Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Being driven around in a car with blue and red lights on top of it would take a great deal getting used to.

In fact, Y/n had been saving up money for that exact reason. She wanted to buy a car as soon as she could.

When she finally made it out of the airport and into the car with her father, her stomach was in knots. Her dad, Charlie Swan, had given her an awkward one-armed hug, helped her with her bag and they had set off.

Arriving at Forks was nerve-wracking. Y/n had never spent so much time away from her mother, and she’d definitely never spent so much time with her father. She used to come here, spend summers, sometimes christmases. It thinned out until she barely saw him.

“I found you a car.” He announced. “Cheap.”

“Oh?” She was interested. “What kind of car?”

“Truck, actually. Chevy. Remember Billy Black down at La Push?”

“Jacob’s father?” A lot of her memories from a childhood in Forks were gone, but Jacob was one of the people she was looking forward to revisiting.

“Yes.” He seemed impressed. “It runs great, they don’t make them like that anymore. He’s in a wheelchair now so he can’t drive it anymore and I got it for cheap.”

“How cheap is cheap?” Y/n was interested. Cheap was definitely a very important factor to account for.

“I already bought it for you.” Charlie revealed, turning briefly to her on the passenger seat with a small smile. “Homecoming gift.”

“You didn’t have to do that, dad.” She smiled, too. “I was gonna buy myself a car.”

“I want you to be happy here, Y/n.”

“Thank you, dad. Really.”

They exchanged a few more comments and soon arrived at her dad’s house. She hadn't been here for a few years now. Parked in front of it was a faded red chevy truck. Sturdy, for sure. Safe in a collision. She was surprisingly excited about it. It was a car she could see herself in.

Her first day at school tomorrow would be easier.

“Thank you so much, I love it.”

“Glad you do.” He smiled again, visibly embarassed.

It took a couple trips to get her things upstairs to her room. She had brought all the times she could remember to, given she had no idea how long she would stay. Her wardrobe would have to be mostly replaced given the difference in temperature in Phoenix and it allowed for her to not have to burden too many suitcases. She’d brought the few clothes that would be warm enough and would save up to buy the rest, something that would be easier now she didn’t have to buy a car.

Her room was as she remembered it, and she spent the rest of the day making it her own. She called her mother to let her know she’d made it safely then made sure she had chargers for all needed electronic devices, set up her laptop and put her clothes in her closet before making it down for a rushed dinner with her father.

◆◇◆◇

Forks high-school wasn’t like the school she was used to. In fact, Forks was unlike what she was used to. If the stress wasn’t enough, the wind and rain kept her up past her usual bedtime and here she was, deeper dark circles than usual, sitting at the kitchen table having a quiet breakfast with her father and dreading having to face a small-town school where everyone would probably notice the new kid.

Charlie left first, wishing her good luck at school, and she stayed back for a moment, admiring her new house and the displayed photos of her before deciding to leave, too.

She made it to the truck without needing an umbrella, given how light the rain was. Inside, it was dry and comfortable. When she started the engine, it surprised her with how well it worked but also with how loud it was. It’d have to do.

The school was easy to find, a small win to start her school day off. She left her car, and this time did have to use an umbrella, and went inside to announce her arrival, also known as getting her schedule and map of the school in the small office that provided such things.

She considered going back to the truck to study her map, but instead decided to go inside the school. She would be a little early for class, but better to be early than to get lost.

The teacher, tall and balding, had her sit near the back for her first class and she found it comfortable enough. She was dreading having to introduce herself, she’d forget any of the fun facts she could say about herself the moment she was called to share them.

There was no one sitting next to her and she’d already studied this subject in her old high school, so she didn’t have to concern herself too much for the time being. She studied the classroom. Smaller than what she was used to. People had umbrellas and raincoats by the entrance.

When the bell finally rang she had less time to find her new class. There seemed like there was nowhere she could look without meeting curious eyes as she walked down the hall, glancing at her phone that had the photo of the map (better than having her nose in a map the whole day).

“You’re Y/n Swan, right?” A girl considerably shorter than her appeared two steps ahead of her. She had to make an abrupt stop to not bump into her.

“Yes, hi.” She managed, surprised.

“What class do you have next?” She took a peak at the schedule in Y/n’s left hand, too quick to really see anything. “Math? I have the same, I can show you where it is.”

Y/n only now truly looked at the girl. She was very pale, with golden eyes. Petite and with a short haircut that suited her pixie-like features. There was a bright smile on her face as she linked their arms together the moment Y/n accepted her offer.

“Thank you.” The girl seemed friendly. The bright and bubbly kind. There were definitely more eyes on them then when she was walking down the hall by herself, but she reminded herself of how no one else had offered her help to find her class.

“I’m Alice.” She introduced herself. “We’ve been waiting for you for a while.”

“Yeah,” Y/n chuckled. “I’m sure the new kid must be big news for such a small town.”

Alice asked her a handful of questions about her life before they made it to their class. She wanted to know how she liked Phoenix, how she was liking Forks, the things she enjoyed, the shows she watched, the books she read. She’d have continued if it wasn’t for the approaching boy.

“Alice.” He called as he reached the two of them, and the first thing Y/n noticed about him was just how tall he was. He must have been 6’5”, big and muscular like a weight-lifter, with dark and curly hair. Much like Alice, he was striking, the same golden eyes and pale skin. “Don’t you think you’ll have plenty of time in the future to get to know the new girl?” He’d asked the much smaller girl with a grin. “Don’t exhaust her.”

“I am not.” She protested, undeterred.

“I’m Emmett.” He introduced himself.

“Y/n, this is my brother, Emmett Cullen.”

“Oh, I can see the resemblance.” It was funny to think of it with their height difference. “The eyes.” She gestured towards her own face in a vague movement to explain her reasoning.

“Come.” Alice called, taking her arm again and pulling her further. Behind Emmett stood a girl, who’d only now come into view. “This is Rosalie Hale, my adoptive sister.”

It took a moment for Y/n to react. While both Emmett and Alice looked like movie stars with their faces and the way they held themselves, this girl was something else. She was the most beautiful person Y/n’d ever seen. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.” She offered a smile, but Y/n wasn’t left convinced the feeling was genuine, more so something out of politeness.

They entered the classroom and Alice had her sit next to her in the only available seat in the room after she’d handed her slip to the teacher. Emmett and Rosalie sat together, in front of their table, and Emmett placed an affectionate hand on Rosalie’s leg. “We barely got him out of the house-” She heard Emmett whisper to her.

“They’re together.” Alice told her.

Y/n blushed. Did Alice catch her looking?

“Oh, yeah, cool.” She was left without words. Instead of continuing the conversation, Alice slid her schedule over to examine it. “We have a couple more classes together. We’ll take science and history together. Do you like to shop?”

If Y/n wasn’t used to being all over the place herself, she would have found Alice to be a rather strange person. On the contrary, it endeared her to Y/n.

“Yeah, sometimes. I have to go soon, I don’t have a lot of winter clothes. You know, Phoenix and all.”

“That’s great. We can go together!”

“Sounds good.” She nodded. She was happy to have made a friend, even if everyone did continue to watch them with strange eyes. Then again, maybe it had nothing to do with her being the new student and more so with the adoptive siblings dating.

Alice offered to walk her towards her next class, one of the few they didn’t have together.

“That’s my brother.” She informed happily as they approached someone by the lockers.

“How many do you have?” Y/n asked, taking the moment before he noticed them walking up to look at him. Just like all three she’d met so far, he had pale skin. This one was tall, almost just as tall as Emmett, though she found it difficult to imagine someone who was as tall as Emmett. Leaner, but still muscular and with honey blonde hair and straight shoulders, resembling a soldier.

“You’re missing one, still. Hey, Jasper.” Alice called without enough volume to be heard in a hallway full of students’ chattering, but he still heard it somehow and turned towards them. Their eyes met, and she noticed he had the same bright golden eyes as the rest of their family. Maybe they all used coloured contacts. It matched his hair, she mused.

And just like all of them, he was beautiful. Ridiculously. If she knew this is how people in Forks looked like, she’d have moved a lot sooner.

“Jasper, this is Y/n Swan. Charlie Swan’s daughter.” Y/n was confused at Alice’s palpable excitement as she introduced them. “This is my adoptive brother and Rosalie’s twin, Jasper.”

“It’s nice to meet you.” He nodded pleasantly. He had a southern accent from the little she could hear. She didn’t remember Rosalie having one.

“She has class with you, now.” She told him before turning to her. “I’ll see you after.”

“See you, thank you for everything.” Y/n smiled before turning to Jasper, who was giving Alice a look Y/n didn’t know him well enough to decipher. “Your sister’s great.” She told him once Alice had walked away.

“Yes, she is.” He smiled down at her, stepping forward to open the door for her. “How’s Forks treating you?”

“Good to be back with my father, I guess. But the constant rain will take some getting used to.”

He nodded. “The whole town’s been waiting for you to arrive.”

“Alice said something similar. I can imagine not a lot happens around here if I’m the most interesting news of the month.” Y/n took a break to greet the teacher and have him sign the slip. “That’s three for three without having to introduce myself.”

“It’s the history teacher you need to look out for.”

“Do I have to start looking for a fun fact about myself?”

“Something of the sort.”

The teacher started class at that moment and took some time explaining what they would be doing today. They’d watch a movie they had started last week, apparently. Y/n would have to pick up from where they left off. She gave up on trying to figure it out less than five minutes after it started to instead concentrate on how close Jasper sat to her, on how still he managed to sit.

He was handsome. Beautiful. The kind you couldn’t ignore even if you tried. Perhaps he better suited her tastes because she found it more difficult to distract herself from him than she did any of his siblings, equally beautiful.

The next class she shared with Jasper she also shared with some of his siblings. No one else in the school had spoken to her yet, but she noticed no one spoke to the Cullens either. It made her weary. Not of them, but of the other kids. They seemed nice, in fact they had been nicer to her than anyone else here.

“Are you staying for lunch?” Alice asked from her side at the end of class, having repacked her bag before Y/n even unzipped hers.

“Alice.” Rosalie called, in a tense tone.

“I told my dad I’d meet him for lunch.”

“Oh, alright. We’ll have lunch together another day.”

“You’re hogging the new girl away from everyone else.” Emmett commented, playfully.

“Please, I think Y/n and I are going to be great friends.” She told him with a wink.
Y/n couldn’t help but spare one last glance at Jasper before departing from the Cullens, becoming embarrassed when he was already looking at her, even though she probably didn’t have a reason to. Emmett pulled him towards him, an arm over his shoulder and a chuckle. This diverted Jasper’s attention for long enough that she could get away, a wave to Alice.

She went to the office to deliver her signed slip and walked straight into the parking lot and inside the chevy. Driving took her mind off her day, but overall she felt content.

“How did you like school? Made any new friends?” Charlie asked her over the steak he’d ordered at the diner. They’d agreed to meet for her first day.

