LEGO HOUSE

three.            secret agent

▬▬ "JAPSER," Cori mumbled, rubbing her palms along the tops of her thighs as Alice pulled into the school parking lot. It looked exactly the same, but also different and she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"I've got you." He simply hummed, and just like that her nerves had eased.

"I wish we had more classes together." She mumbled and Alice giggled as she parked the car before turning in her seat to look at the red eyed Swan.

"You'll be fine." She smiled. "And we'll be close if you need us. Edward will be here, too."

Cori rolled her eyes. "I get that his mind reading is useful, but I don't like that he can get into my head. It's creepy and kind of unnerving."

"That's what he said last time he read your mind." Jasper drawled, a smirk playing in his lips.

Cori grinned. "Excellent." And Jasper chuckled, he found the young girl very amusing.

"You ready?" Alice asked and Cori nodded. "But first, I got you these." She held out a little contact container and Cori opened it to see blue contacts.

"You didn't have to..."

"I know you don't like the red and these will be less suspicious."

"Very true." She mused. "Can you help me put them in? I've never had contacts before."

"Of course." Alice nodded and Cori regretted asking the second Alice had her pinned to the backseat as she held her eyes open to put the lens in.

"Oh, no." Cori mumbled as she blinked a few, her hand on the hood of the car. "These things are terrible. I can't see and they kinda sting."

"You'll get used to them. Keep blinking." Alice patted her shoulder and she nodded, making a face at the girl.

"Cori?"

She looked up and let out a breath at the sight of the boy before her. "Carter."

"Where the hell did you disappear to?" He asked, wrapping his arms around her and she nearly melted against him, her arms winding around him but she was careful not to squeeze him.

"Out of town." She mumbled, the lie tasted awful on her tongue, just as awful as it had when she called Charlie to tell him that she was leaving town for a few weeks. sh had wanted to tell him in person, but after what happened in the woods, she didn't trust herself. "I was visiting my mom and stepdad."

"And you couldn't answer my calls or texts?" He asked as he pulled back, his hands on her shoulders.

"I, uh, lost my phone. Well, it was broken. Um, I was in a car accident a few weeks ago — I'm fine! Obviously. And after the accident, I thought it was best to spend some time with my mom. I didn't want to make my dad have to take care of me like that again. He was so stressed out when I cracked my ribs." She rambled, trying to make her lie as believable as possible. "But, anyways, my phone didn't make it and I haven't had a chance to get a new one."

"For a month?"

"I'm forgetful?" She mumbled, hoping he would accept that as her answer because she honestly couldn't come up with anything else.

He breathed out a chuckle, shaking his head a little. "I missed you, Peanut." He pulled her back into his chest and she smiled as she leaned against him — no urge to drain him at all present.

"I missed you, too." She mumbled, her hands fisting around his shirt.

"She's alive!" The two pulled apart to see Noah walking towards them, his smile wide as he held his arms out. "What've you been up to, Pipsqueak?" He asked as she made her way towards him then he lifted her off the ground and she giggled as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I was in Florida. With my mom."

"And you couldn't tell anyone this because you're a secret agent who was on a top secret mission?"

"Exactly." She nodded as she stepped away from him. "Now, shall we go to class?"

"You sure you remember where they are?" Noah raised an eyebrow at her and she shoved his shoulder as Carter slid his hand into hers, their fingers intertwining. "You know, cause you've been gone so long."

Alice smiled as she watched them go, then she looked up at her husband. "She's doing really well."

"She just needed to see them." He told her. He had been reading her emotions all month and, though, most of them were angry — which were aimed at Emmett – there was also this never wavering sadness that loomed over her, but now, it had lessened. "She's gonna be just fine."

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▬▬ "NOT TO SOUND CLINGY and maybe pathetic, but are we done?" Carter asked, he and Cori were out in the courtyard since most of the students were having their lunch inside. "You never showed up and I-"

"I'm sorry." She let out a small breath, her fingers curling around his. He noticed how cold her fingers were and tightened his grip, hoping to warm her small hands up. "I was actually on the way to your place when I wrecked Edward's car. I wanted to be there, I did, but he made this big deal about taking me to the hospital." Lie.

"Of course you needed to go to the hospital."

"I know, but I wanted to see you. Then I went out to Jacksonville. And everything got so hectic." Another lie. She pushed her hair back with her free hand. "And as far as... us-" Her words died in her throat when he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he tugged her closer to him, his hands on her waist.

