I have waited a thousand years for you.

Oh, no.

"Because they're all together. Like, together together." Jessica added, her enthusiasm rising by the minute. She turned to block their view of the table and talked slightly quieter. "The blonde girl, Rosalie, and the big dark-haired guy, Emmett.." Bella's eyes roamed towards them, the couple holding each other affectionately, and slightly protectively. "they're a thing. I'm not even sure that's legal."

"Jess, they're not really related." Margaret chimed in.

"But they live together, it's weird. And the little dark haired girl, Alice, she's really weird-"

"Come on Jess, that's not nice!" Margaret cut her, glaring at her. Bella was too busy taking in the girl and the boy behind her who looked like he was being thrown under a bus. Then two other guys walked through the door. The first tall, dark hair falling into his eyes as he walked unhurriedly and passively through the tables, smirking to himself as if he knew every girl was drooling as he walked past them. Then the blonde guy she had seen at her house.

"Who are they?" Jessica turned slightly, still curled up after Margaret had told her off.

"Oh, Jasper Hale." She sighed dreamily. "He's totally gorgeous, obviously. But apparently, no one here is good enough for him. Like I care." Jasper was looking around, his eyes set and mouth straight, almost numb. Then everything changed, his face lit up and he seemed livelier, happier, like every single problem in the world had just evaporated. Margaret was running towards him, and when she reached him he hugged her tightly, picking her up slightly from the floor, causing her to giggle. "No one, of course, except your sister." Jessica corrected. "I mean, Dr. Cullen's like this foster dad slash match maker."

"Maybe he'll adopt me." Angela joked, her laughter genuine when they laughed. Bella's eyes scanned through the Cullens again. One didn't have a girl clinging to his arm.

"Oh yeah," Jessica commented, following her gaze. "That's Edward. He thinks he's so much better than everyone else here, so I wouldn't bother trying."

"I wasn't planning to." Isabella said monotonously. Suddenly, Edward looks over, as if he heard Jessica from across the room. His eyes meet Bella's. But he seems.. . confused. Bella quickly looks away. From the Cullen's table, everyone remains silent, feeling the tension grow between Edward and Bella. Emmet and Michael try desperately to catch Edward's attention by talking about the recent animal attacks, and beneath the table Jasper holds Margaret's hand a little tighter. Bella can't help but peek at Edward again. He's staring at her outright now, with a slightly frustrated expression that tells Bella she has found her pray. She hides behind her hair, with this type of guys - she had learnt back in Arizona - playing hard to get usually did the trick.

"Edward, are you listening?" Alice insisted. The boy turned his gaze sharply at the tense girl.

"Yeah," he turned around again. She was no longer looking at him, that was odd, but weirder was that he couldn't read her mind. Just like he couldn't read Margaret's.

"We were saying, we have to be more careful. We can't risk being found, or even worse, framed for someone else's murder." Rosalie repeated harshly, her eyes digging into Edward's neck. "That means, no bringing attention to ourselves by staring like a creep at girls." That made him turn instantly.

"We've already told one human, it's not like we're going to be discovered by me staring." He huffed, slumping down in his chair.

"That was very different, and you know it." Jasper growled deeply, almost animalistic, his hand slamming on top of the table, leaving a mark behind. Margaret had never seen Jasper this way, it terrified her, she wouldn't be surprised if he was thinking of fighting him right there and then. All the stress they all had going on had a greater impact on him, he felt his worries and everyone else's. She couldn't imagine what that was like. Under the table she brushed her thumb against his palm, trying to bring him back to relaxation. It worked well enough, but Jasper remained on edge the rest of the day.

***

When they got in the car Margaret saw Jasper close his eyes for a few seconds, taking deep breaths, that most definitely did nothing, but helped him calm down. Maggie hated this, seeing him like this it hurt her in such a way that she thought she might break down right there and then.

"Hey," Her hand rested on top of his, the coolness of it against hers comforting. "It's going to be alright, we'll get through this." He still had his eyes closed tightly as he shook his head from side to side, making her furrow her brows together with concern.

"You were afraid." Barely a whisper. "I made you feel that way," His eyes shut tighter. "I felt it. I felt your fear." It took little time for Margaret to understand what he was talking about. "Afraid falls too short for what you felt. You were terrified." Her hand remained on op of his, unwavering.

"Jazz," She whispered softly.

"I don't blame you for it, I can understand it being terrifying, seeing someone behave so inhuman."

"Jasper," She insisted.

"I've done worse." He wasn't listening. He was falling deep into something Margaret had no idea how to tackle. "I've done terrifying things." His back was tensing, the muscles of his jaw twitching. "I've done monstrosities."

"Jasper." Margaret's voice earned a reaction from him, a slight relaxation of his muscles that vanished as quickly as it had appeared. So she went from there. She shifted in the car seat, trying to face him, her hands reaching towards his face. He flinched slightly, pulling away.

"I'm a monster." He whimpered. Margaret was breaking, but she couldn't, not now when he needed her the most. It took a lot of her strength to focus her thoughts and feelings to those happy days with Jasper. The day they met at the pawn shop, their first history class, the day he asked her to be his girlfriend... Slowly her chest filled with an overwhelming feeling of fuzzing warmth and comfort. She rubbed soothing circles on his cheeks with her thumbs, but Jasper kept muttering.

"Jasper, listen to me." She whispered, his eyes skimmed under his eyelids. "Jasper, you are loved." The memories rushing through her mind, all those days they've spent together, the good ones and the bad ones, even right that instant she felt happy, all because she had him. "Jasper, I love you." He shook his head, repeating over and over again he was a monster. "Jasper, open your eyes, please." She begged. He was fighting, what she wasn't sure, but at that moment she didn't care. "Jasper, please look at me. I'm here. I'll always be here for you. I love you Jasper. I love you with your loving ways, I love you with your overthinking, and I love you right this instant." Her cheeks were beginning to get wet with tears. "Jasper focus on me, focus on my feelings." Margaret took one of his hands and placed it on top of her heart. "Jasper please, look at me. Pease." She let her lips brush his, her thumbs continuing their caressing. "Jasper Hale, I love you with all my soul. How can you say you're a monster when you've given me so much life?" She was whispering, her forehead resting on his. A few second later se felt the tickle of his lashes brushing her face. Margaret pulled away slowly, his eyes were looking down, ashamed, his lips pressed in a firm line. Her hand lifted his head to meet her gaze, it took a while, but finally, his eyes rested on hers. A relieved sigh escaped her lips, and she plunged her arms around him, bringing him as close as physically possible with their situation in the car. "It's okay, I'm here. I'm always going to be here for you. It'll be alright."

"Thank you." He muttered softly, in a way that would've been barely audible if she hadn't been so close to him. She didn't move, she didn't dare. This way, she heard him swallow, Jasper was unsure, he didn't know what to say, or do. Maybe, because of all the time they had spent together, or maybe due to the mating bond, Margaret seemed to know exactly what he needed to hear, what he needed to do.

"I'll be here, whenever you want to talk about it." She whispered, her lips caressing his neck, right bellow his ear. He cherished it, the way her warm breath fell on his skin. So delicate, so mortal. "Better?" Jasper breathed her in, her scent, the raw smell of her blood pumping within her, the saltiness of the sweat that had began to form at the back of her neck, the sweet perfume she applied every morning rigorously, vanilla and cinnamon. To him that scent, that warmth she provided, and most importantly, the comfort she carried within her, were like Home. With her, he was safe. With her, he was Home. Margaret pulled away slowly, her hair falling delicately on her chest. Jasper rested his head on her shoulder, the same way he would after a long day at the Sheriff department.

"I am now."