“Everyone seems pretty nice.” She half-lied. “Do you know the Cullen family?” Charlie knew everyone. Small town. Plus he was the sheriff.

“Dr. Cullen’s kids? Sure. He’s a great man.”

“They were really nice to me. But no one else spoke to them.”

Her dad looked annoyed, angry even. “People in this town have to talk just because they’re newcomers. Dr. Cullen is a brilliant surgeon, an asset to the community. We’re lucky to have him. And those kids have never given me one speck of trouble. More so than I can say for most of the kids around here.”

“They’re very attractive.” She changed the subject.

“You should see the doctor.” He laughed. “Some of the nurses at the hospital have a hard time focusing on their work.”

Chapter Text

The first time Y/n had lunch with the Cullens the next day, she felt extremely self-conscious. She’d gotten a normal tray of food, only to see them with assorted foods, sodas, apples. All of them untouched.

It wasn’t until Edward, the youngest of all the siblings and the one she’d met only a moment ago, picked up some food and proceeded to start eating it that the others did the same, snapping away from their conversation to follow his lead.

“Y/n, we should set up a date to go shopping.” Alice called to her.

“Oh, hm,” Y/n finished her bite before replying. “I’m good this weekend.”

“Lovely.” Alice smiled at her. Y/n took a moment, then looked at Rosalie, who’d remained to the side the whole day. “Rosalie, would you like to join us?”

Everyone’s eyes fell to the girl and she looked up defiantly, meeting them on before looking at Y/n.

“No, thank you.” She replied, politely. “You two have fun.”

“You have no idea what you’re getting into.” Jasper warned Y/n from where he sat on her left, next to Emmett. She felt a sudden ease replacing the anxiety of asking the beautiful girl to join them. “Alice can be a lot.” He finished affectionately.

Alice tossed a crumpled napkin at him without even having to look, returning to her conversation with Edward, on Y/n’s right.

“That’s good, because I’m terrible at it. I never know what to get.”

While she’d only met him the day before and all his siblings were equally beautiful, Y/n couldn’t help but feel very drawn to Jasper Hale. He was the type of person whose emotions were catching, and it was easy to feel happy and at ease around him. There was just something about him that she couldn’t quite place, nor was she concerned to.

She took a quick glance around the room. There were more than enough eyes on her to be uncomfortable. “Do they ever stop staring?”

Jasper followed her gaze, like he’d never noticed them before. “I’m afraid not.” He offered a comforting smile. “Are you done?”

She hadn’t seen him eat more than a bite, but the lunch hour was almost done and so was she. Like clockwork, they all appeared done with their meal. They didn’t eat a lot, and she wasn’t very pleased about being the only one eating around them.

“Do you want me to-” He reached for her tray on the way of getting up and grabbing his own.

“I got it.” She grabbed it instead and got up. The others remained, even though they were done, engrossed in conversation about something that Y/n had not been paying attention to know.

It wasn’t until she was done with putting her tray away that she tripped. Before she realized she was falling, Jasper had already reached forward to grab her. His fingers were ice-cold on her skin, like he’d been out in the snow instead of the heated room. That wasn’t the only thing. His touch stung her, like an electric current had passed through them.

“I’m sorry.” He told her, pulling his hand away immediately after she got steadied.

“Thank you.” She smoothed her shirt awkwardly, watching him put his tray away that he’d just balanced well enough to not drop it when he grabbed her.

He nodded, simply. “You’re welcome.”

Emmett appeared by her side then to tease her about falling, a tray in hand he quickly did away with. She shared her next class with him and so they parted from the group.

◆◇◆◇

“Y/n, you remember Billy Black?” Charlie asked, later that evening.

“I do, it’s good seeing you, Billy.”

“Hello, Y/n.” He greeted with a gentle smile. “That’s Jacob, my son.”

“No, I remember.” She smiled at the younger boy. “We used to play together as kids.”

“Hi.” He greeted. “It’s good to see you again.” There was a pause. “How are you liking the truck?"

“Oh, loving it. It runs great."

“Sure,” he chuckled. “But it’s really slow. My dad wouldn’t let me work on building another car until Charlie bought it, so thank you, I guess.”

“It’s not really that slow.”

“Have you tried anything over sixty?”

“No.”

“Good.” He laughed, again, and it was infectious. “Don’t.”

“At least it’ll be safe in a collision.”

“Fair enough.” He shrugged.

"So you build cars?"

“If I have the free time, parts… You wouldn’t have a master cylinder lying around?”

“Sorry, I’ll let you know if one turns up.”

“Jacob.” Billy called when Charlie and him finally stopped talking to each other and decided to make their way in. Billy needed help getting into the house because of his wheelchair.

“One second,” He called back to his father. “You should come down to the reservation sometime. We could hang out there.”

“I’d love to” She agreed, pulling out her phone for him to put his number in. He did with a small smile before waving at her and going to help Charlie and Billy. Y/n stood off to the side for a brief moment before going up to her room to get her work done for the day.

◆◇◆◇

Y/n was standing in the Forks High School parking lot on a very cold and icy day when she heard a loud screech. So much happened so fast, but the adrenaline helped her to absorb a lot of things.

Jasper’s face wasn’t the only one looking at her in horror. The Cullens and a large portion of the two hundred and thirty six other students that made up the student population of her school had a similar look to their faces.

The dark van was skidding directly at her and it was about to hit her truck. She stood between the two. There wouldn’t even be enough time for her to close her eyes.

She expected to be hit, to feel it all. Something did hit her truck, and something did hit her, but not from the direction she had expected. There was something solid pinning her to the ground and she was suddenly laying on the pavement. Before the van hit her after hitting the end of the truck and sliding to collide with her again, two long and pale hands shot out protectively in front of her and the van shuddered to a stop.

It took about a second for the screaming to start. There were several people screaming her name from afar. Clearer than any of them, she heard Jasper.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” She answered in a daze, not sure what had even happened. It had all been so fast. She tried to sit up but realized he was holding her against him in an iron grasp.

“Careful.” He warned. He let go of her finally and slid away. A crowd of people found them, then. Some climbed over the van or the truck, tears streaming down their faces, shouting at them and at each other. “Stay put for now.” He told her again, in the middle of all the noise.

The ambulance that brought her to the hospital had gotten a police escort. Charlie had been made aware of what happened and arrived at the school before she could leave.

The boy who’d been driving the van looked a hundred times worse. He was covered in bandages. But he was still staring anxiously at her.

“Y/n, I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine. Are you okay?”

"I thought I was going to kill you…” He winced.

“I’m alright, I promise. You, huh, missed me.”

“How did you get away so fast? You were there and then…”

After a string of unnecessary exams, she was returned to her bed to wait for results and decided to close her eyes and relax for a moment.

“Is she asleep?” Her eyes flew open, and there he was again, now smiling at her from where he sat in the bed next to hers. “What’s the verdict?”

She hadn’t forgotten how he’d told the EMT she probably had a concussion and should be checked. They’d probably have let her go a lot faster if he didn’t.

“I’m fine, but they won’t let me go.” She complained. “How come you’re not being checked like the rest of us?”

“It’s all about who you know.” He was amused. “Don’t worry, I’ve come to spring you.”

The blonde doctor that turned the corner then left her no doubts on his identity. He was too beautiful to be anything else other than a Cullen. Dr. Cullen, who her father had mentioned. Like all his adoptive children, he was pale, with dark circles under his bright golden eyes.

“Miss Swan, how do you feel? Jasper said you might have hit your head.” He had a soothing voice.

“No, I’m fine. Jasper got me out of the way.”

He hummed while he checked her eyes and chart. “Sounds like you were very lucky.”

He examined her briefly before turning to the boy who’d almost hit her, who was in a much worse shape, letting her leave to go see her father.

“Can I speak to you?”

“Your father is waiting for you.” Jasper set his hands behind his back, shoulders squared. She’d seen him like this before. He reminded her of a soldier. Counterintuitively, it’s how he looked more relaxed to her.

“I’d like to speak to you.”

He followed her outside, into a hallway.

“You saved my life.”

Jasper dropped his head forward and smiled to himself. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“How did you do it?”

“You think I lifted a van off of you?”

“I-”

“Just thank me.” He offered, instead. “And we’ll get over it.”

“That’s all I wanted to do, anyway.” He ducked his head now, like he was bowing to her. Then he turned around and walked down the hall and away from her.

Charlie rushed to her when she reached the waiting room. “There’s nothing wrong with me.” She assured.

“What did Dr. Cullen say?”

“He told me to come back if I felt bad or had any problem, but that I was free to go for now.” She wanted to leave before anyone could talk to her, ask her how she was doing. She wanted to be done with the day.

As she drifted to sleep that night, trying to replay her memories of what had happened, she kept finding herself thinking only of Jasper Hale and how he’d saved her. It was the first time she dreamed of him.

Chapter Text

Y/n found herself to be the center of attention the rest of the week, and with that came some separation from the Cullens. They didn’t go well with big crowds and such. People also didn’t seem concerned about Jasper’s wellbeing nearly as much as they did hers and he was never surrounded by eager bystanders waiting for a firsthand account of what happened.

Rosalie seemed upset with her, never speaking to her unless she had to, whispering quietly to her siblings and to Emmett.

She watched their eyes grow darker, then lighter golden the next day when they came to school. At some point, she’d have to ask about the matching contacts.

So she was happy when the weekend finally arrived and she could go with Alice.

“This is pretty.” She held something up to her, again. They’d come in Y/n’s Chevy even though Alice complained about how her car would be faster. They didn’t stray too much from Forks, making it to Port Angeles.

“It is,” She agreed, pushing her cold hand down. “But I’d freeze.”

“Sacrifices must be made for fashion, Y/n.” She informed, although she put it back on the rack.

“Winter clothes.” She reaffirmed. They looked in silence for a moment, Alice moving like a ballerina in enviable grace. “Does your sister hate me or something?”

“Rosalie doesn’t hate you.” Alice turned to her with a little smile and she immediately felt like she was being silly. “In fact, I believe she’s jealous of you.”

“Jealous?” She scoffed. “Why?”

“It’s complicated... ” Alice trailed off, staring at nothing for a brief moment. Y/n had seen her do it before, and she’d never seen her family react to it, so she was past questioning her behavior. “Maybe it will make sense soon.” She must have realized how ominous she sounded, because she continued. “When she’s past it, and you two get closer.”

Right now, Y/n had a hard time imagining becoming friends with Rosalie, but she also had only known her for a short time. It was foolish to think they couldn’t become friends, one day.

She shrugged. “How’s this?”

“Hideous.” Alice said without looking.

“Alice!” She laughed.

“I can’t support you in this aversion to fashion you clearly have.” She laughed as she waved a hand in front of the dark shirt.

◆◇◆◇

Y/n day’s quickly became routine. She spent most of her time with Alice. She had quickly become a close friend and had even met Charlie, who loved her. Emmett shared a bunch of classes with her and was always friendly to her. He looked scary at first, but she had already realized he had a very warm personality.

