*sigh* so Esme and Carlisile's match was truly a love match. How romantic.

Yeah, I was relieved too! I always thought it was a bit coincidental that they just happened to both fall in love with each other after Carlisle chose to save her, although I was willing to go along with it. Now we know that Esme was carrying a torch for him all along - yay!

Thank you I was wondering about that today myself...seems gross and irrelevant but I still wondered..at least he would know when deff con 5 was in play so he could make himself scarce hahaha

THANK YOU for clearing that up for me. I was not reading the Lexicon right... where it says "Hair does not grow, nor do fingernails (if you cut your hair, you’re stuck. That’s why Alice’s hair is so short–it was growing back from being shaved in the asylum)." I was thinking WTFT, how could it grow back if it doesn't grow????

Stupid moment.

I just had a thought. I never really considered this before but, listening to Chapter 6 - Scary Stories - makes me wonder. When Billy and Jacob show up (at the end of Chapter 11) is it merely because their tv is broken and they wanted to watch the game with Charlie? And seeing Bella with Edward was just a jarring coincidence? Or...is it possible that Sam was alerted by Lauren's snide remarks about Bella inviting the Cullens and he mentioned something - either to Billy personally, or to the council as a whole? I guess I'd always thought the ball game (presumably basketball, considering the timeframe) was merely an excuse, but I'd never delved deeper into how Billy knew about Bella being involved (in whatever capacity) with one (or more) of the Cullens.

Funny how that never occurred to me before...

By then Sam is running surveillance. Could he have seen something? Smelled Edward hanging around Charlie's a bit too much?

Interesting thoughts! I'd always assumed, up until now, of course, that it was coincidence, but I think the possibility of Sam having discovered something while running surveillance is a definite possibility.

Cool!

Hm, I think Bella's curiousity, coupled with the surveillance, could have uncovered it... But I also think the Black's TV is probably not super up-to-date, and def. could have broken!

This reminds me of a fanfic story... check out The Puppet Master here: http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1531368/Glitch_in_the_System...that author's answer would be that someone TOLD Sam...: ) It's a great one.

okay okay.. i have to ask this. We all know the sort of true beginning of Bella/Edward, Carlisle/Esme, and Emmett and Rosalie. And we know that apparently vamps have a hard time controlling their hormones when in close proximity. I'm wondering... was Jasper "physical" with any female vamps before he met Alice? He was surrounded by newborns. I was just thinking about this.

Please let me know if I blatantly missed some hint of this in Eclipse.

I kind of assumed he was ... "physical"... with Maria (his creator)-- it seemed that his time in her army was pretty animalistic in every way. But definitely not a love situation, let alone a One True Love!

Yeah, I thought Jasper had been "with" Maria too. He just didn't love her. Their relationship was based on convenience and strategy, not love.

Ok cool. I was just wondering. I didn't think there was any love there. But I can just see her taking advantage of him for ummm favors.

It seems Maria used Jasper...
Probably in more ways than we will understand, sadly.

Their relationship was beyond complex, and power is what compelled her forward. Not love, not sex, pure unadulurated power.

Blinded by that power, she used all those around her.

Sam's surveillance would not have covered Charlie's house. He was bound by the treaty to stay off Cullen's land, which I thought was anything outside of the reservation. I really think it was a coincidence, because Jacob even mentions that his dad was acting weird and Billy did seem surprised by Edward's presence.

That's an interesting question. I always figured Forks was neutral territory for both sides. Jacob does show up at the high school during EC, and it doesn't seem that breaks the treaty. I always figured the "line" was the immediate undeveloped area outside the res, with civilized areas as neutral. Does anyone recall if it's really explained anywhere?