived on Jasper. He laughed, catching her in his arms as the two of them embraced tightly. He kissed her cheek as he set her on the floor.

"Charlotte," he said with a grin. "This is Bella. Bella, Charlotte."

"Hi," Bella murmured, smiling slightly.

"Come here, Sugar," Charlotte said enthusiastically, pulling Bella into her arms. Bella hugged her back awkwardly, her eyes widening at Jasper, who just grinned at her.

"Major! Come 'ere, lemme see your ugly mug!"

Bella giggled when Jasper growled playfully at whom she assumed to be Peter. The two embraced and Jasper repeated the introductions for Bella.

"What are you doing travelling with such a beauty?" Peter asked, a smirk on his face as he punched Jasper's shoulder. "I swear, you get all the luck!"

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Ignore him, Sugar," she told Bella, who'd looked down with embarrassment. "He's full of it."

"So, how'd you enjoy returning to your natural food source, Major? Those red eyes of yours are much better than the freaky gold you had last we saw ya!"

Jasper shoved Peter. "You spend more time discussing my appearance than I'm comfortable with," he joked, laughing. "You got something to tell me?"

"Jackass," Peter replied. Turning to Bella, he smiled. "Might I escort a beautiful lady into our humble abode?"

She glanced at Jasper, who nodded encouragingly, and put her hand into his offered arm. Charlotte jumped on Jasper's back, and he gave her a piggy-back into the house behind them.

"Sit, sit, take the weight off," Peter said, leading Bella to a large sofa. Jasper jumped over the back of it and sat next to her. Peter and Charlotte sat in a large armchair, Charlotte on her husband's lap.

Jasper draped his arm over the back of the sofa behind Bella, smiling when she relaxed a little.

"So, what's going on, Major?"

"Ah, you know, the usual."

"Nothing usual about it. I know you're back to civilised Vampirism, but I don't know why. Spill, my friend, spill."

Jasper rolled his eyes and turned to Bella. "Peter is like a vampire Yoda. He 'knows' shit. And he's also the biggest gossip you'll ever meet."

Bella giggled.

"Long story short, I realised I wasn't meant for the Cullen's way of livin' and I brought Bella along for the ride," Jasper told Peter, who scowled.

"How about you sit there and tell me the long story, arsehole."

Jasper sighed. "S'not just my story to tell, Pete."

He glanced at Bella, whose emotions suddenly went haywire. Dropping his arm from the sofa to wrap around her, he pulled her into his chest.

"It's alright, Darlin'. I'll not say anything you don't want me too, alright," he whispered, though they were both aware that it may as well have been a shout in a room with vampires. He pushed a little bit of calm her way, glad when she accepted it and settled into his half embrace a little bit more.

"It's fine. You can… tell them. I… don't… I can't. I can't talk about it, Jasper. But you can. I don't mind."

"You're sure?"

She nodded, closing her eyes. "Yes. Keep that calm going though, alright?"

He kissed the top of her head. "Of course. Just tell me if you want me to stop."

He turned and glared at Peter who had the grace to look sheepish. Taking a deep breath, Jasper started talking.

"Bella met Edward in Forks. She was still human, and he… took an interest in her. He couldn't hear her thoughts, and she was his singer."

"So he turned her?" Peter asked, frowning.

"You gonna let me tell you what happened or not?" Jasper asked with a glare. When Peter didn't say anything else, he continued.

"Edward entered into a… relationship of sorts, and brought Bella into the family. We all took a shine to her, and she became one of us even though she was human. We were playing baseball one night and a few nomads came by. A tracker decided he wanted Bella, and there was a… chase involved.

"Bella got bit, but Edward sucked the venom out and we disposed of the tracker. Fast forward a little bit, and it was Bella's eighteenth birthday."

Jasper stopped at the spike in Bella's emotions, and sent a stronger wave of calm at her.

"She got a papercut, and I…"

"He acted instinctively to the circumstances," Bella said, before Jasper could say anything derogatory about himself.

"Edward got in a sulk about it and broke up with Bella. Cruelly. He left her in the forest, and the trackers mate changed her as revenge."

"So, let me get this straight," Charlotte growled. "The bastard fetched her into our world, made her love him, then left her as a victim to a vindictive vampire without any protection whatsoever?"

Jasper sighed as Bella buried her face further into his jacket.