She’d grown more accustomed to the eyes that seemed to follow her, and it had gotten better. Soon, the whole town would forget there was a new girl.

Y/n sought out Jasper while walking down the hallway, sometimes even in classrooms for classes they didn’t share. It was futile, because everytime he wanted to see her, he’d find her first. She couldn’t count the amount of times that she’d been walking to class and he’d appeared next to her and offered to walk with her. She hadn’t gotten used to it, and it made her heart race every time.

At a point she’d started to worry. She’d had crushes before, but this one had appeared and evolved so quickly that it started to scare her. She had no idea what he thought of her, and for the first time in her life, she wished she could read minds. For all she knew, he only spoke to her because his sister had taken a liking to her.

“Good morning, Y/n.”

Like clockwork.

“Good morning, Jasper.”

“Going to biology?”

“Where else?” She smiled, then noticed the book he was holding. It wasn’t anything school-related. “Are you not?”

“I think I’m going to take a reading break, actually.”

“Really?” She was surprised. The Cullens acted differently, but were known even by Charlie for being polite and following the rules.

“It’s healthy to ditch class now and then.”

“I’m going.” She informed. “Have fun, then.”

“I’ll see you later.” He stopped by the entrance of the class, like he was dropping her off. She hesitated, torn on following him and risk getting caught or making it to class. The bell rang then, and the decision was made for her.
She settled into her seat, but the teacher wasn’t there yet. She began doubting her decision.

Once the teacher came into the room, he produced a pair of rubber gloves from his pocket and put them on, the sharp sound indicating she might not enjoy what she was about to do. “Okay everyone, take one piece from each box. An indicator card, a four-pronged applicator, sterile microlancet.” He showed them one by one to the class. “I’ll be coming around with a dropper of water to prepare your cards so please don’t start until I get to you.”

Y/n prepared her things in front of her as the teacher started going around. “Carefully prick your finger with the lancet.” He instructed, using a willing participant as the demonstrator. Y/n frowned. “Put a small drop of blood on each prong, then apply it to the card.” He squeezed the student’s finger until the blood flowed.

“There’s a blood drive in Port Angeles next weekend, so I thought you should know your blood type.”

Y/n was strangely bothered by the sight and smell of blood suddenly around her. Perhaps it wasn’t even related, but she definitely didn’t feel good. There was a tightening on her chest and she knew if she didn’t lay down she’d lose consciousness.

“Miss Swan, are you feeling okay?” The teacher approached her. “Are you feeling faint?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Can someone take her to the nurse?” He spoke to the general population of the classroom. “Can you walk?”

“Yes.” She wasn’t too sure of it.

A male student towed her through the grounds of the high school when finally, near the cafeteria, she couldn’t make it anymore.

“Can I just sit for a moment?”

“Sure,” He shrugged, helping her sit. “Are you feeling worse?”

“No, I-”

“Y/n?” A different voice called from the distance. The accent was impossible to miss. “What’s wrong- is she hurt?”

“I think she’s fainted. I don’t know what happened.” The boy answered, and he sounded stressed.

"Y/n.” His voice rang right beside her. “Can you hear me?”

She groaned. Out of everyone to see her like this. “No.”

He chuckled.

“I was taking her to the nurse. But she wanted to sit down.”

“I’ll take her.” Jasper said. She could hear the smile in his voice. “You can go back to class. Let them know.”

The sidewalk disappeared from beneath her and her eyes flew open in shock. Jasper had scooped her up in his arms, as easily as if she weighed ten pounds.

“Wait, put me down.” She complained but he was walking before she finished talking.

“You look awful.” He told her with a grin.

“Put me down.” The rocking movement didn’t help. He held her away from his body, supporting all her weight with just his arms - it didn’t seem to bother him.

She wasn’t sure how he opened the door while holding her, but she was suddenly in a warm room.

“She fainted in biology.”

“Oh my,” A female voice was heard.

He placed her down and moved back, pressing his body to the wall to watch the motherly nurse fuss over her. “She’s just a little faint,” he reassured. “They’re blood typing in biology.”

“There’s always one.”

Jasper muffled a laugh, stepping back up to her when she was feeling better.

“Does this happen a lot?”

“Passing out, yes. Over blood, no.”

“You can go back to class, now.” She said to Jasper.

“I’m supposed to stay with her.” He said with natural authority that didn’t leave space for the nurse to question him. She’d noticed people rarely questioned him. Male privilege-

“I’ll get you some ice, dear.”

“Apparently ditching is healthy.” She said to him once the lady moved past them. “You were right after all.”

“You had me scared there for a moment.” He looked entertained. “I’ve seen corpses with better color. I was afraid I’d have to avenge your murder.”

“Weren’t you ditching?”

“I was, then I saw Oliver dragging you through the school like he was about to hide a dead body. That’s where the avenging came in.”

“I think I’m fine.” She tried to get up. Before she could be shushed and told to lie back down, someone stuck their head in the door.

“We have another one.”

She hopped down to free the cot she was laying on for the next person.

“You look better.” Jasper accused. “Are you going back to class?”

“Oh, gym.” She groaned.

"I can take care of that. Go sit down and look pale.”

He called the nurse, a name she didn’t catch. "Y/n has Gym next hour, and I don't think she feels well enough. Actually, I was thinking I should take her home now. Do you think you could excuse her from class?” His voice was gentle, honey like his hair.

“Do you need to be excused, too?”

“I don’t think they will mind.”

“Very well, feel better Y/n.”

With his back to her, Jasper walked up to Y/n. “Can you walk, or do you need me to carry you again?”

“I can walk.” He opened the door for her and she stepped outside. “If I knew you’d get me out of classes like this… it’s almost worth nearly passing out.”

“Anytime.”

Near the parking lot, she veered towards her truck. Jasper caught her before, an ice cold hand gripping her elbow. “Where are you going?”

“Home?”

“Didn’t you hear me promise I’d take you home safely?”

“What about my truck?”

“Alice will drop it off.”

“I’m perfectly capable of driving myself home.” She reasoned.

He opened the passenger door of the Volvo she’d seen his younger brother drive and waited for her to get in. She didn’t right away, first calculating the chances of reaching the truck before he could catch her. It wasn’t looking good.

“I’d just drag you back.” He told her, watching her with light amusement as she looked longingly at her truck.

“Fine.” She relented, getting into his car. He closed the door and rounded the car. “This is unnecessary.”

He didn’t respond. She was going through topics for conversation during the trip. It was the first time they were alone together without it being at school, and she was suddenly nervous now that the nauseous feeling from earlier had passed.

“Clair de Lune?” She asked when she realized the song that was playing.

“Hm?” He seemed distracted. “Oh, yes… It’s Edward’s…” He trailed off, absentmindedly. “Do you like classical music?”

“I do. My mom used to play it a lot around the house.”

She noticed now that he was driving faster than she usually did, but so smoothly she hadn’t noticed it.

“What’s your mother like?” He asked after a moment.

“She’d great. Outgoing and brave. A little eccentric, irresponsible.” She chuckled, suddenly missing her mother.

“Do you miss her?”

“Yes.” There was no other answer. “Of course I do, but she’s with Phil and everything so…”

He waited to see if she would continue. When she didn’t, he continued. “Do you approve?”

“I want her to be happy.” She said. “With whomever that may be.”

“Would she extend the courtesy to you? Whomever you wanted?”

“I’d like to think so… but she’s the parent.” Y/n chuckled, like she was remembering an inside joke. “So it may be different.”

Jasper hummed.

“Now, are you going to tell me about your family? It has to be a more interesting story than mine.”

“You’ve met them.” He replied. “What do you want to know?”

“The Cullens adopted you… and Rosalie?” Sometimes Y/n forgot Jasper had a twin sister.

He stopped the car, and she looked outside. They were already at her house and she’d barely noticed. The combination of the now fast-falling rain and conversation distracted her.

“Yes.”

“Do you remember your parents?”

“They died a long time ago.” He informed, not looking at her.

“I’m sorry.” She couldn’t imagine losing Charlie or Renée.

“I should go before my siblings get soaked waiting for me.”

“Of course. Thank you for the ride.”

He made a movement to help her open her door, but she was already done. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Jasper was still smiling as he drove away.

As she sat in her room trying her best to focus on her assignments, she was listening in hope of hearing her truck. She thought she’d hear the engine’s roar, but when she looked outside the window, there it was, in her driveway.

Chapter Text

Y/n made sure to go in the house to greet Billy Black when she arrived at Jacob’s house. He was prepared to jump into her truck the moment she stopped the car.

Her father had been enthusiastic when she had called Jacob and he’d invited her to hang out. Maybe he felt guilty over leaving her alone for such extended periods of time. Or maybe he was happy she would be somewhere else and he could go fishing in peace.

“Move.” She told him from her driver’s seat window where he’d planted himself at the wheel once she returned.

“Worth the try.” He laughed as he slid over to the passenger seat and watched her climb in.

It had only been fifteen miles to La Push from Y/n’s house, with some gorgeous and dense forests edging the road most of the way. She barely remembered the beaches from her childhood, but the road was surprisingly familiar as she suddenly recalled the trips.

The water was dark gray even in the rare sunlight, white-capped and heaving to the gray, rocky shore. The beach only had a thin border of sand at the water's edge, after which it grew into millions of large, smooth stones that looked uniformly gray from a distance.

There was a brisk wind coming off the waves. “The guys should be around here somewhere.” Jacob was unbothered by the cold. They were going to meet some of his friends. Fellow teenagers from the reservation, come down to the beach to socialize.

They found them around a fire, and Jacob introduced her to everyone. Food was passed around and shared. She remembered some faces, like Leah Clearwater, Harry Clearwater’s daughter, a girl her age who she’d spent some time together as children during their fathers’ fishing trips. Jacob introduced her to his close friends, Embry and Quil. There were some kids around from Forks as it was a nice, sunnier day and such rare occasions were cherished.

A kid looked at her, then did a double take. She recognised him from one class they shared. He seemed to know her, too. Then again, everyone seemed to know her at that school. “Swan, didn’t invite the Cullens?”

“What?” She asked, confused. He’d never spoken to her.

“Aren’t you always following them around?”

“The Cullens don’t come here.” An older boy replied in a tone that ended the conversation before Y/n got another word in. She stared at Sam Uley with curiosity. The way he’d spoken it, deep voiced, made it seem almost like they were prohibited.

His manner left a strange impression. She tried to ignore it without success.

“So, Forks driving you insane yet?”

“Actually, I am enjoying it more than I thought I would.” She smiled at him. She was still turning over Sam’s comment in her head when she was suddenly inspired. “Do you wanna take a walk on the beach?”

Jacob sat up willingly.

“So, you’re what now, 16?”

“I’m 17.” He replied with mock offense. “We can’t all be old like you.”

