I have waited a thousand years for you.

Beach, bitch

"Why not? go, its been a while since you've been to the beach, and you love it so much." He encouraged, and though every inch of his body hurt at the thought of letting her unprotected in werewolf territory, he knew she wanted to go. Jasper couldn't just ask her not to go, he couldn't - he wouldn't - do that to her. There was a fight inside of him, the darkest parts of himself burning and dying to snap, aching to take her in his arms and dare any werewolf to approach her. He had to fight it.

"Well, I suppose I can drop by." Margaret agreed, nodding her head. Eric returned to the table, sitting by Angela and Jessica. Margaret glanced at her sister, her face seemed numb and expressionless as she gazed away from her. It was then, as they moved back to seat at the Cullen's table, that she felt Jasper's hand on hers tighten. He was tense, his expression pained. "Jazz?" He didn't look at her. "Jasper." She tried again, this time he looked at directly at er, but his eyes were different, they felt restless and somewhat darker. Luckily, their interaction was cut short. As they sat own at the table, Edward approached Bella at the salad bar, determined and yet hesitant. Isabella held herself in a ball, closed over herself, like a frightened deer would hide from a hunter. They talked little, and in such hushed voices only the Cullen's could hear them. Jasper, though, wasn't paying them any attention, as he tried desperately to fight the urges inside of him. Margaret was about to ask if he was okay, her hand already reaching for his, when Alice gasped. "What is it?" She asked hurriedly, Michael was already placing his hand on her shoulder as comfort. They looked at her, eyes filled with apologetic sadness.

"Bella has invited Edward to La Push." Jasper said calmly, his voice wavering, as if it were shifting between two different people.

"He can't go, it's at the reservation, he can't-" Margaret stopped. They hadn't worried about Edward going to the beach, they worried about him not going. If he did not show, Bella would grow suspicious, ask questions. Paul and Jacob would be there, and she could discover everything they had worked so hard on keeping from her. "He can't go." She repeated, this time her concern showing as the conclusion settled in her mind. "She could find out, everything." A silence so great fell upon them that even Maggie - without vampire hearing - could listen to her sister's proud strut back to her table. "I'll try my best to keep her from finding out." She assured them.

When classes ended, Margaret got in the car with Jasper. Over the course of the day he had had the chance to shake away the overwhelming feeling of loosing control, which had exhausted him terribly. She didn't want to leave, not when he was fighting so hard against himself, not when he needed her most. But then again, she couldn't allow Bella to find out about their secret, that, too, would endanger, not only Jasper, but the whole Cullen family.

"You have to go." He interrupted, almost reading her mind. "I'll be fine." Jasper assured her, his eyes soft once more, resting on hers with such love and devotion she couldn't argue with him. So, she offered him a short nod and a smile, and they drove towards the reservation. Still, Maggie's mind wouldn't cease racing, a thousand thoughts flying by it. Jasper's darkest corners had been triggered by the mention of the beach. Of course, she understood, it was because he didn't want to leave her unprotected, specially in a time so critical like this one, were everything could fall apart in mere seconds.

"I really wish you could come with me." She said, her eyes on him, taking in his strong arm holding the steering wheel tightly, the veins in his hand pooping.

"I'm always with you." Jasper responded, his lips quirking upwards into a grin which made Margaret smile widely. "Though I would like to be there, in case anything happened." He added, his severity flooding back.

"I'll be fine, Paul will be there." Her hand soothed his arm, rubbing softly. Jasper's eyes shot at her, almost black with fury.

"Yes, Paul will be there." He repeated. Ah, Paul was the problem, being left alone and unprotected on werewolf territory with Paul, was the problem that had gotten him so worked up. Now she understood.