"Sounds about right, Char, yeah."

"And the pixie didn't see nothing of it happening, no?" Peter asked, a scowl on his face.

At his question, Bella sat up. "Did Alice see anything?" she asked Jasper, who shrugged.

"She texted me after they left and told me someone would need me. Didn't say who, when or why."

Bella was out the door before Jasper could stop her.

"Fuck."

"Let me go, Jazz," Charlotte said, following Bella out the door. Peter looked at Jasper with sympathy.

"So? You figured it out yet?"

"Figured what out?"

"She's ya mate, obviously."

...

Bella ran to the edge of Peter and Charlotte's property, pleasantly surprised to find their house backed onto a lake. She sat by the water, her eyes unfocused as she thought about how much her life had been screwed up since her meeting with Edward.

Between him and Alice, she'd felt safe and loved. To know that it was a lie, that Alice could have prevented this happening to her, was a hard pill to swallow. Of course, the insecurities that Jasper was only keeping her around as a favour to Alice were hard to deal with as well.

She'd been surprised how well the two of them had been getting along since leaving Forks, and she'd hoped that she had a friend in him, a real friend with no strings attached.

"You think any harder, you'll hurt yourself," came a voice from behind her.

Bella didn't spin around, recognising both the scent and the voice.

"Come on, doll. The bastards have already ruined your human life, don't let them ruin this existence as well."

Bella nodded. "I know you're right, I just…"

"You don't understand why they'd do this to you."

"Yeah."

"The only way you'll get an answer to that question is to ask them."

"If I ever see them again it'll be too fucking soon," Bella replied scathingly.

"Edward… yeah, I'll give you that. I only met him once, but I never liked him. Nosy little fucker that never matured in my book. Alice… I don't much like her either, but she does love Jazz. I can't see that she'd want to hurt him."

Bella shrugged. "Guess it didn't matter if I was collateral damage."

Charlotte sat down beside Bella.

"I know you're hurt, and you have every right to be. Edward pulled a jackass move, and as far as I'm concerned, the little fucker can burn in hell for the rest of his eternity for his disrespect to a woman. You can either keep hold of the hurt and the anger, and let him win, or you can let it go and find a place for yourself in this world."

Taking a deep breath, Bella closed her eyes. The two stayed silent for a few minutes, before Bella nodded her head.

"You're right. I can't keep hold of the resentment. It'll eat me up from the inside out."

Charlotte grinned. "Good girl. Now, let's go back inside before Jazz does himself an injury worrying about you."

Bella giggled. "I don't think he'd go quite that far. We're just friends."

Charlotte raised her eyebrow. "Yeah. Okay. And I plan to eat rabbits for the next decade."

"What? Really, we're just friends."

Charlotte just looked at her. "Uh huh."

...

Jasper stared vacantly at Peter for a moment before he shook his head.

"She can't be."

"Oh? Why is that?"

"I woulda known while she was still human, wouldn't I?"

Peter shrugged. "S'far as I can tell, you didn't spend much time with her while she was human, didja? You've spent more time with her the last few days than ever before. You telling me you ain't feelin' the pull?"

"Peter… Is this one of those things you just 'know'?"

Peter grinned. "Might be."

As they heard the sounds of the girls running back to the house, Jasper fell back into the cushions of the sofa.

"Fucking Yoda-pire."

Charlotte led Bella into the house, and Jasper looked up to meet her eyes. He could feel her shame and nerves rolling off her like tidal waves and he shook his head as he held out his hand to her.

"None of that. It was quite a calm reaction under the circumstances," he told her as she took his hand. He pulled her back to the sofa and she sat beside him, not quite leaning on him as she was before, but closer than it was necessary to sit.

She smiled at him and he couldn't stop himself from returning it.

"Feelin' better?" he asked.

She nodded. "Charlotte talked some sense into me."

"Aye, she be good at that, my lovely wife," Peter replied, kissing said wife soundly.

"You wanna get out of here?" Jasper asked Bella, eyeing Peter and Charlotte. He could feel the lust, and while he had no chance of experiencing any lovin' of his own, he wanted no part of feeling it. "We can go explore a little, hunt if the chance pops up."

"Sure."

...