“Wow.” She gasped, equally amused. “Okay, fine…” She chuckled and let the subject change. “Do you come up to Forks much?”

“No, not really.” He looked out at the waves, then back at her. “I will, when I finish building this car.”

“Makes sense.” She smiled. “Who was that boy? He seemed older.”

“That’s Sam. He’s not that much older.”

“What was he saying about Dr. Cullen’s family?” She pulled all her acting skills together now, to ask him as innocently as she could.

“The Cullens? Oh, they're not supposed to come onto the reservation.” He looked away towards an island, confirming what she’d thought she’d heard in Sam’s voice earlier.

“Why not?”

“I’m not supposed to talk about it.”

“I won’t tell anyone. I was just curious.”

He smiled back, though, looking allured. “Do you like scary stories?”

“I love them.” She enthused.

“There’s a lot of legends about our tribe. One that we descended from wolves, that’s why it’s against tribal law to kill them. But there’s also stories about the cold ones.”

“Cold ones?”

“Yes. There are stories of them as old as the wolf legends, some really recent, too. According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew them. He’s the one that made the treaty that keeps them out of our land. He was a tribal elder. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf—well, not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves.”

“Werewolves have enemies?”

“Only one.”

“They’re traditionally enemies, but the pack that came to our territory at that time was different. They didn’t hunt the same way, so they weren’t dangerous to our tribe. My great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they promised to stay off our land, well, then we wouldn’t expose their secret.”

“Not dangerous?”

“There’s always a risk. If they get too hungry to resist. Even if they’re civilized.”

“Civilized?”

“They prey on animals, instead of on humans.”

“How does this all fit with the Cullens? Are they like the cold ones your great-grandfather met?”

“No.” There was a dramatic pause, and he seemed amused, smiling pleased to himself for selling me this story. “They are the same ones.”

When she didn’t reply, he continued. “There’s more of them now. But in my great-grandfather’s time we already knew the leader to be Carlisle.”

“What are they? The cold ones?”

“Blood drinkers. Vampires, you would call them.” He paused again. “You have goosebumps.” He commented, touching her arm and laughing delightedly.

“You’re good at telling stories.”

“It’s pretty crazy stuff. But don’t say anything to Charlie. He was already upset with my dad when he heard some of us didn’t go to the hospital because Dr. Cullen worked there.”

“Of course not.” She remembered the conversation she had with her father when she first came to Forks.

“Do you think we’re all superstitious now?”

“I think you’re a good storyteller.” She repeated the compliment.

◆◇◆◇

The next day, a sunday at home, Y/n didn’t have much to do. She showered, dressed slowly, made her bed and had a long breakfast before finally making her way back to her room and to her laptop to look for what she’d been thinking about since the day before.

Vampires.

It took a long time to find anything. There were movies, stories and drawings. It wasn’t until almost an hour later that she found a promising website - simple white background and black lettering. There were myths of vampires from all over the world. The filipino Danag. The roman varacolaci. The slovak nelapsi. She thought of what she knew from the Cullens. Speed and strength from when Jasper saved her from the van. Beauty and pale skin. Their eyes that seemed to change colour. She cross referenced them with what Jacob had said. Immortal blood drinkers. Cold skinned.

She felt silly suddenly. Vampires? Really? Forks must have been driving her crazy indeed.

She went downstairs, maybe she’d watch some TV. She couldn’t focus. Perhaps not vampires, but the Cullens were definitely something.

But if they were, there was nothing she could do. Would she call the police? Her dad?

If the Cullens were something sinister… If Jasper was something sinister… They’d done nothing to hurt her so far. In fact, without Jasper she’d be dead, squished between her truck and the van. She argued with herself. Even if it had been a reflex, if his reflex was to save lives, how bad could he be?

◆◇◆◇

Emmett got a kick out of her fainting episode the next day. Some of the kids in her class who had seen it happen or those who had heard about it had come to ask her if she was doing better.

“What did you do this weekend?” She asked Jasper later as they walked to class.

“Camping up at Goat Rocks.” He answered, a smile playing at his features like he was remembering a joke Y/n wasn’t in on. “What did you do?”

“I went down to La Push.” She told him as they entered the classroom. “It’s very pretty down there, I hadn’t gone since I was very young. You guys should camp there one of those days.”

“I doubt we’d be welcomed.” He answered only because he knew she was waiting for her to reply or the conversation wouldn’t continue. “You have friends there?”

“Yeah.” She took note of his attempt to change the subject before she could ask about why they aren’t welcomed there. “Jacob, our parents are friends. I knew him as a kid.”

“I’m glad you had fun.”

“What do you mean, you wouldn’t feel welcomed?”

Jasper considered her with watchful, attentive eyes. Then class started and he looked forward. He’d decided not to answer her and she was less curious now, which was odd. But it wasn’t looking promising on the case against the Cullens being vampires.

She looked over to him, honey blond hair in waves down by ears and an inhumanly beautiful face (though perhaps she was biased there). Expensive clothes that fit him too well. She was sure he could have been using a rag and still look better than anyone in the room.

If they were… if he was… then she was in danger just sitting near him. Jacob had called them civilized, but he’d also warned how they could lose control. Just as she was beginning to feel nervous, perhaps scared, the teacher called on her for an answer. She hadn’t been paying attention and had to apologize for not knowing while some students looked back at her when her name was spoken.

By the time that ordeal was over, she tried to focus on class, not missing the way Jasper glanced at her, like he wasn’t sure what to expect from her.

Chapter Text

She chose the next weekend after a week of warmer days where the Cullens disappeared for another family camping trip to go out by herself. She’d stayed up late at night looking at websites about vampires. If someone were to find her search history, they’d think she was obsessed.

She picked up a beautiful V-necked blouse she loved, noting how it was her attire for a warm day here in Forks while the same top had been reserved for her coldest days back in Phoenix.

Port Angeles was a beautiful little tourist trap, much more polished and quaint than Forks. She walked around for a while, before stopping at a big department store to look for some clothes. She’d gotten a few when she went out with Alice, but she wasn’t sure they were enough. Y/n would basically need to rebuild a closet now, since everything she owned before was too cold for the average day living in her new home. She was suddenly hit with a longing feeling as she thought of her friends back home and all the trips they’d taken to malls together.

After a while and after buying a couple of items which would have to be enough for now, Y/n decided to explore some more of the town. Perhaps she’d hit a bookstore. If she was lucky, perhaps she’d find a book about vampires. She chuckled to herself at the thought.

At least here in Port Angeles, people didn’t know who she was. If they found such a thing strange, they wouldn’t know who was asking for it.

She meandered through the streets, looking for a bookstore or something similar, not paying much attention to the people around her, streets piling up with end-of-the-workday traffic.

It was then she noticed Edward's quaint little silver Volvo, the car Jasper had driven her home in when she passed out, parked along the street. They didn’t always come in the same car, Rosalie would drive a red convertible, Jasper or Emmett sometimes drove a jeep to school.

Was Edward in Port Angeles?

Was Jasper?

If she wanted to look for a book about vampires, she didn’t want to run into them. Rather than give up on her plan of finding a bookstore, she turned around and went down another street, stomping down towards two stores that looked promising. When she got closer, she realized they were a repair shop and an empty store up for rental. So much for promising.

A group of men, four of them, turned around the corner then, dressed casually, too casually for someone heading home from the office, but not tourists, either. They approached her and she scooted back to give them room, walking swiftly.

“Hey there!” One of them called. He had to be talking to her, there was no one else around.

She mumbled something close enough to a ‘hello’ and quickened her pace. Two of them paused, the other two slowing down.

One of them, heavy-set and wearing sandals, took a step towards her. “Hey, wait!” Another called from behind her. The walk back to where she’d just come from was blocked by them, so she walked in the opposite direction.

The sky suddenly darkened further, and, as she looked over her shoulder to glare at the offending cloud, she realized with a shock that two of the men were walking quietly twenty feet behind her, following her.

She debated on whether she should run or not, leaving her bag behind, always making sure to track the steps behind her.

There were some cars on the road up front. If she could make it there, there’d be more people and-

She stopped.

The street was lined on both sides by blank, doorless, windowless walls. I could see in the distance, two intersections down, streetlamps, cars, and more pedestrians, but they were all too far away. Because lounging against the western building, midway down the street, were the other two men from the group, both watching with excited smiles as she froze dead on the sidewalk.

She wasn’t being followed. She was being herded.

“There you are.”

She darted towards the other side of the road. A futile last attempt, perhaps. She was convinced she couldn’t outrun four large men. But she was damned if she wouldn’t at least try.

She was planning what to do in a fight the moment they got to her, trying to ignore the doubt in her mind that told her there was no point in trying.

There were headlights, and for a moment she thought the silver car would hit her, then it stopped, passenger door right in front of her.

“Get in.” A furious voice told her, a command she wasn’t about to disobey now that she knew who it was. She got into Jasper’s car and closed the door behind her. The fear didn’t pass, it was replaced with anger. Confusion, too. She wasn’t sure why she was so angry all of a sudden.

“Your seatbelt.” She obeyed again, and the snap of the belt was loud in the car. He was driving too fast for her, but for now she could breathe out in relief, her heart could stop pounding like it was trying to escape her chest.

She looked at his face then, only now realizing how truly angry, murderously so, he looked.

“Are you okay?”

“No.” He said, curtly, tone livid.

She glanced outside. It was too dark to know where she was, and she didn’t know the place well, but they weren’t in town anymore.

“Y/n?” He still didn’t look at her.

“Yes?”

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“Distract me, please.” He guessed her confusion. “Talk about something until I calm down.”

“I, hum,” She rattled her brain for something. “I watched the finale of a show today. It kind of sucked, it’s a romance, it was cute, I guess, but they kind of did the second male lead dirty. He was so nice but in the end he didn’t get a happy ending. Even the villain, well, not really a villain but definitely not a good person, got a good ending.”

“What happened?” He sounded more composed.

“He cried in a stairwell over the girl he didn’t get.” She clarified. “Are you better?”

“No, not really.”

She waited for him to continue but he didn’t.

“What’s wrong?” Her voice was almost a whisper.

“I’m trying to convince myself not to go back and-” He turned to her suddenly. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m okay. I promise.” She reassured, leaning back on the seat. She had been terrified a moment ago, but now that he was looking at her, murderous expression suddenly gone and replaced by a soft, albeit terribly intense gaze, she felt safe and secure and… happy.

A part of her pushed the feeling away, chastising her for feeling happiness after almost being attacked. Another couldn’t help it.

He started the engine without another word, turning around smoothly and speeding back toward town. They were under the streetlights in no time at all, still going too fast, weaving with ease through the cars slowly cruising the boardwalk. He parallel-parked against the curb in a space she would have thought much too small for the Volvo, but he slid in effortlessly in one try.

