Family
The family that I had seen before was assembled before us. Five vampires, all of them beautiful. The obviously dominant male was blonde and tall: he held hands with a slender, motherly looking vampire with caramel colored tresses. A muscular dark-haired vampire stood beside him with his arm around the waist of a perfectly built blonde. But the younger-looking man with bronze hair and intelligent eyes—stood alone. All of them had the same soft, honey tinted eyes. They looked at us expectantly.
Slowly, the vision slipped away, and Jasper was in front of me once more. His strong arms supported my body, his patient face was curious.
I smiled softly up at him and straightened, perfectly at ease with his proximity.
"Jasper," I said. "It's time. Let's go."
My mate didn't seem to share my confidence, but nodded. He was nervous, though he was making sure I didn't feel anything. It was laughable for him to think that I wouldn't know he was upset.
"It's going to be alright," I assured him. Holding his gaze with mine, I grinned and tapped my head. "Believe me, I know."
Jasper threw a half-hearted smile in my direction. "You know where they are?" he asked. I nodded uncertainly. Actually, I didn't know where they were; I just had a feeling of where they were. Dimly, I could sense vampire presences to the north.
Jasper reached up and stroked my cheek once with his thumb. "After you," he said courteously.
We were tearing off in a northern direction just as it began to rain.
We were silent, as usual, but I could tell that Jasper was curious. He was wondering how I could be so confident, I knew just from the look in his eyes. "Don't worry about it, love," I soothed. "I've seen it all. They will accept us, both of us."
His face betrayed nothing, but he bit his lip. "You said your visions could change, Alice."
I sped up, determination urging me on. The feeling was getting stronger now, and I could distinctly smell humans somewhere outside of the forest. Between my teeth, I muttered, "Not this time."
I noticed as Jasper's nostrils widened, finally taking in the scent of vampires. He growled triumphantly, and I laughed.
"Let's go around the long way if we have to," Jasper decided. "I don't want to go anywhere near humans right now." At the mention of humans, his eyes darkened slightly. I took his hand in mine and squeezed it hard, making sure he felt the confidence I had in him.
Even taking the long way, it was minutes before we were close to the new coven. My back arched with excitement as I took in all of the new scents, and Jasper sent me a wave of composure.
"Do you think they will come?" I asked Jasper. Surely they had caught our trail by now. But he just shrugged, a wary expression on his face. I laughed and kissed his nose. "Jasper, you are ridiculous." His chest rumbled as he growled reproachfully, sending me into another fit of laughter.
"We'll wait for them," he finally told me. He sat down on the warm, wet grass and pulled me into his lap, wrapping his arms around me. We sat like that for maybe ten minutes before we heard them coming.
All five of them, coming toward us. I could smell them. They were fast.
Despite my previous confidence, I grabbed Jasper's hand. The calm he gave me was strengthened by that touch, and I was soon as composed as before, even if a little less patient.
"Which ones do we have to watch out for?" he murmured in my ear. "Just in case." I shot him a look. "Hopefully, none of them," I said unhelpfully. Sensing this, I added:"But that big one with the curly brown hair looks fierce."
Jasper's chuckle was cut off as the vampires came into view. He stood, pulling me up beside him with his hand. For a moment, we were both very still. Now the rain had stopped, and the scene before me was eerily familiar as I watched them.
After a minute, the dominant blonde stepped forward. I looked at Jasper.
He raised an eyebrow at me, telling me silently:
You talk to him, this whole thing was your idea.
I smirked at him.
Coward, my expression clearly said.
I walked forward smoothly, offering my hand to the blonde one. He took it firmly.
"Hello," I said softly. "My name is Alice. This is Jasper." I looked at Jasper pointedly.
Taking the hint, he stepped forward and shook the blonde's hand, nodding in greeting. Stepping back to my side, Jasper put a protective hand to the small of my back, making me smile.
"My name is Carlisle," said Carlisle. "These are Esme, Edward, Rosalie and Emmett," gesturing towards each of them in turn. Immediately, my eyes fell to Edward, the intelligent-looking one with the bronze hair. He was regarding me with a slight smile on his face, looking amused at something. I wondered what.
Jasper was sending out a wave of reassurance and making everyone confused. I glared at him and he smiled rebelliously.
For some reason unbeknownst to me, everyone was looking at Edward. He regarded Jasper intently for a moment, then glanced at Carlisle and nodded.
This seemed to change Carlisle's mind about something. He smiled at Jasper and I. "Please follow us back to our home. Of course there are things to be discussed, but first you two should make yourself comfortable." Jasper looked at me, and I inclined my head. The whole family turned as one and ran.
Though we probably could have passed the ones called Esme and Emmett, Jasper and I stayed in the rear.
