A Ray of Hope

Author's Note: Re-upload from my old account, I wrote this back in 2011. is a short one-shot I wrote about when Alice and Jasper meet in the diner. I apologize in advance if this seems rushed at all, I wrote this right before I had to leave for a wedding . Enjoy!

The footsteps from the distance were getting louder. He would be there soon. She sat on a stool in the diner and prepared herself for what she had been waiting for all those years. Excitement coursed through her veins and into the core of her soul. When she opened her eyes into this new life, he was the first thing she saw. Tall, honey blond, a former solider, and covered in battle scars. She was intrigued by this man and paid close attention to the visions that revolved around them together in the future. She wanted to meet him, to be close to him, and to love him. She knew once the vision ended that it wasn't the right time to find him. He was trapped in a dangerous situation and she could see how miserable he was. It hurt her to see anyone especially him, that sad. Her visions showed her that he would escape from it soon and they would meet in the diner she was sitting in today. She waited until the perfect moment, when their paths would cross and they could begin a new life together. Her patience paid off. The moment she was waiting for would arrive in another minute.

The footsteps were outside the door, he would be there in seconds. Behind her, the bartender moved around, organizing the drinks and asked her once more if she would like one. Again, she politely refused. She didn't need to drink. In fact, she couldn't. The door swung open and there he stood in the middle of the door frame like he did in her vision. His honey blond hair was tousled from running and dust from the dirt covered his shirt and pants. He took a step forward and glanced around the half empty diner as if he had seen one for the first time. She smiled a little to herself and hopped off the stool, ignoring the bartender's stare. She saw his head snap up and his gaze met hers as she made her way closer to him.

He stopped moving and waited for the pixie-like girl to come closer, to see what she would do. Did she want to talk? Fight? Was she friendly or hostile? Her emotions pulsed through him and ignited fire to every cell in his body. Happiness. It radiated out each of her pores and bounced off all the corners in the room. Empathy wasn't new for him, but one emotion caught him off guard. Love. And this one puzzled him the most.

She stopped in front of him, a small grin spread across her face. He stood there, curious about the strange pixie-like girl. They stared in since for what seemed like forever, taking each other in. Finally, she spoke: "You have kept me waiting for a long time," She said. She playfully crossed her arms, pouting and waited for his response. Unable what to make of this, he was silent. In that small second, it all became clear to him. She was in love with him already. Before he knew it, a smile crept up his face and he bowed his head. "I'm sorry, ma'am," He smiled back at her. He pretended to take a hat off his head and she let out a tiny giggle. He liked the sound of it - the laugh reminded him of tinkling bells. She seemed to be pleased by his answer and stuck out her hand towards him.

Her large topaz eyes, watched him carefully to see what his next reaction would be. Before he could even stop to think, he found himself reaching out for her hand.

Not another thought crossed his mind as he took it and they both left the diner together. The sun had just set and the last rays of the light set fire to the horizons and created a mix of purple and orange in the sky. They stopped for a minute to watch the last of it disappear and neither of the strangers spoke a word. Her hand squeezed his and he couldn't help but smile back at her once again.

She spoke again, once more in almost a whisper. "It's nice to meet you, my name is Alice," She beamed at him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Alice. I'm Jasper," Before he knew what he was doing he pulled her into a soft embrace. Hours could have passed as they stood there hugging, in a sweet bliss, before Alice began to pull away. "Come with me," Alice smiled. "I have a wonderful surprise for you. I know you will love it." Jasper nodded and agreed. Even though he barely knew her or let alone what she wanted him to see, he felt different around her. Emotions he hadn't felt in a century. Light. Pure happiness. And most important: Hope. He had a strange sense that he could trust her and that everything would be okay from then on. Together, they set off in silence to their new journey into the world without stopping to look back. After this day, nothing would be the same. They weren't two separate individuals anymore, but a one loving whole person.

It's short, I know. Thank you for reading anyway! :) I might more later and post them as other chapters. We'll see :)