She looked out the window to see the lights of an Italian restaurant La Bella Italia.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“I'm taking you to dinner.” The corner of his lip turned up in the sort of amused expression she had come to expect from Jasper. He left the driver’s side of the car and closed the door quickly. She fumbled with her seatbelt, hurrying to leave, and he opened the door for her on the other side, waiting on the sidewalk.

“Honestly, I’m not hungry.” She insisted, looking up to observe his face.

“Humour me.” He replied, offering her his arm. He walked to the door of the restaurant and held it open with an obstinate expression. Obviously, there would be no further discussion.

She gave him a resigned sigh then walked past him and into the restaurant. It wasn’t crowded - it was off-season in Port Angeles.

The host was a woman, and Y/n understood the look in her eyes the moment she glanced and assessed Jasper. She was surprised by how much it bothered her. She missed the amused glance Jasper sent at her reaction.

“Table for two?”

She led them to a table big enough for four in the center of the most crowded area of the dining floor. Y/n was about to sit, but he shook his head at her.

“Perhaps something more private?” He insisted quietly to the host.

“Sure.” She turned and led them around a partition to a small ring of booths — all of them empty. “How's this?”

“Perfect.” He flashed his gleaming smile, charging on the southern charm, dazing her momentarily.

She blinked for a moment, then regained herself. “Your server will be right out.”

“You shouldn’t do that to people.” She criticized when the woman left. “It’s not fair.”

“What did I do?” And Jasper was suddenly in a good mood, seemingly amused by Y/n’s behavior, like she’d just done something that pleased him tremendously when all she did was walk inside a room and sit down.

“Dazzled her. She’s probably hyperventilating in the kitchen.”

He laughed. “Do I dazzle people?”

“Yes.” She replied immediately. “Do you think the rest of us mere mortals get our way this easily?”

“Do I dazzle you?”

“Frequently.” She admitted.

The server arrived, face expectant. The hostess must have spoken about Jasper behind the scenes and this new girl didn’t seem disappointed with what she’d found. She flipped a strand of short black hair behind one ear and smiled with unnecessary warmth.

“Hello. My name is Amber, and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you to drink?” Y/n didn't miss that she was speaking only to him. He looked at Y/n.

“I'll have a Coke.” It sounded like a question.

“Two Cokes, please.” He said.

“I'll be right back.” She assured him with another unnecessary smile. But he didn't see it. He was watching Y/n.

“What?” She asked when the server left. His eyes stayed fixed on her face.

“How are you feeling?”

“You’ve asked me this twice already.” She touched the back of her neck in embarrassment.

“You’re not dizzy, sick?”

“Should I be?”

“I’m expecting you to go into shock.” There it was, that smile again. “I’ll feel better when you have some food in you.”

Right on cue, the waitress returned. “Ready to order?”

“Y/n?” He asked.

“I’ll, huh, take the ravioli.”

“And you?”

“Nothing for me.” He crossed his arms on the table in front of him.

“Here.” He pushed her glass towards her and she drank, surprised by how thirsty she was. He pushed his own glass towards her next. “Thank you.”

The soda was cold and she shivered.

“Are you cold?”

“It’s just the drink.”

“Do you have a jacket?”

“I left it in my truck.”

Jasper was shrugging off his jacket before she realized.

“Thanks.” She said again, sliding her arms into his jacket. It was cold — the way her jacket felt when she first picked it up in the morning, hanging in the drafty hallway.

It smelled amazing and she tried to identify the scent. It wasn’t cologne.

“The color looks lovely on you.”

She looked down, flushing in surprise.

“You don’t look shaken.” He pointed out. “A normal person would be going into shock right about now.”

“I feel very safe with you.” She confessed and his reaction was strange. She noticed his eyes then, bright golden. “Your eyes change often enough that I've developed a theory.”

“You have? I thought we’d settled on coloured contacts.”

“That was the first theory, I’ve moved past it.”

She realized they’d leaned towards each other across the table when the waitress arrived with her plate and they both pulled back. She set the dish in front of Y/n and turned quickly to Jasper.

“Did you change your mind? Anything I can get you?”

“No, thank you.” The woman left them and he turned his full attention to her again.

“You were saying?” He asked.

“I’ll tell you later.”

“I’d love to hear it.”

“If…”

“There are conditions?” He raised an eyebrow.

“I do have a few questions.”

“Of course. Go ahead.”

“Why are you in Port Angeles?” He looked to his long, white hands, folded on the table.

“Can I skip it?”

“It’s the easiest one.” She smiled sheepishly, picking up her fork to eat. “Let’s say, hypothetically, that Joe, let’s call him,” He nodded along. “Was to come here because of someone he knew. How would he know to find them?”

“Only you could attract trouble in such a small town.”

“I was speaking hypothetically.”

“I’m sorry.” He laughed, eyes warm. “She, let’s say, Jane.” She realized she was leaning towards him again, eyes locked. “Attracts trouble like she was meant for it. It might leave Joe concerned.”

His eyes locked with her, and I guessed he was making the decision right then whether or not to simply tell me the truth.

“You could trust me, you know.” She murmured. She reached forward, without thinking, to touch his folded hands, but he slid them away minutely, and she pulled my hand back.

“You’re more observant than I give you credit for.” He admitted. “I’ve never tried to keep one specific person safe before. But it’s you, and I must, even if I didn’t want to.”
“Maybe my number was up the first time, with the van, and you've been interfering with fate?”

“Yet here you sit.”

“Because of you.”

“Eat.” He urged. “I could feel what they felt.” He explained to her when she finally returned to her food. “I had to check, either way. It was very… hard — you can't imagine how hard — for me to simply take you away, and leave them… alive. And I was afraid if I left you alone, I would go looking for them.”

She sat quietly and finished her food. He was as still as if he’d been carved from stone. Finally, he looked up.

“Are you ready to go home?”

“I’m ready to leave.”

The waitress appeared as if she’d been called, or as if she’d been watching them. “How are you doing?”

“We’re ready for the check, thank you.” His voice was quiet and rough, reflecting the strain of the conversation. She produced a small leather folder from the front pocket of her apron and handed it to him. There was a bill in his hand already and he slipped it into the folder before handing it back. “No change.”

Then he stood up and she scrambled to her feet awkwardly. He walked close beside her to the door and she looked at the sidewalk, grateful for the fresh air. He opened the door for her, holding it as she stepped in, shutting it softly behind her. She watched him walk around the car, amazed with how graceful he was. She should have gotten used to the way the Cullens moved by now, but she hadn’t.

She wasn’t sure she could.

Once inside the car, he started the engine and turned the heater on high. It had gotten very cold, and she guessed the good weather was at an end. But she was warm in his jacket. Jasper pulled out through the traffic, apparently without a glance, flipping around to head toward the freeway. "Now," he said significantly, "it's your turn."

Chapter Text

“Can I just… ask one more?” She pleaded as she watched him accelerate much too quickly down the quiet road. He didn’t seem to be paying much attention to the road.

“One.”

“How did you know where I was?”

“I followed your scent.” He was past the pretense of avoiding it, it seemed. That was both a relief and a scary thought.

She couldn’t think of an acceptable response to that.

“What did you mean, you felt what they did? How does that work?”

“That’s more than one question.” He pointed out.

She resorted to intertwining her fingers and gazing at him.

“I can feel what people are feeling, and I can control it, too. I have always kind of been able to do that or something similar.”

“Can you feel what I feel?”

“Yes.”

“Always?”

“Yes.”

“Ever since we met?”

“Yes.” He chuckled, then.

“Oh god.” She leaned back in her seat. How embarrassing.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“Can you stop?”

“I wish I could.”

She noticed the speedometer. “Slow down!”

“What’s wrong?” He was suddenly startled, but didn’t slow down.

“You’re going a hundred miles an hour!” She looked outside the window in panic, but it was too dark to see. The only thing visible was the path made on the road by the headlights of his car. The forest on both sides acted like a dark wall. “Are you trying to kill us?”

“We’re not going to crash.”

“Why are you in a hurry??”

“I always drive like this. I’ve never been in an accident, I’ve never even got a ticket.”

“My dad’s a cop, you know, I was raised to abide by traffic laws. Besides, if you turn us into a Volvo pretzel around a tree trunk, you can probably just walk away.”

“Probably,” He agreed with a short laugh. “But I would never even consider doing that to you.”

She watched with relief as the needle gradually drifted towards eighty. “Happy?”

“Almost.”

“This is slow.”

“This is slow?”

“I’m still waiting for your theory, when you’re done commenting on my driving.” He paused. “I won’t laugh.”

“I’m not afraid you will laugh… I don’t know how to start.” He waited. “I didn’t come up with this on my own.”

“Did you not? What was it? A movie?”

“My friend down at the reservation, Jacob, his father is one of the elders of the tribe.” She explained, watching him carefully. His expression froze in place. “We went for a walk, and he told me some old legends. I think he was trying to scare me. He told me one…” She hesitated.

“Go on.”

“About vampires.”

She couldn’t look at his face, but she saw his knuckles tighten on the wheel. “And you thought of me?”

“No, actually. He mentioned your family.”

He was silent, staring at the road. She was worried suddenly, worried about protecting Jacob.

“He just thought it was a silly superstition,” She said quickly. "He didn't expect me to think anything of it. An older boy from the tribe said your family didn't come to the reservation, only it sounded like he meant something different. So I got Jacob alone and I asked him.”

“What did you do then?” He asked after a minute.

“I did some research on the Internet.”

“And did that convince you?” His voice was interested.

“It all felt pretty silly. Then I decided it didn’t matter. What you are.”

“You don’t care if I’m not human?”

“Am I wrong?”

“Does it matter?”

“No.” She smiled. “But I’m curious.”

“What are you curious about?”

“How old are you?”

“I’m 19. I was 19.” He started. “I’ve been 19 since 1863.”

She took a moment to take in something she already knew. “How can you come out during the day?”

“Myth.” He chuckled.

“Sleeping in coffins?”

“Myth. I can’t sleep. Never.” He told her. “Aren’t you more concerned about my diet?”

“Jacob said the Cullens were, huh, civilized, they didn’t feed on humans.”

“He’s well informed.”

She watched the headlights twist with the curves of the road. They moved too fast; it didn't look real.

“Tell me more.”

“What more do you want to know?”

“Can all vampires do what you do?”

“No. But some of us have special abilities. Alice can see the future and Edward can read minds.”

“Read minds?”

“Your thoughts are relatively safe with him.” He wasn’t doing a very good job at comforting her. “I did ask him about some things.”

“So you feel what I feel around you and you know what I think?”

“We don’t keep secrets in the family, with the whole reading minds and seeing the future thing, there’s no way to. He didn’t tell me anything he didn’t think I should know.”

“Is it difficult to be around humans?”

“Yes.” He answered with a sigh. “We leave to hunt often so we keep fed and more in control. It’s one of the reasons why we don’t come to school sometimes.”

“What’s the other?”

“I’ll show you sometime.” He offered. “For all it’s worth,” He looked at her. “I was always going to tell you.”