"What do you think?" he whispered. I grinned. "I like Edward, the reddish one." Jasper rolled his eyes agitatedly, and I giggled. "Stop it, Jazz. I haven't had any new visions, so nothing has changed."
Jasper looked at me apologetically. "I'm sure I'm just making this harder for you," he said. "I'll try to calm down."
"That's funny," I pointed out, as we approached Carlisle's home. He shook his head, but I could tell from the way his mouth tipped that he was trying not to smile.
The house was spectacular. I had been inside homes before during my human-drinking days, but never like this. It was a mansion, complete with the spiral staircase and the two-digit number of windows. The furniture was luxurious, but the large rooms were far from cluttered. There was plenty of space to move around in.
I beamed at Jasper.
Isn't it beautiful? My eyes asked.
Appearances can be deceiving, his replied.
You spoil my fun, was my answer.
The living room was where they all separated. The ones called Rosalie and Emmett veered to the left; Carlisle and Edward went further into the house. Esme beckoned to us, and we followed her up the staircase.
She led us to the end of a hallway and opened the door for us. "Please stay here and rest until you are ready to come down," she invited kindly. "You will find a bathtub and a wash table in the other room, and there are fresh clothes in the closet." With a gentle smile in my direction, Esme took her leave.
The room was a bit simpler than what we had seen of the rest of the house, but it was just as remarkable. The walls were painted a deep creamy color, but the carpet and the drapes over the window were gold. Two dark green chintz chairs were placed in the corner, and in the back of the room was an enormous bed with a dark green comforter.
"Oh…" I whispered tremulously. All of this, the house, the staircase, the rooms, the bed, it was all so permanent. Jasper and I had never been able to afford it, what with our incapability to be around humans. It was something we accepted, something that we rarely thought about.
But this place, this house, was a home. There had never been a home for us.
Jasper gave a bark of laughter and launched himself onto the bed, pulling me along with him. "Humph," I said as we landed, disgruntled. He chuckled again at this, putting his arms around me. I snuggled against his muscled chest, sinking deeper into the soft mattress.
"I haven't been in a bed for decades," Jasper thought aloud. I furrowed my brow, disturbed. "I don't remember," I said sadly, even though he already knew this. Sometimes I wondered, though.
Who had I been back then? Did I have a family? Did they miss me now?
My mate's arms tightened around me, making me smile.
"Do you like it?" I asked him. He seemed so apathetic about this whole thing… Jasper nuzzled my neck. "Of course I do," he said. "I just don't know if it will last. You seem happy. And if we have to leave because I can't control myself…"
I growled angrily, making him start in surprise. "Stop it," I snapped. "You can control yourself. And if it becomes too much, then I'll see it before anything happens and be able to stop it." I ran a hand through his honey-gold hair. "And if you do have to go, Jasper, then I will be more than happy to tag along. I will always follow you."
Jasper smiled at me in pure adoration. "I love you, too," he murmured. He added, "But we should probably get ready."
Neither I nor Jasper felt a need for the bathtub, but we did take up the opportunity for a change of clothes. Jasper changed into a plain pair of pants and a light blue shirt. I chose a white dress, simple yet beautiful, that fit my slender curves nicely and flowed to my ankles.
It was as I saw myself in the mirror that I realized how elegantly dressed this family was. I wondered how they came by the money. They didn't have jobs, did they?
"Well," I said, turning to Jasper, "I'm ready. You want to go down?" He smiled, watching me. "You look beautiful, Alice."
"Thank you," I replied, kissing him in thanks. "But we really should go down."
I turned again, reaching for the door-handle, but stopped when I felt a cool, strong hand close on my wrist. "Give me a minute," Jasper whispered, pulling me into his arms. His eyes were supremely confident. He kissed me again, his hands lingering on my waist…
"Stop it, Jasper!" I hissed, pulling out of his reach. Too quick for him to catch me, I opened the door and left the room.
"Fine," he muttered, immediately catching up with me as I descended the stairs. His soft eyes smoldered at me confidently again. I raised an eyebrow, smirking in amusement.
Carlisle was waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs. He smiled easily at us, pleased that we had changed into his clothes. "If you would follow me?" he asked politely. Jasper nodded, his hand finding mine, and once again we followed.
He took us into brightly lit study, closing the door behind us. I took a seat across from his desk, and Jasper followed suit. Carlisle sat behind the desk, and surveyed us with an expression of mild curiosity.
"Forgive me," he began, "But before I fully introduce myself, I would love to learn a little about you two." He directed his words towards me, seeming to think that I would speak more willingly.
Jasper still held my hand; he squeezed it in encouragement.
