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JPOV

"Thank you," I breathed, as Bella and I stopped by the river. The house was still in the distance and we could hear the faint sound of yelling.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her face full of concern. "It felt like you were about to break."

"I was," I agreed, with a wry smile."It was taking every ounce of self control to not break Edward's face."

Bella frowned. "Don't let him get to you. He's not worth it."

"You know, up until Edward lied about me deceiving you, I really thought we had a chance at reconciliation, that maybe he would be my brother again and we would live in peace. But, now I know that's impossible."

"I wasn't that optimistic, but I couldn't believe that he would intentionally lie. How can he accuse you of manipulating people when he apparently manipulated the whole family?" Bella was outraged on my behalf and I calmed her, but I was still feeling upset myself.

"If fate hadn't stepped in, Edward would have kept me from you. He would have either let you die as a human or turned you into an immortal and isolated you for centuries. That is what upsets me the most – the possibility of being separated from you."

The idea of a future without my mate filled me with agony. This had been Edward's intention. Nothing would ever be the same between us. I would never be able to trust him again.

"We won't ever be separated," she replied firmly. "Edward didn't win, we did."

"And Alice? I trusted her completely, but she knew the truth about Edward and never told us until now? Didn't she consider how that would affect us?"

I felt betrayed by my brother and my former partner. Even though her emotions revealed her sincere sorrow over her actions, the damage had been done. "Alice and Edward are more alike than I realized. They both think they alone should decide what's best for people."

"I understand how you feel, but Alice isn't Edward. I think she had good intentions. She had to accept losing you, and I'm know that was difficult for her. It's remarkable that she dealt with it and moved on so quickly...considering how our being together changed her life, too."

I relaxed, but only slightly. I stroked Bella's cheek.

"You're always so quick to forgive, darlin'," I said. "Alice is lucky to have you as a friend."

I glanced over my shoulder at the big white house where the others were still arguing.

"I just feel like everything our family stood for has been destroyed. Did you notice how Carlisle and Esme almost believed Edward when he lied about me? He's their first son, they'll always take his side, no matter what he does."

Bella scowled, acknowledging she agreed with me.

"We can leave," she offered.

"You would do that for me?" I asked. We had talked about leaving the family before, but I was the one to always make the offer. I knew how much she loved the Cullens, but she was willing to walk away from the family if that was what I needed to be happy.

"Yes," she responded immediately."We have to say goodbye, though. I can't treat them the way they treated me and just disappear."

"Bella, you want to be a Cullen. I can't take that away from you."

"What I want is to be with you. Nothing else matters. Like you said, Edward can't be trusted and Carlisle and Esme will always take his side. How can we live with that?"

Experience had taught me to not make any major decisions when I was overwhelmed with emotion. I didn't trust Edward, Carlisle, Esme, Alice...and I didn't trust myself. But, I did trust Bella.

"We'll do what you think is best for us," I decided. "Stay or go, I trust your decision."

Bella's eyes widened. "Really?" she asked, feeling surprised and empowered. I nodded.

She was thoughtful for a moment. "Let the family deal with Edward. You and I can return to Alaska."

I smiled. "Okay, that's what we'll do."

"We don't need the Cullens. I'll get a job, I can look for a place for us to live..." She was started to rattle off possibilities, excited, but suddenly worried, too.

"Woah," I put a finger on her lips to silence her. "I don't want to disrespect your independence, but you don't have to be responsible for us. We're going to take care of each other, alright?"

"We are," she replied, but it was almost a question.

I knew Bella carried a lot of responsibility as a human and she had to take care of herself and her mother. With Charlie, it was better, but she still cooked and cleaned for him, worried about him, felt she alone had to be responsible for him. She needed to know she wasn't alone anymore.

"You don't have to get a job Bella," I replied gently, trying to calm her worries. "I have my own money, apart from the family wealth. We have more than enough money to take care of ourselves."

"Oh," she answered, relieved. "That's good."

"You can still get a job, if you want, but I think it would be best to wait a few years, until you get used to being around humans."