“Tell me?”

“About this.” He pointed towards his chest. “I guess I just wanted to let you enjoy not knowing for longer. Alice saw you coming, and maybe it’s too early to explain how she knew to look for you, or how I knew what you’d mean to me. But we waited for you. I have waited for you for over a century. I could never not tell you what I am.”

“But I figured it out first.”

“And so you did.” He was remarkably proud. “It’s not how I’d have told you. But I also didn’t expect you to be so…. open-minded about it.”

“How did you find out? About vampires, I mean?”

“Not until I was turned into one.”

“Who turned you?”

“I will tell you that story another time.” He promised.

“Will I see you tomorrow?” She demanded.

“Yes — I have a paper due, too.” He smiled. It was silly, after everything they’d been through tonight, how that little promise sent flutters through her stomach. He’d stopped the car, but didn’t move and she now noticed they were in front of her house.

“We left the truck in Port Angeles.” It was an afterthought.

“I’ll get it for you. It’ll be here in the morning.”

She considered it for a moment, then nodded. She went to pull his jacket off.

“Keep it. You left yours in your truck.”

She handed it to him. “I don’t want to explain that to my dad.”

“Right.” He grinned. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Chapter Text

It was very hard, in the morning, to argue with the part of her that was sure last night had been a dream. Logic and common sense weren’t on her side. She had to cling to the parts she couldn’t have imagined, like the scent of him on his jacket.

It was a foggy day outside her window. Good. He would have no reason to not be in school. She dressed in heavy clothes after remembering her jacket had been left in her truck.

Downstairs, her father was already gone. Maybe she was running later than she’d realized. She had a quick breakfast and hurried out the door. Hopefully the rain would hold off today, if she’d need to drive.

The mist was ice cold where it clung to the exposed skin of her face and neck. It was thick enough that she was a few feet down the driveway before she realized there was a car in it. Two actually. Her truck had been returned already, and what she recognized as Emmett’s Jeep stood behind it.

Her heart thudded, stuttered, then picked up again. She didn’t see where he’d come from, but suddenly there he was, opening the door for her.

“Do you want a ride?” He asked, amused by her surprise.

“Yes, thank you.” She stepped into the warm and tall car. “Did you steal Emmett’s Jeep?” She noticed the jacket from the day before, slung over the headrest of the passenger seat. The door closed behind her and, sooner than possible, he was already sitting next to her, starting the car.

He noticed her looking. “I brought it for you. Didn’t want you to get sick.”

“My jacket is in the truck.” She reasoned. He hummed but didn’t say anything. “And I’m not that delicate.” She pulled the jacket onto her lap, then pushed her arms through the sleeves, curious if its scent was still the same.

“Aren’t you?” He contradicted.

He still drove too fast, and she wasn’t sure how to act with him. The day before the walls had been down. She wasn’t sure if they would be so candid today.

He turned to smirk at her after a moment. “What, there are no questions today?”

“Do they bother you?”

“I’m more concerned about your reactions.”

“Do I react badly?”

“Actually, you take everything so coolly it’s mildly unsettling.”

“Where’s the rest of your family?”

“They took Edward’s car.” He shrugged as he parked next to the silver car. They got out of the car. She wasn’t late anymore, his fast driving had gotten her there in plenty of time. He met her at the front of the car, standing close to her side as they walked onto campus. She thought about closing the distance and touching him, but was afraid he wouldn’t like her to.

“Did you tell your family I know..?” She trailed off.

“I didn’t have to,” He had an amused smile. “Edward read my mind before I even reached the house.”

“Oh. What did they say?”

“Alice and Emmett are ecstatic.” He told her, an arm touching her back when they walked inside and the crowd got thicker. “They were waiting for it, Alice especially, of course. They adore you.”

“And the rest?”

“They’re cautious.” Jasper sighed. “But Carlisle and Esme are supportive. In fact, Esme wants to meet you. I can feel she’s a little sad she’s the only one that has yet to meet you.”

“You want me to meet your mother?” She teased.

“It seems only appropriate.” He replied.

“You know I only met Carlisle because I was almost in an accident, she shouldn’t feel sad.”

“Emmett said the same thing.” He teased, now. They’d reached her classroom. None of the Cullens were in her first class, and so they would part here.

“I’ll see you later.” She said. He nodded and she went inside.

Alice stood bouncing on the ball of her feet outside her door the moment her class ended. To be fair, Y/n had been impatient the whole class. Sure, she already wanted to see Jasper again, but for now she was eager to see Alice, Emmett, Edward and Rosalie.

“Alice.”

“Hi.” The girl greeted her with a bright smile and held out a hand. “Come.”

“Are we skipping?”

“That would not be a bad idea, actually.” She pondered. “But Emmett would be upset.”

“To be fair, I could also skip.” Emmett showed up next to them in a quieter hallway and she wondered how she’d missed someone as large as him. He picked her up and twirled her around. “Welcome to the family.”

“Thank you? Am I family because I figured it out, now?”

“Don’t be silly. You and Jasper.” Alice complained. Emmett laid a heavy, affectionate hand on Y/n’s head and ruffled her hair a little.

“Jasper and I?”

“Enough of that, now. We’re sisters! Let’s go shopping,” She glanced down at her outfit. “To celebrate it.”

“One day I’m going to start being offended by your lack of respect for my outfit choices.”

“I respect them! I just don’t like them.”

Y/n chuckled and started walking away. “I don’t wanna be late to class.”

“Wait.” Emmett called. “We should probably warn you about Rosalie.”

“She means well, so if she says anything, which I don’t think she is going to, please don’t take it personally.”

“Rosalie doesn’t like that I know?”

“She’s concerned.” Alice tried to reason with her. “It is a dangerous thing to know.”

“I see.”

“She’ll warm up to the idea, eventually.”

◆◇◆◇

People looked as Jasper and her walked to their lab table. He pulled the chair for her, then sat quite close beside her, arms almost touching. Mr. Banner backed into the room then — what superb timing the man had — pulling a tall metal frame on wheels that held a heavy-looking, outdated TV and VCR. A movie day — the lift in the class atmosphere was almost tangible. Mr. Banner shoved the tape into the reluctant VCR and walked to the wall to turn off the lights. And then, as the room went black, she was suddenly hyper aware that Jasper was sitting less than an inch from her.

She was stunned by the unexpected electricity that flowed through her, amazed that it was possible to be more aware of him than she already was. A crazy impulse to reach over and touch him, to stroke his perfect face just once in the darkness, nearly overwhelmed her. She crossed my arms tightly across my chest, hands balling into fists.

The opening credits began, lighting the room by a token amount. Her eyes, of their own accord, flickered to him. She smiled sheepishly as she realized his posture was identical to hers, fists clenched under his arms, right down to the eyes, peering sideways at me. He grinned back, his eyes somehow managing to smolder, even in the dark.

The hour felt long and she couldn’t focus on the movie. To be honest, she didn’t even know what it was about.

She breathed a sigh of relief when Mr. Banner finally turned the lights back on at the end of the class, stretching her arms out in front of her and flexing her fingers.

She didn’t have any of the Cullens in her gym class for (now) obvious reasons. By the time she got dressed and left to the hallway, Jasper was there again.

“Hi.” She breathed, smiling hugely.

“Hello.” His answering smile was brilliant.

In the cafeteria, she sat where she usually did, at the same table the Cullens did. This time it all made sense why she was the only one with food.

“I have to be honest here. I thought all of you had eating disorders.”

“By definition.” Edward chuckled. She hadn’t seen him that day yet.

“What happens if you’re dared to eat food?” She asked as she picked an apple and turned it around in her hands.

“If someone dared you to eat dirt, you could, couldn’t you?” She watched as Emmett took the apple from her hand and took a big bite from it.

“I guess.” She laughed.

Edward had been hesitant, but seemed to have made his peace. Rosalie, on the other hand… She sat without a word and a frown on her face. Y/n sighed.

Once they left, Jasper drove her home again. After all, her truck was still back in her driveway at home.

“When is it my turn to ask the questions?”

“To be fair, there was something urgent, like the business of you not being human, that made me prone to more questions. You can have your turn tomorrow.”

Chapter Text

They were already parked at the house, right behind the truck. It was easier to ride with him if she only looked when it was over. When she looked back at him, he was staring at her.

“I hope my siblings… weren’t too much.” He offered with a small smile. He took a deep breath and stared through the windshield at the thick, rolling clouds that seemed to press down, almost within reach.

When he turned around, she didn’t look away. Their eyes held, and the silence deepened — and changed. Flickers of the electricity she'd felt this afternoon began to charge the atmosphere as he gazed unrelentingly into her eyes. It wasn't until her head started to swim that she realized she wasn't breathing. When she drew in a jagged breath, breaking the stillness, he closed his eyes.

“Y/n, I think you should go inside now." His low voice was rough, his eyes on the clouds again.

She opened the door, and the arctic draft that burst into the car helped clear her head. Afraid she might stumble in my woozy state, she stepped carefully out of the car and shut the door behind her without looking back. The whir of the window unrolling made me turn.

“Oh, Y/n?” He called after her, his voice more even. He leaned toward the open window with a faint smile on his lips.

“Yes?”

“Tomorrow it's my turn.”

“Your turn to what?”

He smiled wider, flashing his gleaming teeth. “Ask the questions.”

And then he was gone, the car speeding down the street and disappearing around the corner before she could even collect my thoughts. She smiled as she walked to the house. It was clear he was planning to see her tomorrow, if nothing else.

That night, Jasper starred in her dreams as usual. But the climate of her unconscious mind had changed. It thrilled with the same electricity that had charged the afternoon, and she tossed and turned restlessly, waking often. It was only in the early hours of the morning that she finally sank into an exhausted, dreamless sleep.

When she woke she was still tired, but edgy as well. I pulled on her clothes, sighing as she daydreamed of her lighter clothes back in Phoenix.

Breakfast was the usual, quiet event she had grown to expect from her father. When he left, with a goodbye wave, she went upstairs to brush her teeth and gather her things. After the cruiser pulled away, it was only a few seconds until she peeked out of the window. Jasper’s car (or Emmett’s, as it seemed more likely) was already there, waiting in her father’s spot on the driveway.

She bounded down the stairs and out of the front door, wondering how long this bizarre routine would continue. She hoped it would never end.

He waited in the car, not appearing to watch as she shut the door behind her. She walked to the car, pausing shyly before opening the door and stepping in. He was smiling, relaxed — and, as usual, perfect and beautiful to an excruciating degree.

“Good morning.” His voice was deep, silky, accented.

“Good morning.”

“How are you today?” His eyes roamed over her face, his question more than simple courtesy.

“I thought you could feel what other people felt.”

“I can.”

“I couldn’t sleep.” She confessed.

“Well, neither could I.” He teased, starting the engine.

“I guess that’s right. I suppose I slept a bit more than you.”

