Title: Carpe Diem
Rating: T for themes of romance and some language.
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Everything is (c) to Stephenie Meyer. No profits are being made from this story.
Warnings: Some post Breaking Dawn spoilers.

Note about the title
I know that there's another JasperAlice story out there with the words Carpe Diem in the title, though it's not the entire one. The first person who can guess why I picked this title gets a dedication and a say for a specific chapter! Good luck!

Chapter one: Family Time

The white skin of the Volturi leader seemed strangely flushed with glee as he reached over. Slowly, yet without any trace of hesitance, Aro pressed his fingers against another vampire's. His eyes fluttered close, but they only remained so for a brief second. When he reopened them, he pulled his hand away, his crimson eyes gleaming.

"So interesting," he whispered. "How would you like to join the Volturi?"

The cloaked man smirked appreciatively.

Aro nodded. "Good. Now, how about we test the limits of that power of yours...?"

"How so?" The voice was smooth, confident.

"Let us visit some dear friends of mine living in the States. I'm certain they'd appreciate the gift."

When Alice opened her eyes, she found herself staring into Jasper's golden gaze. Instantly, she smiled, the remnants of the vision leaving her mind as she snuggled closer to him on their bed. He barely moved, his handsome face also relaxing.

"What did you see?" Jasper murmured inquisitively, as he usually did when she had a vision.

Sighing, she looked at the clock on the wall. It was almost six in the morning, though she saw no good reason to get up. For the last twenty hours or so, Jasper and she had simply laid on their bed, holding each other as they contentedly let time flow. Their spacious room had been the only witness to their gentle love, of the light kisses and the adoring touches that they shared privately.

"It was a pretty vague vision. I just saw Aro asking someone to join the Volturi, then telling him they should visit friends." She frowned. "I probably got the vision is because we're said friends."

Jasper's face softened as he reached over, gently running a finger against her furrowed brow. He hated seeing anything but a smile on his beautiful wife's face, and had sworn to her decades ago that he would always do anything he could to keep it on. Instantly, she smiled, her worries leaving her as she reached over to kiss his cheek.

"Should we tell Carlisle?" he asked, shifting slightly so he could sit up on their tangled red sheets white keeping her tightly in his grasp.

She reluctantly pulled away from him. "Of course."

Alice gave him a quick kiss, then jumped from the bed and headed towards their bathroom. She showered quickly, then headed to her vast closet as the sun poked through the opened window. The sound of the running water as Jasper took his turn to shower mingled with Esme's voice as she sang downstairs. Emmett was shouting something from the basement to Rosalie, who answered in an annoyed tone. Carlisle was in his study, sorting through some papers. She assumed that Bella and Edward would, along with Nessie, be at the house in an hour or so, where they'd meet with Jacob.

Her smile widened as she picked each member of her family apart, her heart swelling with happiness. This was even more perfect than she had imagined during her visions. She wouldn't trade her life for anything.

After filling on a pair of dark jeans and a light purple sweater, along with prestigious Prada shoes, she sauntered downstairs. She began to hum along with Esme's singing, passing by the kitchen and the living room, to stop in front of Carlisle's study doors.

She was about to knock when his voice rang from inside. "Come in!"

A wide smile filled Alice's small features as Carlisle's words projected her almost a century behind. When she and Jasper had arrived at the Cullen household, they had presented themselves to Esme, before making their way to the doctor's home office. Like he usually did, he had shouted at them to come in without even waiting for them to knock, the perfect example of a man with his doors wide open. Even Jasper, who had felt anxious about this new family, had softened considerably.

She danced inside his wide office without a look back, smiling widely at her father figure. He was sitting behind a large mahogany desk that seemed to come straight from the study of a nineteenth century royal family. He was scribbling on a piece of paper, a medical textbook open in front of him.

Bella had been in their family for a year now, and their lives has settled comfortably. Carlisle had decided to refresh his doctoral knowledge despite the family's belief that his superior abilities meant more than any university class could. It shortened his hours home since he had to work and study at the same time, though he'd always ensure himself that he'd spend quality time with all of his surrogate children.