"Fuck." He murmured appreciatively against her lips and she giggled a little, pecking his lips again. He pulled back, a smile on his lips and she shifted closer to him, her arms tightening around him a little. "Sorry, you were saying-"

"Doesn't matter." She shook her head, pulling him back to her and connecting their lips once again before she kissed her way down his cheek to his neck. His scent invaded her senses and the urge to bite him grew as she lightly drug her teeth across his skin. He groaned at the action, his fingers tightening on her hips and pulling her closer to him, then she snapped out of it, realizing what she was about to do. She pulled back, her hands shaking a little as she pushed herself up, all while trying to move at a pace that wasn't suspicious.

"I-I'm sorry." Tears built behind her eyes. "I'm so sorry." She mumbled, then she scurried away, leaving the boy more than a little confused as he shouted after her.

Her hands clenched into fists and she chewed on her bottom lip as she stepped into the packed cafeteria, her eyes quickly scanning the room for the blond vampire. A relieved breath left her parted lips when she saw him, then she made her way through the cafeteria, ignoring the eyes that seemed to follow her.

"Jasper." She reached her hand out and quickly wrapped her fingers around his wrist as she fell into step with them. She let out a small breath as her nerves eased, then she rested her forehead against his bicep. "I-I wanted to-"

"You didn't." Alice gave her a comforting smile, but the smile she managed back was small and forced.

"I've got you." Jasper shifted his hand until his fingers curled around her palm. He knew that it would help ease her just a little bit more.

"Thanks." She mumbled as they neared the table Bella and Edward sat at with Jessica, Angela, Mike and Eric. And all eyes seemed to be on them, well, on Cori. She had been gone for nearly a month with little explanation – all Bella had told them was that she was in Florida with their mom.

"I've decided to throw a party." Alice announced, gracefully perching upon one of the empty chairs, Jasper at her side and Cori next to him – her hand still tightly wrapped around his for no other reason then to keep herself grounded.

"After all, how many times are we gonna graduate high school?" Jasper drawled and Cori's eyes went wide, the realization that she'd have to do this all over again... and again settling in and Edward let out a breathy chuckle, his golden eyes on the young Swan. Her head snapped in his direction and she narrowed her eyes at him, her glare still didn't look as menacing as she thought it did but he swallowed thickly because he knew she could kick his ass in a fight, strength wise. Then something else caught his attention, there was a wave of fear that ran through him, it wasn't strong, but it was definitely there and it faded when Cori looked away from him.

She had to shake her head to shake the sudden wave of emotions that rolled in, and when they lessened she shifted in her chair. Maybe she wasn't as ready as she thought she was... but she had worked hard and she wanted to graduate with her class.

"A party?" Angela asked, her eyes wide. "At your place?"

Jessica's head snapped to the side, a look of shock on her face. "I've never seen your house."

"No one's ever seen their house." Eric leaned closer to the brunette, his voice rather matter-of-fact.

"It's a house." Cori muttered. "Nothing too special." But that was more so her anger speaking. She had been cooped up there for a month, staring at the same walls, the same windows, and the same furniture.

"Another party, Alice?" Edward questioned, a bit a caution in his tone,

"It'll be fun." She insisted.

"Yeah." Bella nodded. "That's what you said last time."

"God, you two suck." Cori muttered, rolling her eyes and Jasper chuckled as he pulled his hand from hers. "Wha-" She looked up at him, her eyes pleading through the blue contacts.

"You're fine." He nodded his head and she swallowed the bile that rose in her throat, hoping it'd get rid of the ever present burning, but it didn't. She simply nodded, wanting to be fine, as she rubbed her hands across her jean-clad thighs. She felt eyes on her and she turned to see Noah and Carter looking at her, both looked worried and she quickly turned away from them, her head down so her hair covered her face. She closed her eyes as she tried to keep herself calm, not noticing that Alice had been pulled into vision.

She looked up, sensing the shift in mood, to see Jasper and Alice share a look before Edward gave Bella a poor excuse for a reassuring smile. "What'd I miss?" She whispered, leaning towards Jasper, but her eyes were on Alice. But the older vampire simply shook his head.

"Your friends are staring." Edward mused, his attention on Cori as he nodded towards the two boys across the room. But that simple statement brought the attention of the others at the table to the newly turned vampire.

"Yes, thanks for that." She gritted her teeth, her eyes narrowed and he hummed quietly as if he was confused, which only made the girl angrier. But before she could hurl insults and threats his way, a wave of clam rushed over her. She huffed as she sank into her seat, her eyes moving over to Jasper, who simply smirked as he tipped his head forward a little.