Jasper and Bella spent three weeks with Peter and Charlotte before they got back on the road. Bella was glad she'd met them, and when she left, she knew she had friends in them. Charlotte in particular. Jasper enjoyed his time with his brother and sister, but the almost constant undercurrent of lust between them was beginning to get on his nerves.

"Anywhere you wanna go, Darlin'?"

"Not really," Bella replied easily. "Just get on the highway and see where the road takes us."

"As you wish," Jasper murmured, smiling when Bella chuckled. Peter's words had been on constant repeat in his head since their conversation, and he knew that he'd been right.

Since he thought about the possibility, he'd noticed the change in himself. He always knew where Bella was, and he could feel her emotions even when she wasn't in his range. Whatever he was thinking about at any given moment, he always thought about whether Bella would want to do it, or if she would approve.

Even more noticeable was the chemistry between them. Whenever they touched, it was like a spark of electricity in his chest. When she caught him looking at her, he felt the oddest need to blush, something he didn't do much of even when he was a human.

He was sometimes sure that she felt something too, but he was worried to approach the subject. Anything that could make Bella leave his side was a no-go in his books, and this could make her run for the hills. Besides, he didn't know if she had any lingering feelings for Edward, and the last thing he wanted was to be a rebound.

As he pulled onto the highway, his unknowing mate's arms around him, Jasper let out a sigh of contentment. For the time being, he would leave it alone. After all, this wasn't much short of heaven.

...

"We should get a hotel and visit a few places in town tonight," Bella said into Jasper's back. They'd been back on the road for two days and they were both ready to hunt.

"Sure thing, Darlin'. I'm looking forward to a shower."

Bella chuckled. "Me too."

"Any hotel preferences?"

"Nah. Somewhere with a clean bathroom is good enough."

He grinned and sped down the roads and into a town center, searching around for a nice looking hotel. Finding one that would suit their needs, he pulled into the car park.

Taking the bag he'd brought with him from the Cullens, and the bag Charlotte had prepared for Bella before they left, he put them both in one hand and wrapped his spare arm around Bella's shoulder.

"Come on, Darlin', let's go find us a power shower."

They walked into the hotel lobby, Bella looking around with interest. Jasper led her to the desk and asked for their best suite, handing over his black card without a thought.

Bella raised her eyebrow. "I'm sure a normal room woulda had a decent shower, Jazz. You didn't have to get somewhere so… extravagant," she whispered, too low and fast for the humans around to hear her.

"Ah, only the best for you, Darlin'."

He knew if she was still human, she'd have blushed bright red, and he grinned when she looked down and he felt her pleased embarrassment.

They were led to their room by a scared looking porter and left to their own devices. As Jasper put their bags on the bed, Bella moved speedily into the bathroom, turning the shower on. Letting it heat up, she walked back into the bedroom, opening her bag and taking out fresh clothes.

"Where are we going tonight, Jazz?" she asked, debating between an icy mint skater dress and jeans and a t-shirt.

"Wear the dress, babe," Jasper replied without turning around. She rolled her eyes at his back and took her clothes into the bathroom.

As she closed the door, Jasper's phone buzzed with a text message.

Tell her tonight, Jazz. - A

He rolled his eyes.

Tell who what? - J

Within seconds, he got a reply.

"You know who and what. Don't be a jackass. Tell her tonight, and claim her. It's important. She'll be receptive. - A

Why is it important? - J

Do you ever do anything without asking questions? - A

No. Why is it important? - J

I can't tell you. Do it, and keep her safe. Love you both. - A

Frustrated, Jasper put his phone back in his pocket and lay down on the bed with his hands beneath his head. Alice said she'd be receptive to the idea of them being mates, but to tell her and claim her in the same night was a bit excessive.

Surely he should give her time to get used to the idea? Rolling his eyes at himself, he decided to just play it by ear. He understood that Alice was trying to help, but her gift didn't make her all knowing, and both Jasper and Bella had been victims of her using her visions to manipulate situations.

The fact that they were here now was proof of that.

He heard the shower shut off, and a minute later, Bella came out of the steaming bathroom fully dressed, her hair still wet.

"You look lovely," he told her honestly as he got up, picking his own clothes up. As he passed her, he pressed a kiss to her head, feeling her shock and happiness, before he too went to enjoy the power shower.

...

