++++++

Magnolia felt as though she might cry. She stared down at the floor while her dad screamed at Carlisle. It was embarrassing—absolutely embarrassing. Jasper stood a ways away from her, next to Alice, feeling horrible. He could feel how embarrassed she was and he wanted nothing more than to wrap her in a hug and tell her it was all going to be okay—but he couldn't. He didn't know if It'd be okay.

Carlisle stayed silent, listening to her father's wrath, never breaking his gaze away from him. Finally, he stopped, breathing heavily. "Magnolia," His hard gaze turned to his daughter. "We're leaving. Now."

The girl's eyes widened at his sudden acknowledgement of her. She stood up slowly. "This wasn't her fault, Timothy. Me and my wife take full responsibility."

Timothy, her dad, glared at the vampire. "Oh I know it wasn't her fault—I know how manipulating you bloodsuckers can be." His eyes trailed over to Jasper. The southerner glared back at him. Magnolia felt her anger rise at the jab toward Jasper. She clenched her fists and walked to his side. She frowned at Emmet and Rosalie, who smiled sadly at her. Esme stepped forward.

"Not a step closer." Her father warned.

Esme stopped. She watched Timothy out of the corner of her eye as she addressed Magnolia. "I'm sorry, sweetie. It was great having you. And remember, none of this was your fault." Esme could tell the young human girl felt at fault for what had occurred with her father—she wanted her to know that it wasn't.

Timothy scoffed loudly. He was beyond angry—Jasper could feel it, it consumed him. There was nothing stopping him from killing the entire coven right then and there. "Magnolia. Car." He spoke through gritted teeth.

Magnolia dreaded the fifteen-minute car ride, expecting to reprimand harshly. She nodded, turning her eyes to the floor, and leaving the Cullen's house. She opened the passenger side door, got into the car and buckled up. Even though she wasn't looking, she could still feel the eyes of her friends on her—though they wouldn't be friends anymore, if her parents could help it.

She looked up at the sound of hard stomps on gravel. Timothy stormed out of the house, and Magnolia swore that if he wasn't careful he would've ripped the door off of the car. He ruffly sat down and started the ignition without buckling up, leaving the Cullen's driveway without a second thought.

______

Weeks went by. Magnolia hadn't spoken to the Cullens. She would hang out with Bella, Jessica and Angela during the school day, and now her mother would drive her home. If possible her training became even more gruelling—perhaps punishment for what had happened weeks prior.

Edward was now back at school, much to Magnolia's dismay. The only good thing to come out of it was Bella seemed to have become slightly happier.

Today was a rare day, as Ariana had let her daughter go over to Bella's to study for a biology test. Happily, the two girls chatted as they walked to Bella's truck. "I really can't believe she's letting me do this," Magnolia spoke as she placed her hood on her head, as the rain started to fall. "I thought I'd never be free again." She chuckled dryly.

The two had stopped at the old truck. Bella lent against it, sighing. Magnolia could tell her mind was more focused on Edward than it was on her or the fact they'd finally get to hang out after weeks of what Magnolia called 'house arrest'. "Bells?"

Bella shook her head, looking back over or her friend with slightly widened eyes." Oh um, yeah. I'm happy too." She frowned, moving to open the driver's door. That's when the yelling started. Magnolia's heart started pounding, fear running through her as a van came speeding directly towards her and Bella. She had no time to react, no time to make a shield, all she could do was grab Bella's hand and shut her eyes tight.

At most, Magnolia has expected some form of pain as she was sandwiched to death between two cars, but all she felt was like a little nudge, and two strong arms holding her. Slowly opening her eyes, she noticed a pale face and honey blonde hair above her. Her eyes refocused on the nervous face of Jasper Hale, as his eyes searched her face and body for any form of injury. He was frantic as he made sure she was okay. "Jazz?" Her throat felt dry as she spoke.

His golden eyes returned to her blue ones. Magnolia's stomach tightened at the look of pure worry and terror in them. "What happ-" She paused, suddenly remembering Bella was right next to her before all of this. "Bella!" She sat quickly upright. She held her head as she suddenly became dizzy, a wave of nausea hit her hard.

A hand found its way to her shoulder. "I'm right here." Bella's shaking voice rang through Magnolia's ears. The girl nodded slowly.