“I’d wager you did.”

“What did you do last night?”

He chuckled, deeply amused. “It’s my day to ask questions, remember?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s right… Well, what do you want to know?”

He thought for a second. “What’s the last thing you listened to?”

“An album Phil, that’s my mother’s boyfriend, told me to.”

“Did you like it?”

“I did, actually. More so than I would have thought.”

“Do you have a favorite show?”

“Depends on what my current obsession is.”

It continued like that for the rest of the day. While he walked her to classes, when he met her after, even through lunch, he questioned her about every detail of her existence. Where she wanted to go, where she’d been already, the books she liked.

“What’s your favorite gemstone?”

“Maybe topaz.”

Until very recently her favorite gemstone had been ruby. But right now, staring at his topaz eyes, well, it was obvious.

“It’s the color of your eyes. Ask me again in a few weeks, and I’ll say onyx.”

Biology was tricky again, he’d asked her questions up until the teacher turned off the lights to play the rest of the movie they’d seen yesterday. Even with their chairs farther apart from each other, as soon as the room was dark, there was the same electric spark, the same restless craving to stretch her hand across the short space and touch his cold skin, as yesterday.

She leaned forward on the table, resting her chin on folded arms, hidden fingers
gripping the table's edge as she fought to ignore the irrational longing that unsettled me.

She sincerely tried to watch the movie, especially because she was suddenly aware of how Jasper might perceive her emotions, but at the end of the hour she had no idea what I'd just seen.

His questions on the way home were different, though, not as easily answered. He wanted to know what she missed about home, insisting on descriptions of anything he wasn't familiar with.

They sat in front of Charlie's house for hours, as the sky darkened and rain plummeted around them in a sudden deluge. She tried to describe impossible things like the scent of creosote — bitter, slightly resinous, but still pleasant — the high, keening sound of the cicadas in July, the feathery barrenness of the trees, the very size of the sky, extending white-blue from horizon to horizon, barely interrupted by the low mountains covered with purple volcanic rock.

The hardest thing to explain was why it was so beautiful to her — to justify a beauty that didn't depend on the sparse, spiny vegetation that often looked half dead, a beauty that had more to do with the exposed shape of the land, with the shallow bowls of valleys between the craggy hills, and the way they held onto the sun. She found herself using her hands as she tried to describe it to him.

His quiet, probing questions kept her talking freely, forgetting, in the dim light of the storm, to be embarrassed for monopolizing the conversation. Finally, when she had finished detailing her cluttered room at home, he paused instead of responding with another question.

“Are you done with the questions?” There was relief mixed with amusement.

“Not at all, but your father will be home soon.”

She suddenly recalled his existence. “How late is it?” She wondered out loud and looked at the clock. He would be driving home.

“Twilight.” He laughed, and the mood abruptly lightened.

“Charlie will be here in a few minutes. So, unless you want to tell him that you’re with me…” He trailed off.

“Thanks.” She gathered her books, realising just how stiff she’d gotten from sitting still so long. “Is it my turn tomorrow, then?”

“I told you I wasn’t done, didn’t I?”

“What more is there?”

“I guess you will find out tomorrow.” He reached across to open the door for her, and his sudden proximity sent her heart into frenzied palpitations.

His hand froze on the handle.

“What is it?”

“Complication.” He opened the door and then moved back. The flash of headlights through the rain caught her attention as a dark car pulled up to the curb just a few feet away, facing them.

“Charlie's around the corner,” he warned, staring through the downpour at the other vehicle.

She hopped out at once, despite her confusion and curiosity. The rain was louder as it glanced off her jacket.

She tried to make out the shapes in the front seat of the other car, but it was too dark. She could see Jasper illuminated in the glare of the new car’s headlights, still staring ahead, gaze locked on something she couldn’t see. Then he revved the engine, the tires squealed on the pavement and the car was out of sight.

“Hey, Y/n,” Called a familiar, husky voice from the driver's side of the little black car.

“Jacob?” She asked, squinting through the rain. Just then, Charlie's cruiser swung around the corner, his lights shining on the occupants of the car in front of me.

Jacob was already climbing out, his wide grin visible even through the darkness. In the passenger seat was a much older man, a heavyset man with a memorable face — Billy. The familiar eyes, black eyes that seemed at the same time both too young and too ancient for the broad face they were set in.

He was staring at her, scrutinizing her face, so she smiled tentatively at him. His eyes were wide, as if in shock or fear, his nostrils flared.

Her smile faded. Complication, Jasper had said.

She groaned internally. Had Billy recognized Jasper that easily? Did he believe the legends his son scoffed at?

The answer was clear in Billy's eyes. Yes. Yes, he did.

Chapter Text

“Billy!” Charlie’s voice called as soon as he got out of his cruiser. Y/n turned towards the house, beckoning to Jacob as she ducked under the porch. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t see you behind the wheel, there, Jake.” His tone was disapproving.

“We get permits early down on the reservation.” Jacob said while Y/n worked to unlock the door and turn on the porch light.

“I’m sure you do.” Charlie laughed.

“I have to get around somehow.” Said Billy, with his resonant voice that made Y/n feel younger, like a child.

She went inside, leaving the door open behind her and turned on the lights before hanging up her jacket. She stood in the door, watching as Charlie and Jacob helped Billy out of the car and onto his wheelchair and backing out of the way as the three of them hurried in, shaking off the rain.

“This is a surprise.” She head her father say.

“It’s been too long.” Billy replied. “I hope it’s not a bad time.” His eyes flashed up to Y/n, expression unreadable.

“No, no, it’s great. I hope you can stay for the game.”

Jacob grinned. “I think that's the plan — our TV broke last week.”

Billy made a face at his son. “And, of course, Jacob was anxious to see Y/n again.” He added. Jacob scowled and ducked his head.

“Are you hungry?” She asked, turning toward the kitchen. She was eager to escape Billy's searching gaze.

“Naw, we ate just before we came,” Jacob answered.

“How about you, dad?” She called over her shoulder as she fled around the corner.

“Sure,” He replied, his voice moving in the direction of the front room and the TV. She could hear Billy's chair follow.

The grilled cheese sandwiches were in the frying pan and she was slicing up a tomato when she sensed someone behind her.

“So, how are things?” Jacob asked.

“Pretty good.” She smiled. His enthusiasm was hard to resist. “How about you? Did you finish your car?”

“No.” He frowned. “I still need parts. We borrowed that one.” He pointed with his thumb in the direction of the front yard.

“Sorry. I haven't seen any… what was it you were looking for?”

“Master cylinder.” He grinned. “Is something wrong with the truck?” He added suddenly.

“No.”

“Oh. I just wondered because you weren't driving it.”

She stared down at the pan, pulling up the edge of a sandwich to check the bottom side. “I got a ride with a friend.”

“Nice ride.” Jacob's voice was admiring. “I didn't recognize the driver, though. I thought I knew most of the kids around here.”

She nodded noncommittally, keeping her eyes down as she flipped sandwiches.

“My dad seemed to know him from somewhere.”

“Jacob, could you hand me some plates? They're in the cupboard over the sink.”

“Sure.” He got the plates in silence. I hoped he would let it drop now. “So who was it?” he asked, setting two plates on the counter next to me.

I sighed in defeat. “Jasper Hale.”

“That’s one of the Cullen kids, right?” To her surprise, he laughed. She glanced up at him. He looked a little embarrassed. “I guess that explains it, then,” he said. “I wondered why my dad was acting so strange.”

“That's right.” She faked an innocent expression. “He doesn't like the Cullens.”

“Superstitious old man,” Jacob muttered under his breath.

“You don't think he'd say anything to Charlie?” She couldn't help asking, the words coming out in a low rush.

Jacob stared at her for a moment, and she couldn't read the expression in his dark eyes. “I doubt it," he finally answered. “I think Charlie chewed him out pretty good last time. They haven't spoken much since — tonight is sort of a reunion, I think. I don't think he'd bring it up again.”

“Oh,” She said, trying to sound indifferent.
She stayed in the front room after she carried the food out to Charlie, pretending to watch the game while Jacob chattered at her. She was really listening to the men's conversation, watching for any sign that Billy was about to rat her out, trying to think of ways to stop him if he began.

It was a long night. She had a lot of homework that was going undone, but was afraid to leave Billy alone with Charlie. Finally, the game ended.

“Are you coming back to the beach soon?” Jacob asked as he pushed his father over the lip of the threshold.

“Is that an invitation?”

“Of course.”

“I’ll text you, Jacob.”

“That was fun, Charlie.” Billy said.

“Come up for the next game,” Charlie encouraged.

“Sure, sure.” He replied. “We’ll be here. Have a good night.” Finally, his eyes shifted to hers, and his smile disappeared. “You take care, Y/n.” He added, in a serious tone.

“Thanks,” She muttered, looking away.

She headed for the stairs while her father waved from the doorway.

"Wait, Y/n," he said.

She cringed. Had Billy gotten something in before she'd joined them in the living room?

But Charlie was relaxed, still grinning from the unexpected visit.

“I didn't get a chance to talk to you tonight. How was your day?”

“Good.” She hesitated with one foot on the first stair, searching for details she could safely share. “My badminton team won all four games.”

“Wow, I didn't know you could play badminton.”

“Well, actually I can't, but my partner is really good.”

“Who is it?” he asked with token interest.

“Um… Mike Newton,” She told him reluctantly.

“Oh yeah - nice family.” He mused for a minute. “Why didn't you ask him out or something?”

“Dad!” She groaned. “I’m pretty sure he has a girlfriend. And I’m not interested.”

“Fine. I just think I leave you here alone too much.”

“Dad, you're doing a great job.” She smiled, hoping her relief didn't show. “I've never minded being alone — I'm too much like you.” She winked at him, and he smiled his crinkly-eyed smile.

She slept better that night, too tired to dream again. When she woke to the pearl gray morning, her mood was blissful. The tense evening with Billy and Jacob seemed harmless enough now; she decided to forget it completely. She caught herself whistling while she was pulling the front part of her hair back into a barrette, and later again as she skipped down the stairs.

Charlie noticed.

“You're cheerful this morning,” He commented over breakfast.

She shrugged. “I slept well.”

She hurried so she would be ready to go the second Charlie left. She had my bag ready, shoes on, teeth brushed, but even though she rushed to the door as soon as she was sure Charlie would be out of sight, Jasper was faster. He was waiting in his shiny car, windows down, engine off.

She didn't hesitate this time, climbing in the passenger side quickly, the sooner to see his face. He grinned at her, stopping her breath and her heart.
“How did you sleep?” he asked. She wondered if he had any idea how appealing his voice was.

“Fine. How was your night?”

“Pleasant.” His smile was amused; She felt like she was missing an inside joke.

“Can I ask what you did?” She asked.

“No.” He grinned. “Today is still mine.”

Chapter Text

He wanted to know about people that day. Her family, her mother and her hobbies, what they did in their free time together. Then her grandmother, the only one she’d known, her friends at her last school, the boys she’d dated.