"It's gorgeous here," Bella said as they walked at a slow human pace down the beach. It was late, the moon high in the sky, and they were the only people around. Their eyes glowed red, having fed on their way, and they were both content.

"Hmm. Gorgeous," Jasper agreed, looking at her. He felt the familiar wave of pleased embarrassment and captured her hand between his.

"Mind if we sit down and talk for a minute, Darlin'?" he asked nervously.

"Sure."

She didn't try and move her hand, and that was a promising sign, so he held it between his as they sat down on a nearby piece of driftwood.

"When we were with Peter and Charlotte, Peter said something. At first, I thought he was crazy, because—well because he's crazy—but I've not been able to stop thinking about it since he said it, and I realised a few days ago that he was right.

"The time we've spent together since we left Forks… Bella, it's been like nothing I've ever experienced. You're… you complete me. You're my sun, my moon, fuck, you're my entire fucking galaxy…"

He noticed her eyes filling with venom she would never shed, and he squeezed her hands. Her emotions were all over the place, from nervousness to happiness to lust, so he carried on.

"You're my mate, Bella."

She smiled, as she looked him in the eye. "I know."

He frowned. "How?"

"When I was with Edward, he explained the pull of a mate to me. I wondered why I didn't have it with him, but I convinced myself it was because I was human. When I saw you at the Cullens, my chest had been hurting so much, but you eased it.

"Obviously I didn't know then, but the last few days have been… I don't even have words. You're my other half, Jazz. And every day when you asked where I wanted to go, I was so scared you were going to tell me you wanted to go some place without me, or that you were going back to the Cullens, or -"

He cut her off, his lips capturing hers in a soft kiss. She kissed him back immediately, and as his hold on her hand slackened, she wrapped her arms around his neck. He pulled her closer to him, one hand sliding into her hair as his tongue swept her lips, silently asking for a permission she gave immediately, the other tracing patterns on her back.

When they pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers.

"Why didn't you say anything?" he asked, curious.

"Why didn't you?" she returned with a small smile. "I was scared you didn't feel the same."

Pressing his lips to her forehead, he pulled her up so they were both standing.

"I love you, Darlin'."

He felt her smile against his chest. "I love you, too."

"Are you… should we go back to the hotel?" he asked, wanting nothing more than to lift her in his arms and take her right there on the beach.

"Sure, but… I… I've never…"

"Are you a virgin, baby?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

At that he did lift her up, and she wrapped her legs around him instinctively.

"That's something you never have to apologise for. Thank you for telling me. We can wait, if that's what you need."

"No, I do want you, Jazz. I just… guess I'm nervous. I've heard it hurts the first time."

He kissed her passionately again, before setting her carefully on the floor and wrapping one arm around her. "I'll look after you, Darlin."

...

As the sun shone through the window of the hotel, Bella lay comfortably in Jasper's arms. He stroked her hair lazily, as they revelled in each other. Her hand moved up his chest to his neck, where she'd bitten him the night before.

"Doesn't hurt, does it?" she asked quietly, running her fingers over it lightly.

"No. Does yours?" he asked, sweeping her hair out of the way so he could stroke her matching bite.

She shook her head. "Feels good when you do that," she murmured.

"Hmm, ditto. What do you wanna do today, baby?"

"Looks like the sun's up to stay. We're stuck here for the day. Whatever will we do?" she grinned, capturing his nipple between her lips and sucking.

"Oh, I'm sure we can think of a few thousands things to do, Darlin," he replied, flipping her suddenly so she was underneath him. He smiled down at her.

"You fit there so perfectly," he told her, leaning down to tease her lips with his own.

"I know," she agreed, reaching up to play with his hair.

"You're mine, baby," he murmured, kissing the mark he'd left on her neck, the mark that claimed her as his own.

"I know that too. And you're mine."

"Always."

...

They checked out of the hotel two days later, huge smiles on both of their faces as they climbed on the bike. Jasper's phone rang, and he answered as Bella put her helmet on.

"Peter."

"Jazz, you need to make your way back this way."

"Why, what's wrong?"

Bella took her helmet off, concentrating on the conversation.

"I don't know. But… I know. You need to be here within three days. Can you do it?"

"Should be able to. What's going down, Pete?"

"I'm not sure. Just… three days, Jasper."

"We'll be there."

…

"Had any more feelin's, Yoda?" Jasper asked as he and Bella walked through the front door of Peter and Charlotte's home.