"Good. Are you okay?" She looked towards Bella, noticing the brief outline of Edward. She blinked, both he and Jasper were gone, and suddenly they were surrounded by a hoard of students, worriedly attending to the girls.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Bella, Maggie." Tyler's voice was shaky, his head bleeding slightly from the impact. Magnolia looked up at him, giving him a weak reassuring smile.

"Out of my way!" The unmistakable voice of Ariana Siren shrilled. She pushed through the students, arriving at her daughter's side. "Oh my lord, you're okay!" She tried her best to hold back her tears as she hugged Magnolia tightly. The young girl laughed lightly, patting her mom's shaking arm. "I called the doctors, I'll be driving you and Bella, come on dears."

Ariana helped both Bella and her daughter up, leading them to her car. As she drove them down to the small-town hospital, she stole glances at them, smiling as her daughter attended to her friend rather than herself, and she could see why she had fallen for the Cullens facade. She felt sorry for them, she wanted them to feel included—she needed to be trained harder, not to let that happen again. Sighing, Ariana turned her attention back to the road, until they pulled into the hospital parking lot.

The two young girls sat on opposite hospital beds, listening to Tyler apologizing profusely while nurses attended to them. They conversed the best they could, Ariana interrupting them every now and then to check on her daughter, asking, "Are you okay?" Magnolia always responding with a, "Yes, mom."

Bella leaned closer in. "How do you think they got there so fast? I swear they were at the complete opposite end of the lot." She took a shaky breath in, resting her cheek in her hand, trying to comprehend the incident. Magnolia internally cringed, knowing she could never tell Bella hers or the Cullen's secret, so she had to lie—again. This seemed like a reoccurring thing with her family's lifestyle, and Magnolia didn't like it. The secrets, the pretending, the lying. Every part of her brain screamed at her to be truthful and spill her entire life story to the girl in front of her, but she knew she couldn't—and deep down, that hurt.

"I don't know." That was all Magnolia could say.

The emergency room doors swung open, and a nervous Charlie Swan entered. The tension left his shoulders as he saw his daughter sitting, looking relatively unharmed. "Bella," He breathed. "You okay?" The brunette nodded softly. He eyed Tyler with a scowl as he walked past. "You and I are gonna have a talk," He placed his hand on Bella's shoulder. "You alright?"

"I'm fine dad, calm down." Bella sighed. Charlie noticed Ariana sitting next to Magnolia, and he raised his brow.

"Is your girl okay, Ari?" He questioned, his tone softening, seeing how shaken Ariana looked.

Ariana nodded slowly, looking at her daughter over once again. "Yes. I think so." She chuckled dryly, though it held no humour.

"I'm sorry girls, I tried to stop," Tyler spoke up, earning a glare from both parents.

"I know, it's okay." Magnolia tried to ease the tension. Her mother quickly took her hand, squeezing it, giving her a look to stop talking.

"No. It sure is hell not okay." Charlie snapped.

Bella sighed. "Dad, it wasn't his fault." She pleaded.

"You both could've been killed, you understand that?" Charlie was trying his best to keep up the role of the tuff cop, but his concerned dad was starting to slip out the more Bella tired to argue with him.

"Yes...but we weren't, so." She trailed off, looking back over at Tyler. 

Charlie huffed. "You can kiss your license goodbye." He pointed at the teenage boy.

The doors opened once again. Magnolia felt her mother tense, her grip tightening on her arm as someone else entered. Carlisle Cullen stepped in, his eyes falling on Magnolia for a second, his face unreadable, before addressing Charlie and Bella. "I heard the chief's daughter was here." He smiled his iconic warm smile. Magnolia suddenly felt herself missing the foster parents of the Cullen children.

"Ah, Doctor Cullen." Charlie breathed.

"Charlie," Carlisle acknowledged the officer. "I've got this one, Jackie," He took the clipboard from the nurse, who took it upon herself to check up on Magnolia. "Isabella."

"Bella." The girl corrected. She hated her full name.

Carlisle smiled understandingly. "Well Bella, looks like you took quite a spill, how do you feel?"

Bella looked around him, making eye contact with Magnolia. "Good...um Maggie was there too, are you going to check her?" Magnolia gave Bella a slight smile, thankful she had a friend who cared so much for her.

"Oh," Carlisle wasn't expecting that from Bella. He turned around, smiling at Magnolia, who smiled back a little too enthusiastically, getting that warm feeling from the man's fatherly smile. "Of course, I will," Turning back to Bella, he continued his assessment. "Look here," he placed his finger up, moving a small flashlight around to check her eyes. "You might experience some post-traumatic stress or disorientation but your vitals look good. No signs of any head trauma, I think you'll be just fine."