"It's rather hard to explain," I said apologetically. "But I suppose I should start with our…talents. Jasper can feel the emotions of others around him, and change them at will." I watched as understanding dawned on his face. "And I—well, you see, sometimes I can see the future." Pausing again, I watched his expression.
Carlisle seemed surprised, and also enthralled. "Those are quite amazing gifts," he stated."I have never heard of anything like that before."
I smiled in thanks. "So you see, that's how we came to be on your territory," I explained. "I had a vision of Jasper and I meeting your family. …I had other visions, too, but I am not so sure about them. They change every time someone changes their mind about something, so they're never in absolute positive."
The vampire nodded understandingly. "So, you have met us, Alice," he prodded gently. "We are the Cullen family. Isn't there anything else you two want?" And this time, his perceptive gaze shifted to Jasper.
Finally, my companion spoke.
"There is something that we want, Mr. Cullen. But before we ask it, if you could answer a few questions?" he asked.
It was amazing how smooth and persuasive his voice was. The mere sound was so irresistible, I knew that if I were Carlisle there was nothing that I would refuse him. Apparently, Jasper had a few more talents that he had not shown me: he was much more charismatic than he let on. I gave him a sly glance as Carlisle answered.
"Of course, that is perfectly routine," he said generously, his eyes twinkling at me. "Ask away, but please call me Carlisle."
Knowing exactly what I was thinking—as always—, Jasper asked: "Do you and your family work for a living? All evidence to the contrary, of course, but you have such a beautiful home…" he trailed off speculatively.
Carlisle nodded with pride. "Yes, Esme is very enthusiastic about her home decorating," he mused. "But to answer your question. None of the others in my family work, but I am a doctor at the city hospital."
Jasper and I dropped our jaws at the exact same time.
Our host chuckled at our expressions. "Yes, of course. It's understandable. I have worked for a long time at it, but now I am all but immune to the scent of human blood."
As the shock left Jasper's face, I saw something change in his eyes. For the first time, I saw hope.
"So your family, you can all live with humans?" he inquired. "You're not tempted at all?"
Carlisle shook his head at Jasper's question. "Of course we are tempted, there is never certainty. But yes, we are strong enough to be able to live with humans. Every few years, we move to a new city, and Edward, Emmett and Rosalie enroll in high school."
God have mercy, I thought. Will we ever be able to do this?
"Edward," Jasper said abruptly.
Carlisle's eyes were instantly alert. "He seemed much less confused at seeing us," Jasper explained. I nodded. "And then he nodded at you…"
Carlisle put up a hand. "Yes, Edward does have a gift. Not like either of yours at all, though. My son…can read minds."
Both of us were silent, staring at him.
I thought about Edward's look of amusement at our silent exchange in the beginning. How he had smiled when I mentally called Jasper a coward. "Incredible," I breathed.
Carlisle grinned. "We've gotten used to it by now. I have a little theory on that particular subject. From what I've seen, when we become vampires, all of our capabilities are enhanced." He stopped, looking to make sure we had caught on his train of thought.
We nodded in agreement, and he continued.
"So, I think that when Edward was a human, he could tell, to a degree, what people were thinking. None of the rest of the family has a gift like Edward's, but we all carried some traits on in the transformation."
My eye caught Jasper's. I told you I liked him, my eyes said. He pressed his lips together to hide a smile.
"So," Carlisle spoke, "is there anything else you want to know? I have a very, very long time to answer your questions."
I smiled wryly. "No, I think that will be enough for now." Jasper looked at me sharply, knowing what I was about to say, but I stroked his hand soothingly. "I'm sure you're wondering what other visions I've had concerning your family?" I suggested politely. He nodded seriously.
"Well…" I bit my lip. "I saw Jasper and I becoming part of your coven. I know that we aren't very well acquainted with eachother, and Jasper and I have only been resisting human blood for a little while now, but we are willing to try your way of life. We don't want to kill humans. We all were so happy together in my visions," I added desperately, "And I want to have a family like this. We never thought it was possible for us before."
Carlisle's eyes locked with mine for a moment, and he assured me softly, "Our family is always welcome for those who wish to join us. And we have only known eachother for a short period of time, but I trusted you the moment Edward nodded. Do not worry, Alice and Jasper. Both of you have chosen to do the right thing. You are welcome in our home."
In addition to my own happiness at these words, I felt Jasper's sense of contentment. Not caring whether Carlisle saw, I stroked his cheek. "Thank you so much," I said to Carlisle. Smiling, he inclined his head.
As Carlisle opened the door, led Jasper and I out to meet the rest of his coven, I looked at Jasper and beamed.
I didn't have to see the future to know that from this day on, our lives would be changed forever. Jasper and I would be accepted by this coven. We would all laugh and fight, care for eachother and tease eachother. We would have what I had hoped for all along.
A family.