"Not yet," Peter grumbled, frustration evident as he ran a hand through his hair. "All I know is that we need to be together, and something is coming here. Or someone. Or -"

"I get it, Pete," Jasper murmured, his hand running absently up and down Bella's back. Bella turned her head to kiss Jasper's cheek, eliciting a laugh from Peter when he saw the bite on her neck.

"Well, well, well, looky here! Char, c'mere babe," he called, still laughing when Charlotte zoomed into the room. He pointed to the mark on Bella's neck. "Looks like there's a new member of the family."

Charlotte squealed, pulling first Bella then Jasper into hugs. "Congratulations!"

Before either of them could reply, Jasper's phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out, unsurprised to see a text from Alice.

I'm sorry, Jazz, I couldn't stop them. Everything will be alright, I swear. Love you both.

Bella frowned, reading the message alongside Jasper. "What does she mean, she couldn't stop them?"

"I've got a feeling we're about to have some unwelcome company, Baby. Don't worry, I won't let them hurt you," Jasper murmured, wrapping his arms around her. He could feel her emotions warring within her, rage and worry, battling for dominance.

"I'm not sure it's me you need to worry about, Jazz. I'm still really mad but… I don't actually want to damage them. Much."

Jasper and Peter laughed.

"Don't worry, Princess, we won't let you kill any of them. I'll get you a zippo though, just in case Edward is around. He deserves to at least get his fingers burnt."

Bella shook her head, smiling at Peter. "You're terrible."

"Ah, but you love it, and secretly, you agree with me. Don't forget, I know shit."

She shrugged. "There's no secret that I agree with you in part. That's why I asked Jazz to keep an eye on me. I don't want to do something I'll regret later."

"Don't worry, Sugar. We'll take care of you. Now, as it goes, I was enjoying the sunshine, anyone feel like joining me?" Charlotte asked, gesturing to the back patio.

Shrugging, Bella and Jasper followed her out, followed seconds later by Peter. There was no point worrying about anything until they knew what they were dealing with.

...

Three hours later, just after the sun went down and the skies darkened, a knock sounded at the front door. Jasper rolled his eyes. All four of the vampires sitting on the patio had heard the cars pull up, and yet it had taken a full three minutes for the knock to come.

Peter walked through the house at a human speed, leaving the others coiled to react if necessary, and opened the door.

"Peter. It's good to see you again," came Carlisle's voice. Jasper took Bella's hand in his own, caressing the top with his thumb. "Might we come in and speak to you? It's important."

Peter didn't reply, but they heard him take a step back and the quiet creak of the door opening further followed it.

"Where is he?" Edward demanded. Bella snarled silently, her teeth almost grinding together.

"If you'd all like to gather your manners," Peter said pointedly, "my wife, brother, and little sister are out on the patio. You're all welcome to join us."

Shifting slightly closer to Jasper, Bella put her head down against his shoulder. She was in no way ready for this confrontation, and she was… angry that it'd been forced on her.

"Jazz, the guests appear to be yours," Peter said as he stepped back out, retaking his seat. The entire Cullen family followed him, taking seats when he gestured her to them.

Bella looked up before any of them could speak, her eyes moving over each of them individually. They looked the same but different, more… in focus, when looked at with her new eyes. Each of them infinitely more beautiful than she'd ever noticed before.

"Bella?"

The single word echoed through them, and Bella rolled her eyes. Only Alice and Edward didn't seem surprised, and she wondered which of them had demanded they come and visit Jasper.

Her money was on Edward.

"So it's true," Edward sneered, the only one of his family still standing. "You stole her the moment my back was turned and changed her. You're a despicable bastard, Jasper!"

Jasper snarled, but Bella beat him to it as she shot out of her seat.

"Jasper didn't change me. When you left me in the woods, broken hearted I might add, after telling me I was nothing to you but a distraction, Victoria decided that rather than kill me, she'd change me and leave me to suffer eternity by myself.

"Don't come here acting all high and mighty Edward Cullen. You're the despicable one! You never had any intention of staying with me, of changing me. You loved that you could deny my blood even though it called to you, it made you feel so strong and powerful. You're a fucking menace to society, and now, when you tell me you're a monster, I know exactly what you mean.