Thankfully, she hadn’t really dated many people, and was relieved the conversation could end early. He seemed just as relieved.

They were in the cafeteria at this point. The day had sped by in the blur that was rapidly becoming routine. She took advantage of his brief pause to take a bite of her food.

“I should have let you drive yourself today,” he announced.

“Why?” She demanded.

“I'm leaving with Alice after lunch.”

“Oh.” She blinked, bewildered and disappointed. “That’s okay, it's not that far of a walk.”

He frowned at her. “I'm not going to make you walk home. We'll go get your truck and leave it here for you.”

“I don't have my key with me,” She sighed. "I really don't mind walking." What she minded was losing her time with him.

He shook his head. “Your truck will be here, and the key will be in the ignition — unless you're afraid someone might steal it.” He laughed at the thought.

“All right,” She agreed, pursing her lips. She was pretty sure her key was in the pocket of a pair of jeans she wore Wednesday, under a pile of clothes in the laundry room. Even if he broke into her house, or whatever he was planning, he'd never find it.

He seemed to feel the challenge in her consent. He smirked, overconfident.

“So where are you going?” She asked as casually as she could manage.

“Hunting,” he answered grimly. “To spend all this time with you, I’m going to take whatever precautions I can.” His face grew morose… and pleading. "You can always stop, you know."

She looked down, afraid of the persuasive power of his eyes. She refused to be convinced to fear him, no matter how real the danger might be. It didn't matter, she repeated in her head.

“No,” She whispered, glancing back at his face. “I can't.”

“Perhaps you're right,” he murmured bleakly. His eyes seemed to darken in color as she watched.

Jasper greeted Alice without looking, before (Y/n) had time to realise she was even there. “Alice.”

“Are you ready?”

His voice was aloof. "Nearly. I'll meet you at the car."

She left without another word.

“Should I say 'have fun,' or is that the wrong sentiment?" She asked, turning back to him.

“No, 'have fun' works as well as anything.” He grinned.

“Have fun, then.” She worked to sound wholehearted. Of course she didn't fool him.

“I'll try.” He still grinned. “And you try to be safe, please.”

“Safe in Forks — what a challenge.”

“For you it is a challenge.” His jaw hardened. “Promise.”

“I promise to try to be safe,” She recited. “I'll do the laundry tonight — that ought to be fraught with peril.”

“Don't fall in,” he mocked.

“I'll do my best.”

He stood then, and she rose, too.

“I'll see you tomorrow,” She sighed.

“It seems like a long time to you, doesn't it?” he mused.

She nodded glumly.

“I'll be there in the morning,” he promised, smiling his crooked smile. He reached across the table to touch her face, lightly brushing along her cheekbone again. Then he turned and walked away. She stared after him until he was gone. She was sorely tempted to ditch the rest of the day, at the very least Gym, but a warning instinct stopped her. She knew that if she disappeared now, the students would assume she was with Jasper. And he was worried about the time we'd spent together publicly… if things went wrong.

She refused to dwell on the last thought, concentrating instead on making things safer for him.

She intuitively knew — and sensed he did, too — that tomorrow would be pivotal. Their relationship couldn't continue to balance, as it did, on the point of a knife. They would fall off one edge or the other, depending entirely upon his decision, or his instincts. Her decision was made, made before she'd ever consciously chosen, and she was committed to seeing it through. Because there was nothing more terrifying to me, more excruciating, than the thought of turning away from him. It was an impossibility.
She went to class, feeling dutiful. She couldn't honestly say what happened in Biology; her mind was too preoccupied with thoughts of tomorrow.

When the school day had finally ended, she walked to the parking lot without enthusiasm.

She did not especially want to walk home, but couldn't see how he would have retrieved her truck. Then again, she was starting to believe that nothing was impossible for him. The latter instinct proved correct — my truck sat in the same space he'd parked his Volvo in this morning.

She shook my head, incredulous, as she opened the unlocked door and saw the key in the ignition.

There was a piece of white paper folded on her seat. She got in and closed the door before unfolding it. Two words were written in his elegant script.

Be safe.

The sound of the truck roaring to life frightened her. She laughed at herself.

When she got home, the handle of the door was locked, the dead bolt unlocked, just as she’d left it this morning. Inside, she went straight to the laundry room. It looked just the same as she'd left it, too.

She dug for my jeans and, after finding them, checked the pockets. Empty.

Maybe she'd hung my key up after all, I thought, shaking my head.

Her father was absent minded at dinner, worried over something at work, she guessed, or maybe a basketball game, or maybe he was just really enjoying the lasagna — it was hard to tell with Charlie.

After dinner, she folded clothes and moved another load through the dryer. Unfortunately it was the kind of job that only keeps hands busy. Her mind definitely had too much freetime, and it was getting out of control.

She fluctuated between anticipation so intense that it was very nearly pain, and an insidious fear that picked at her resolve. She had to keep reminding herself that she'd made her choice, and she wasn't going back on it. She pulled his note out of her pocket much more often than necessary to absorb the two small words he'd written. He wants her to be safe, she told herself again and again. She would just hold on to the faith that, in the end, that desire would win out over the others. And what was her other choice — to cut him out of her life? Intolerable. Besides, since she'd come to Forks, it really seemed like her life was about him.

But a tiny voice in the back of her mind worried, wondering if it would hurt very much… if it ended badly.

She was relieved when it was late enough to be acceptable for bedtime.

Chapter Text

She woke up early the next morning from a dreamless sleep. Though she was well rested, it was easy to fall into the frenzy of the night before.

She rushed to get dressed, smoothed her clothes several times, and fidgeted with her sweater until it hung the right way over her body.

Finally, she allowed herself a peek at her window to find her father was already gone. A thin layer of clouds veiled the sky, but they didn’t look like they would last.

Breakfast went by quickly, almost as if she couldn’t properly taste the food. By the time she looked out of the window again, nothing had changed.

A knock sounded at her door as she was going down the stairs after brushing her teeth, and her heart beat faster.

She flew to the door, yanked it open, and at last, there he was.

All the agitation dissolved as soon as she looked at his face, calm taking its place.

“Don’t control my feelings.” She accused him with a smile.

“I did not.” His lips stretched into a grin. “You have my word.” He hadn’t been smiling at first, but his expression had lightened after seeing her. “And good morning.”

“Hi.” She glanced down to make sure she had everything she needed. “Can I drive today?” She locked the door behind her.

“I’m not going to school. I just came to get you.”

“Where are you going?”

“We’re all skipping today.”

“Is that about what you said you’d tell me later and never did?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me now. I’ll skip too.”

“You shouldn’t skip, this is your first time in high school.”

“How many times have you been in high school?”

“More than I’ve counted. I’ve been to university as well. Got a few degrees.”

“And you spend your time reliving through the pains of high school?”

“It’s not painful.” He looked at her reverently. “I’ll let you skip, if you really want to know why we must.”

“I do.”

“Fine, but I’m driving.”

“I can drive.”

“I know.”

He walked to the passenger’s seat and for a moment she thought he might actually let her drive, then he opened the door and she realized he was waiting for her to get in.

They were out of town limits soon, thick underbrush and green-swathed trunks replaced the lawns and houses.

“What’s at the end of the road?”

“A trail.”

“Are we hiking?”

“Is that a problem?”

“For humans trying to keep up.”

“Don’t worry, it’s only a couple of miles, and we’re in no hurry. Plus, I would never leave you behind.” He was silent for a moment, perhaps sensing her distress at the idea of keeping up with a vampire. “Does your father know?”

“No.”

“No one knows?”

“I, I don’t want to cause trouble for you.”

“Are you concerned with what would happen to me if I don’t bring you home?” His voice had a bite to it, disapproving.

There was a heat to her cheeks when she nodded, realizing how absurd that was.

And then the road ended, constricting to a thin foot trail with a small wooden marker. He parked on the narrow shoulder and stepped out, coming around the car quickly as she rushed to beat him to it.

It was warm now, warmer than it had been in Forks since the day she'd arrived, almost muggy under the clouds. She pulled off her sweater and knotted it around her waist, glad that she'd worn the light, sleeveless shirt — especially if she had miles of hiking ahead of her.

“This way.”

“What about the trail?” She asked as she rushed to follow him into the woods.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let you get lost.” He offered his hand and when she took it, she realized how little contact they had had this far. It made sense, of course, that he would avoid it. “Or would you rather go home?”

“No.” She walked forward to get close to him. “I’m just not a good hiker. If you want to hike through the jungle, you better start leading the way.”

It wasn't as hard as she had feared. The way was mostly flat, and he held the damp ferns and webs of moss aside for her. When his straight path took them over fallen trees or boulders, he would help her, lifting her and then releasing me instantly when she was clear.

His cold touch on her skin never failed to make her heart thud erratically.

Twice, when that happened, she caught a look on his face that made her sure he could hear it.

For the most part, they walked in silence. Occasionally he would ask a random question that he hadn't gotten to in the past two days of interrogation.

He asked about birthdays, grade school teachers, childhood pets.

The hike took me most of the morning, but he never showed any sign of impatience.

The forest spread out around them in a boundless labyrinth of ancient trees, and she began to be nervous that they would never find our way out again. He was perfectly at ease, comfortable in the green maze, never seeming to feel any doubt about their direction.

After several hours, the light that filtered through the canopy transformed, the murky olive tone shifting to a brighter jade. The day had turned sunny, just as he'd foretold.

For the first time since they'd entered the woods, she felt a thrill of excitement — which quickly turned to impatience.

"Are we there yet?" She teased, pretending to scowl.

"Nearly." He smiled. "Do you see the brightness ahead?"

She peered into the thick forest. "Um, should I?"

He smirked. "Maybe it's a bit soon for your eyes."

"Time to visit the optometrist," She muttered. His smirk grew more pronounced.

But then, after another hundred yards, she could definitely see a lightening in the trees ahead, a glow that was yellow instead of green. She picked up the pace, eagerness growing with every step.

He let her lead now, following noiselessly.

She stepped into the clearing, then turned back to him. Jasper stood very still in the shadows, hesitant to move forward.

The mystery of the vampires and the sun.

She reached a hand for him again, but he didn’t take it. It seemed like he took a deep breath, more as a soothing gesture than a need.

Then he stepped forward, into the bright light.

The rays of sunlight that hit his skin made his skin glow, and she stepped closer for a better look.

“I get it now.”

“If someone saw us like this, they would know something is wrong.”

She reached forward to touch his cheek, then stopped herself. “It’s so pretty.”

“One of the many aspects to lure humans in. Though this one also works in being uncanny, I think.”

“Why did Alice see me coming? Why was she looking for me?”

She could see on his face that he did not expect that question. He swallowed, straightened up.

“Alice wants us to be happy, and she has always looked for our… matches. She knew you’d find your way to us eventually, because you’re my mate, Y/n.”