He stepped back, turning to Magnolia. "I'm so sorry girls I-" Tyler once again went to apologize, though Charlie clearly has enough taste he closed the dividing curtain, cutting off the boy. He started Magnolia's assessment, doing the same thing he just did with Bella. Ariana glared at the man as he worked, making sure he wouldn't try anything.

"You know, it would've been a whole lot worse if Edward wasn't there. He knocked me out of the way." Bella spoke up.

"And Jasper, he did the same for me," Magnolia added quietly.

Magnolia assumed Carlisle would've shown some form of surprise, hearing his sons risked their exposure, but he showed none. He didn't even falter in his stance, he just kept working. "Edward, Jasper? Your boys?" Charlie questioned. Ariana perked at the mention of the boys' heroics — she wouldn't have expected that from vampires.

"Yeah it was amazing, I mean they got to us so fast, they were nowhere near us," Bella explained.

"Sounds like you girls were very lucky," Carlisle smiled was strained as he stepped back from Magnolia, to stand between the two families. "Charlie, Ariana." He took his leave. Bella sat, still dumbfounded.

"Let's get the girls home, shall we Charlie?" Ariana stood up, helping Magnolia, much to her daughter's protest. Charlie nodded, muttering a yes.

The four left the emergency room, and into a part of the lobby. "We have to go sign some paperwork," Charlie told the girls. "You should uh, probably call your mother." He told Bella.

"And your father, sweetheart." Ariana kisses her daughter's forehead, handing her her phone.

Bella huffed in annoyance. Magnolia let her and Charlie have their talk, while she dialled her father's number. He, understandably, was furious, and at this moment Magnolia was glad he hadn't come with her mother, or else Tyler would have some broken bones to worry about as well as the small bruise on his head. She walked a little ways away from Bella and noticed Carlisle, Jasper, Edward and Rosalie all talking in a hushed circle.

Trying her best not to make her staring obvious, she turned her back, feeling that familiar ice-cold stare of the Cullens on her back. "Well, are you coming home now?" Her father asked impatiently.

"Yeah, moms just doing some paperwork. We'll leave right after, I promise." Magnolia responded, sighing.

"Good. I hope Charlie arrests that boy. Are you sure you're not hurt? You know I don't trust Carlisle's doctoring skills." He spat, steam practically spouting from his ears as he shook with anger across the line.

Magnolia chuckled, shaking her head lightly. "Yes, dad. I'm fine. Mom will explain the rest at home. I'll see you soon. Love you."

"Love you too, sweetheart."

Magnolia shut the phone with a sigh, placing it in her pocket. "Hello, darlin'." The appearance of a sudden voice made Magnolia jump from her seat. She knew who it was from the southern accent, but it scared her nonetheless.

"Jasper! You know I hate the sneaking thing." She shook her head, turning to face the vampire, who stood sheepishly in front of her.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it. But," He glanced around. "I wanted to talk to you without your mother around. It's been...difficult, to put it lightly."

Magnolia snorted. "Difficult? More like impossible," Jasper chuckled, nodding his head in agreement. "But...I actually wanted to say sorry. I should've known mom didn't actually agree to me going over, but I was too excited and I feel like we really have to talk about the kiss and...I'm rambling. Sorry." She smiled sheepishly at the ground, her face turning red from embarrassment.

Jasper smiled sympathetically. "You have nothing to be sorry about, it wasn't your fault, we all understand. And about the kiss...I hope I didn't freak you out, it felt too forward, too rushed. Was it...enjoyable, at least?"

Magnolia blushed harder. "Y-Yes!" She sputtered. "It was...very much. But I don't think it could happen again. We can never get a moment alone like this anymore. I hate the secret lover's trope." She scrunched her face up in a form of disgust.

"As do I. It would be too stressful for the both of us anyway. But, could we at least try?" He leaned closer to her.

Magnolia looked up at him, smiling softly. She was melting in the palm of his hand. "Maybe...after today, it could be possible. Mom seemed grateful, she might trust you a little more."

Jasper took her hand slowly, pacing it against his cheek, leaning into it. He closed his eyes and smiled at the feeling of warmth. "That's all I can ask for. For us to try."