"Jasper has done nothing but look after me since he found me sobbing on the doorstep of your old house. He's taken care of me, which is a damn sight more than can be said for you."

She shook her head, stepping back and sitting down beside Jasper, who took her hand back in his own.

"You disgust me," she murmured, her eyes and voice full of revulsion.

...

Jasper watched with amazement as his Bella defended him. When she didn't move to attack, he relaxed a little, letting her get her anger out. He'd never been more proud of her than when she sat back down beside him, shaking her head at Edward.

He felt surprise coming from most of the Cullens opposite, and some happiness from Alice, who was smiling at Bella from across the patio.

Carlisle and Esme were both frowning at Edward's back, Emmett staring at Bella with a strange mix of sadness and pride, and Rose was in complete shock, looking at Bella as though she'd never seen her before.

"Bella? What do you mean, Edward left you heartbroken in the woods?" Esme asked after a few seconds passed in silence.

"What, your perfect prince didn't tell you that he left the poor human pet alone in the middle of a forest with a sadistic vampire after her? Shame on you, Edward!" Bella replied sarcastically, making both Peter and Charlotte snort in amusement.

Jasper grinned at them.

"You were never a pet, Bella," Carlisle scolded gently. "You were—are—a daughter to us. I wouldn't want you to ever think differently."

Bella scoffed. "No thanks. If you do what you did to me, leaving without so much as a 'bye Bella, try not to get yourself killed,' to all of your family, I'll pass."

"We…"

"We thought that you'd asked us to leave you alone, Bella. Edward was quick to inform all of us that after Jasper nearly took a chunk out of you, you didn't want to know any of us any more," Emmett growled, glaring at Edward. "If we'd known what he was planning, I, at least, would have told him to shove his plan up his ass."

Bella glanced at Jasper.

"He's telling you the truth, sweetheart. He didn't know. He thought it was what you wanted."

"Alice knew though. She knew all of it, but she's not speaking up, is she?" Peter said, his eyes on Alice. Bella noticed the two of them seemed to share the dislike.

"It had to happen this way. For what it's worth, Bella, I am truly sorry for any pain it's caused you, but the alternative… I'll share it with you sometime. It'd make for a good halloween story."

Bella raised her eyebrow. "How about you tell me now, Alice?"

It wasn't so much a question as it was a demand.

Alice glanced at her family, then Edward, who was shaking his head at her, then at Jasper and Bella, who sat patiently waiting for her to tell them what would have happened.

"Edward would have come back after a year of horrible heartbreak for you, Bella. You'd have let him slip right in, you'd have agreed to marry him, and he would have killed you on your wedding night. He'd have bitten you while consummating your marriage, but instead of turning you, he'd have drained you dry."

Bella was leaning further against Jasper, her eyes narrowed as she glared at Edward. Jasper was growling, and Peter and Charlotte were both on their feet directly behind them.

Esme looked like she would be crying if she could, Rose was holding Emmett back, and Carlisle looked… lost as he stared at his son.

Edward was glaring at Alice. "Why would you tell them that? You didn't have to tell them. I could have changed the outcome! Besides, Bella isn't human now, so it wouldn't have mattered."

"You're right, Edward. It doesn't really matter. Now I know just how much of a scumbag you are, I wouldn't willing be within the same town as you," Bella said quietly. "Thank you for telling me, Alice. I apologise for not trusting you."

Alice beamed, standing to run across the deck and throw herself at Bella.

The two hugged fiercely.

"I really am sorry for the pain you felt, Bella. If I could have, I'd have done things differently," Alice murmured into Bella's hair.

"It was all worth it," Bella replied, before they let go. Alice returned to her seat, smiling from ear to ear.

Jasper grinned at Bella, sending a wave of love her way. She replied in kind, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest.

"We should go and check into a hotel," Carlisle murmured. "Bella, Jasper, would you perhaps wish to meet with us tomorrow?"

"Is that really necessary?" Bella asked. "I think my feelings have been made quite clear that I'd prefer not to be in the same State as Edward, let alone the same town."

"But—" Emmett silenced himself from objecting but he was clearly hurt.

Bella sighed. "Just give me some time, Em? Please? It's only been a few weeks since everything in my life changed, and it's a lot to take in. I don't… I don't want to deal with this. I thought I'd have more time before I had to face any of you."

