An Uncertain Dance
By Literary Litany
Summary: Alice sees possibilities, and she and Jasper converse. A moment shared after Alice's return from Volterra.
Disclaimer: All characters and settings are property of Stephanie Meyer and all writing is not for profit, merely a tribute to her.
Alice fingered the paper-back speculatively, trying not to be distracted by Jasper's finger's playing with her hair. It was a habit she had developed before she and Jasper became 'an item' as Emmett put it. She loved to read romances.
It didn't matter much to her if they were cheap or overly sappy, or even badly written, as long as she could tell that the writer had really felt in love. She liked to see how people viewed love, and how they thought it should or shouldn't affect them. The habit had continued after she and Jasper, and it was only now that she was considering giving it up.
Because she had a feeling she had an amazing romance novel brewing right under her nose. Or under her roof at least.
She leaned back against Jasper more, loosening her muscles and preparing for the lazy concentration that allowed her to stretch her mind into the infinite pool of possibilities. Jasper, perceiving as he always did exactly what she wanted, ceased his distracting occupation as wrapped his arms firmly around her, giving that needed sense of support.
As always these changes were made in silence. She and Jasper could talk for hours, and often did, but unlike the romance novels theirs was a love in silence. It was minute gestures and expressions. They loved every detail of each other, and that meant that the details were always important.
But there were still times she hid things, even from Jasper. Whenever the future had shaken her too badly, he was there to comfort her, but there were always possibilities she left out when she told him. There were always things best left unconsidered.
So she avoided those possibilities. The violence that could end Edward and Bella too soon, past the indecision both were suffering at the moment, and into the decisions both of them made only on a night like this, when they allowed themselves to dream.
She had seen vampires dance. Emmett and Rosalie, Jasper and herself, Carlisle and Esme… Edward had paired with many dance partners over the years, for he loved to dance, but always the partner seemed inadequate. They were unable to follow and predict those flourished movements that made his dancing so amazing.
But here he was, sunlight glittering off his skin and that of his partner, in the glade that she recognized as his favorite despite the years of change. The auburn-haired beauty in his arms had eyes only for him, and in a way that no one else ever had she matched him, movement for movement, as if she knew instinctively what he would do.
It was a waltz, in basic steps, but the dancers were challenging themselves, improvising and testing each other. It was at the same time an embrace and a battle, a private moment Alice almost felt guilty about watching. Almost.
Already, as the dancers reluctantly began to part, Alice could feel the vision fading. She clung to it a little longer, and watched the sheepish smile cross the girl's lips. Edward stooped to kiss it away.
"I didn't know I could do that…" She heard that familiar voice and it came as if from a great distance. The couple continued to slip away.
"I did." He assured her, and the last of the scene faded.
She opened her eyes to see Jasper kissing her hand, and smiled.
"They make the cutest couple." She sighed happily, and felt Jasper smile against her hand.
"They'd better after all the trouble you've gone through…" He let out a soft, protective growl, and she knew he was still displeased about her trip to Italy the few days before. Had it only been a few days? Time was such a strange thing. "What did you see?" He asked, with that curiosity and slight awe that he always did.
"Edward and Bella." She said with an air of obviousness, wiggling her fingers teasingly away from his lips. "If she's changed."
He didn't pursue the offending digits, instead bending to her neck. "If?" He asked between kisses. "Haven't we sealed her fate already?"
Alice tensed a moment. "It's always if. There's never any certainty." He shifted her in his arms, bringing her around to face him.
"Even for you?"
"Especially for me…" She whispered, darting forward to capture his lips, because for all she knew, the next moment they wouldn't be there for her to have.
A/N: Just a short bit of Alice/Jasper fluff with a bit of Edward/Bella thrown in for fun. I've had this one in my archives for awhile now and just haven't remembered to post it on . Heh. Silly me.