Everything changes

Chapter 19: Something to Lose

"Bella, I got the smell of blood out if you want to call them back. Jasper's probably going out of his mind with worry." Carlisle told me from the doorway. I looked over at him and smiled in thanks. He handed me my cell phone, which I had left downstairs, and smiled back.

"Thank you for your help, Carlisle."

"I'm glad I could help." With that, he left me to make the phone call. I dialed Jasper's number as quickly as I could. I needed him.

"Bella?" He answered with frantic worry. I couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corners of my lips.

"Hey. I'm okay. No need to worry."

He sighed with relief. "Do you have any idea how worried we've been?"

I couldn't help but feel a little guilty. "I'm sorry, Baby. I didn't mean to worry you. But I really need you now, so could you come back?"

"Already on my way, Darlin'. Is everything okay? What happened?"

"I'll explain when you get here. I love you, Jasper."

"I love you too, Bella." I could practically hear the smile in his voice and couldn't help smiling myself. "I'll be there in ten."

"Okay." I hung up after that. "They'll be here soon, Carlisle." I spoke normally knowing he'd hear me.

It took eleven minutes for him and the rest of the family to get here. As soon as the door opened, I heard a slight hiss. The bleach burned when you first get a whiff of it. I had finally gotten used to it, but when Carlisle first poured it, I near puked.

"Why did you clean with bleach, Carlisle?" Rosalie complained.

"Bella's upstairs." Carlisle told them though I'm sure they already knew.

The door flew open a minute later and revealed Jasper. I smiled at him as his eyes swept over me. Thankfully, the bandages were covered by a blanket, so there was no immediate indication I had been hurt. Satisfied that he didn't see anything, he came over and placed a soft, loving kiss on my lips. I sighed as he pulled away.

"What's wrong, Darlin'?" He asked. I noticed the rest of the family had joined us being the ever curious vampires they were.

"Sit down." I told him patting the empty spot on the bed. He shot me a confused look before following my instructions. I intertwined my fingers with his both because I had missed him and wanted to and because I didn't want him running off to murder any wolves as soon as I told him. "Now stay completely calm, okay?" He still wore a mask of confusion but nodded. I looked to the family. "I was attacked by a werewolf while I was out running." I told them all calmly.

Just as I suspected, they all growled angrily, and Jasper tried to jump out of bed. My hand still interlocked with his kept him where he sat. "What!?" He yelled. His eyes were already turning back with anger and disbelief.

"Calm down, I'm fine." Slight lie, but that's okay. His eyes swooped over me again.

"You weren't hurt?" He asked carefully but anger still lingered in the air. I glanced around at the family. Emmett, Rosalie, Edward, and Alice were pissed. Esme looked concerned. Carlisle looked calculating.

"Well… Not badly." I told me with a shrugged. Still a slight lie.

He was quiet for a second before his eyes went completely black. "The bleach." I bit my lip.

"There was a little blood, which is why I didn't want you all coming back right away. But I'm fine now. Carlisle patched me back up."

"Let me see." Jasper growled.

"It's not that big of a deal. I'm fine."

"Please, Bella." I sighed and threw the cover back off me. Carlisle came forward to help me get the bandages off. When they were off, I heard the collective intake of breath. Jasper let out a loud, angry growl as his fingers delicately ran over the forming scars on my stomach. I wonder idly what they would look like once they were completely healed. I shook the thought away and looked over at Jasper.

"See, they're healing quickly."

"I'll kill them." He growled. I grabbed his hand to keep him in place.

"No you won't. It'll do nothing but start a war."

"If this is how Sam lets his wolves act then maybe a war is needed." He countered.

"I look like a vampire, Jasper. I smell sort of like a vampire. It was an easy mistake."

"You have a heartbeat, Bella. That's not an easy thing to miss."

"Please, Jazz, just let it go. I can't lose any of you if you all get involved in a war with unstable werewolves."

Emmett scoffed. "The puppies don't stand a chance." He told me while flexing a little. I giggled shaking my head.

"Jasper?" I said after a few minutes of silence.

He looked away from my stomach to look at me. His eyes studied mine for a few moments. His eyes were still black around the edges and a dark golden color closer to the center. "We'll call Sam…" I opened my mouth to protest once more. "And we'll try to have a civilized meeting, okay?" He leaned down and gave me a soft kiss. "But for the record, I still think we should tear the mutt to shreds." He said after pulling away. I shook my head and giggled.

"Bella, you should rest." Carlisle told me from the door before coming to the bed to help me redress my wounds.

"Thank you, Carlisle." I told him as the family started retreating from the bedroom to give us some privacy. As soon as we were alone, Jasper pulled me into his arms. I sighed contentedly as I let my head fall to his chest. I felt safe in his arms. Nothing in the world was wrong when I was in his arms. "I love you so much, Jasper. I can't stand the thought of losing you over something as little as this."

"I could have lost you, Darlin'. That isn't something that can be brushed away." He sighed as his buried his face in my hair.

"But you didn't." I ran my hand along his bicep. Something that helps him calm down. I felt the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest as he took unnecessary breaths. It was comforting. Somewhere in the back of my head, I knew that today was the closest I had come to the end of my immortal life. And that part of me clung to Jasper like a scared child. No matter how cool and collected I seemed about it, the turn today's events had taken had shaken me to the core. I wasn't ready to die. Not now. Probably not ever. I was always supposed to live forever but it wasn't until recently that I started wanting to live forever. Until recently I had nothing to live for. Sure there was Aunt Nicole, who could die at any moment and leave me with nobody else. And there were people at school, who I created superficial friendships with and who I would leave and never see again in order to keep secrecy. When I met Jasper and the Cullens, though, everything changed. I had someone to spend my eternal life together, and I wasn't ready to let that go.

"What's wrong, Darlin'?" He asked softly wiping the moisture from tears I hadn't realized I had cried away with his thumb.

I hugged myself closer ignoring the pain the motion invoked in my abdomen and buried my head into the nape of his neck. "I don't want to lose you. Ever."