He nodded. "I can do that. I, uh. We could leave you our numbers?"

Bella nodded. "Jasper has them anyway, but sure. You can send me stupid memes, how about that?"

He grinned at her and nodded eagerly.

"I'm not just going to leave you here with him," Edward growled. "You're coming home with us, Bella."

"The hell I am," Bella snapped. "I'd rather have my head set on fire than willingly be anywhere near you right now, Edward. Jasper is my mate. He's mine. I'm his."

Edward stared at her for a moment, and then turned his eyes onto Jasper. "I'll kill you!" he snarled, standing. Bella barely managed to sit up as Jasper rushed him, slamming Edward against the wall by his throat.

"Listen to me, you child," Jasper whispered, his tone menacing. "I'm not some weak willed idiot that will bow down to your nonsense. What Bella and I do with our life is our own decision, and you'll do well to remember that I could take your head off your shoulders as easily as breathing. Grow the fuck up, Edward, and learn that people—humans or vampires—are not your playtoys."

He let go of Edward and turned to Carlisle. "I suggest you take him home. He's not going to be safe here."

Edward stumbled away from the wall, rubbing his throat, and Carlisle nodded. "As you wish it. I want you both to know that to Esme and I, you're still family. You're still our children, and we'll always love you as such. You'll always have a home with us, if you want or need it."

Jasper returned to Bella's side and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Bella looked up at Carlisle and eventually, she nodded.

"Just… give us a while, please? I'm not saying never, I'm saying not now," she said, almost pleading with them all to understand. She had more important things to be thinking about than the Cullens at the moment and she really didn't appreciate them encroaching on her happiness.

With a final nod, Carlisle directed Edward to lead the way around the side of the house to the cars. Alice waited behind as the other's left.

"I'm glad you've found each other," she said, smiling softly at them. "You're going to have the most amazing future together and… we'll see each other. One day, we'll be sisters again, Bella. I promise."

Bella nodded and after a split second of indecision, she reached out to hug Alice once more.

"Oh," Alice added. "You're going to regret telling Emmett to send you memes. He's going to drive you insane."

With a tinkling giggle, she was gone, only the scents of the Cullens proof that they'd been there at all.

"That was rather anticlimactic," Charlotte complained after a moment. "I was hoping for Edward to at least lose a hand."

"We couldn't be that cruel," Jasper said with a mischievous grin. "It's the only way he'll be getting any kind of relief in the next century."

…

Alice's prediction came true. Both of them actually, since Bella broke at least five cell phones in a fit of pique when Emmett's memes became too much.

But more importantly, Bella and Jasper were amazingly, blissfully, happy together.

They split their time between exploring the country state by state and spending time with Peter and Charlotte.

After a few decades, when the anger had lessened, they visited with the Cullens a few times a year, and Edward only lost his arm once.

Bella gave it back to him after a couple of days, and he'd behaved himself for the most part since. He was still a sulky brat sometimes, but he grew, as they all did, perhaps not in age but in maturity.

Eventually, anyway.

Alice had confided in Bella that she'd begun to see visions of Edward meeting his mate, and Bella couldn't be happier for him. She hoped it would make him happier in life, and in general.

While Bella enjoyed spending time with Peter and Charlotte, and the Cullens, she still preferred the time when it was just her and Jasper and an open road, her arms wrapped around her mate's waist as he rode them to their next destination.

She thought it was quite possibly the best way to spend eternity.

Jasper agreed with her wholeheartedly.

Written for:

Record Collection: Morning Glory, 3: Don't Look Back In Anger: Write about letting something go.

Marvel Appreciation: 1. Write about someone getting angry.

The Forecast Says: 5th. Guilty

Hole In One: Hole 1: Write about travelling

Play It Out: 13. Marriage Story - Write a fic over 2k

Baking: 7. Kiss Cookies: Kissing

Shelter Building: Tarp from Counselor Elizabeth's (or Flitwick's) Cabin: (word) extravagant

Dino DNA: 3. Baryonyx: Write about something heavy. (can be physical or not)

Getting Artsy: Icy Mint / Best Friends

Friendship Bracelets: Colourful Beads: Romance

National Ice Cream Month: 12. Salted Caramel: Frustrated

National Indoor Plant Week: 6. Yucca: (weather) sunny

Romance Awareness: BellaJasper