She nodded, preoccupied with her thoughts, worried again. I embraced her.

"Are you sure you want to leave the family? You're worried."

Bella looked up at me. "Yes, I think we do need to leave. I just...when I thought of our future together, I always imagined us being with the family. Without them in the equation, for a second I thought it was just me, alone, trying to figure out a way to survive."

"Bella!" I admonished. "You're never going to be alone again. I promise."

She hugged me. "Thank you, Jasper. I love you."

I believed Bella made the right decision for us, but I knew she still hurting from the damage Edward and the others had done to her. It would be a long road of healing before she felt truly secure. The pain of feeling betrayed by the family was still raw for me, too. But, I didn't want either us to make a decision we might later regret. Bella was a Cullen. It was her destiny to be part of the family, despite all it's flaws.

"We don't have to cut ourselves off from the family completely," I suggested. "We'll just tell them we need time to ourselves. They'll understand that."

Bella's spirit brightened. She wanted to leave, but not forever. "That's a fair compromise," she agreed.

It was settled.

The family was still arguing when we returned to the house. Bella glanced at me, as if to ask if I wanted her to shield me from the emotions. I shook my head. The emotions were intense, however. This was the worst argument the family ever had, even worse than when Rosalie and I tried convince the family to kill Bella. I cringed at the memory.

Edward was sitting, but the rest of the family members were standing. Rosalie and Carlisle were pacing. Alice had her arms crossed. Emmett was glaring, Esme looked like she was going to cry. There was exasperation, disgust, fear, disappointment, shame. I knew it would be difficult, but I tried my best to calm them all down. Surprisingly, everyone seemed to welcome the relief I brought.

"Jasper, Bella, welcome back," Carlisle greeted.

BPOV

"There are some things I need to say," I spoke boldly, knowing Jasper was giving the encouragement I needed to find closure.

"Whatever Edward's reasons were for leaving, the fact is...he left me. And you left with him." I looked at my adoptive parents. "Carlisle, Esme – you were the parents I never had –

responsible, full of wisdom and love. You taught me what it means to be a member of a family. And you said I was like a daughter to you, but...you abandoned me. Family is supposed to stick together, but you chose Edward over me. It didn't have to be that way."

They listened somberly, Esme was especially troubled at my words.

I sighed. "I understand that I was a human and maybe you thought you were protecting me by leaving. I wish you had at least talked to me about it." Still feeling confident and clear headed, I continued. "You asked for my forgiveness and I do forgive you. But, it's going to take awhile for me to trust you again."

I turned to Alice.

"My best friend, my sister. Alice, I loved you. I still love you. I appreciate all you've done for me and Jasper. But, when you left, do you know how much that hurt me? I thought for sure you would say goodbye, or that you would keep in touch with me, but you didn't. Maybe your gift gave you confidence that you would see me again, but I had no idea that I would see you again. I was left hopeless. A friend wouldn't treat someone the way you treated me."

She didn't respond, which was unlike her personality. She couldn't object because it was the truth.

"Emmett, Rosalie, we already talked and you know how I feel. Thank you for your offer and commitment to me. It means more than you'll ever know."

My confidence was faltering and I was on the verge of emotional exhaustion. I yearned to be alone with Jasper, away from the drama, and at peace again.

Jasper put his arm around me. "Bella and I need time alone, away from the family. We still love you, but we can't be with you right now. I hope you understand."

"Goodbye," I whispered, looking each family member in the eyes, even Edward. They were surprised, but not completely shocked at our decision. Unlike how they treated me, I loved them

enough to say goodbye in person.

Jasper and I turned and walked out the door.

Epilogue

When Laurent changed Bella in the meadow she was given a second chance to be what she was always meant to be – a vampire. She also got a second chance at love. However, joining the family she loved was more complicated.

When Carlisle began his family, it was motivated from a desire to love and be loved. His coven chose to resist human blood because in doing so it allowed them to form bonds based in love. Being in touch with their human emotions brought that love, acceptance, and loyalty they all desired, but it also brought jealousy, lies and betrayal.

The perfect family wasn't so perfect anymore.