"Late homework?" she giggled, stopping in front of his desk.

He glanced at her briefly before a sheepish smile made its way onto his handsome features. "Unfortunately. These are all routine things, though, and my class is only at seven tonight."

"But," Alice corrected, taking a reproachful glance to her face, "you had all night to do it. Plus, you're working at ten. What did you do in your spare time?"

His eyes glinted as he set down his pen, leaning back in the satin bound chair. "Isn't it a bit odd for a daughter to question her father about what he does during the night?"

"I digress," Alice said as she cringed visibly.

He laughed, his deep baritone voice warming Alice's heart. Then, he grew slightly more serious, even though his affectionate look never left him. "I assume you didn't come here to chide me about my homework?"

"Not really," she replied, her face falling as she remembered her vision. Slowly, she sat down in the chair in front of him, suddenly anxious about his reaction. "I had a strange vision earlier this morning. I wanted to know what you thought of it."

He leaned forward, leaning his elbows on the desk over his forgotten papers. Her visions have always entertained him greatly, and she found it liberating to tell him her most cryptic ones. He would always offer her great insight. "Go ahead."

"It wasn't much. It was just a brief clip of someone getting accepted into the Volturi by Aro. Then he just told the newcomer that they needed to go see some friends. Jasper and I talked about it, and we wondered if we were those friends? Why else would I have the vision, unless it concerned us?"

A slight frown then tugged at Carlisle's brow, the smile gone from his face.

Despite herself, Alice hurriedly said, "I'm sorry. I know that everyone's sick of the Volturi."

The smile lit itself back onto his face for a brief moment. "Don't apologize, Alice. It's not your fault. I also think we were those aforementioned friends. It worries me; whatever this new vampire's powers are, it can only mean trouble for us. When he said 'gift', did he sound like he meant it, or did it have a double meaning?"

She thought back to her vision, at the way Aro's eyes had gleamed with eagerness. "Actually, he sounded like he meant it, as though it would really be beneficial to us. But then again, Aro does have a pretty interesting view on life. It could be a genuine thought, just as it could be a treachery."

They discussed for a few minutes, with Alice repeating the exact words until Carlisle knew them by heart. Then, when it seemed as though there was nothing more they could say on the subject, Alice left the room, feeling lighter than she had before. She had promised her father to keep him updated in case of another vision.

When she entered the living room, she was greeted by shouts as the rest of her family advanced on the board game they were playing. Nessie was pouting, along with Jacob, while Edward chuckled theatrically. Of course he would win; his ability to read minds gave him an unfair ability.

Sitting behind Jasper on the couch, she reached over to peer at the game. As she had thought, Edward and Bella's pawn was way farther than the rest.

Esme sighed, tilting her head as she glanced at Jasper. "Will you mutiny me for Alice, now?" The smile on her face betrayed her joy. She would definitely leave if it would let Alice join the game; she would pretty much do anything in order to make her kids happy. In more ways than one, the brunette was their mother, and floated in the role easier than anyone else could.

The blond sighed, looking dejectedly at the game as he said, "I have to admit that I definitely win more often with Alice. However, we began this game together, we'll sink together."

"Do you mind?" the grown woman looked at her daughter, who grinned.

"Not at all. Jasper's used to losing when it comes to games anyways," she replied, before leaning down to press a soft kiss against Jasper's cheek. Then, she watched the rest of the game, even though she'd already seen the outcome over three days ago.

A/N: Hey dearies!

Thanks for taking time to read this chapter. It will get more exciting as it comes, I'm certain. Right now I just needed to establish some sort of 'normality' in the family, to set the stage. Still, I couldn't help but to add some AliceCarlisle family bond... I hope you appreciated!

Just to rant a bit: I had written the first three chapters, and chapter nine-ish, as well as the ending. However, my USB key randomly became corrupted, and I lost every single file... *Sob*... Thankfully I had chapter one backed up...

Thanks again, and please let me know how you liked it! Even if it's just a single word.

Take care!