Hero
It hurts. It hurts. This had become all Alice could think as she sat huddled in the corner of her room clutching her knees to her chest with her head hunched over her legs. There were books strewn around her, she wanted to help research what was going on with Bella but every time she looked at the pages the words swam and her head ached.
Jasper and Emmet were sitting in the living room pouring over books about myths and legends trying to find anything helpful while Rosalie dutifully guarded the frail looking Bella. Looking up Jasper felt a spike in the emotions he easily recognised as Alice's. He dropped his book and walked quickly to the stairs catching an almost apologetic look from Edward who was sitting by the window. As he opened the door to the room his heart twisted at the sight of her a horrible hatred for the thing causing his beautiful Alice so much pain rising in his chest. He let the door shut with a click behind him causing her to look up. She hadn't seen him coming. Never in his life with her had she not been expecting him when he arrived, it was unnatural and it broke his heart.
Alice was pulled from her mantra by the soft click of the door, she raised her head to see Jasper standing with a pained expression contorting his perfect face. He moved towards her setting aside the books and kneeling in their place. She looked down resting her head on her knees.
Jasper watched her as she moved her head, he grimaced, he had never seen her look so small or vulnerable. Alice was his overexcitable, bubbly, happy girl and right now she looked, as much as it pained him to think it. Broken. He reached his hand out to run his fingers through her short hair but as soon as he made contact she whimpered. He drew his hand back in a flash horrified that he may have made the pain worse. She looked up at him her usually hypnotic golden eyes black with stress. He was desperate to help, do anything that would take even a fraction of the pain away.
Alice could see that desperation in his eyes, they were frantic and worried. She knew there was nothing that would take away the ache, his calming influence helped but only a little. In spite of this she knew if anyone could at least distract her, it was her southern gentleman.
Jasper was so deep in thinking of ways to help that he barely had time to react when she moved like lightening towards him wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his chest. He pulled her onto his lap, leaning back against the wall as she snuggled closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head sending as much serenity and calmness as he could to her. Alice breathed deeply taking in his familiar sent that she could associate with nothing but love and happiness. He bent his head to whisper in her ear, soothing and loving words. She clutched him as close to her as she could her tense body relaxing against the one it fit so well with. She drew back slowly seeing him looking down at her with that same worried expression. Again he bent his head but this time to press a kiss to each of her cheeks and then her lips. He felt her emotions flutter as they always did when they kissed, it was wonderfully and beautifully familiar. It was a rare occurrence to have something familiar these days so each moment was more treasured than usual.
Alice slid her hand up and threaded her fingers through his blonde curls as she felt his arms tighten around her. She concentrated all her energy into the kiss just as she felt a spike in the agony behind her eyes forcing her to pull away from him in a way that was almost a cringe. She put her hands to her head, uselessly biting back whimpers.
Jasper was now in almost as much pain as her, he could not stand to see her like this. He had sworn to protect her, to stop anything from hurting her but how was he supposed to stop this? He felt helpless and useless as he desperately held her to him trying to shield her even if he didn't know what from. She curled up in his lap as he softly whispered to her anything and everything that could make her smile.
Alice listened intently to his soothing southern drawl, she could feel his lips moving close to her ear and his breath against her skin. All of this combined was dulling the ache considerably, it was still there that much she was sure of but she now had far better things to pay attention to.
Jasper felt her relax as he held her, he heard her breaths lengthen and her body leant against his in a much less tense way. She turned her head into the crook of his neck and he felt more than saw her smile when he pressed a kiss to her temple. He had always marvelled at the way they fit together like puzzle pieces, it seemed as though they were each was designed with the other in mind despite the considerable difference in height. Alice was like an extension of himself, simply a part of him that had sought him out when he needed her the most. Closing his eyes he smiled as he felt her press a kiss to the base of his neck, she pulled away and looked up at him something of an almost tired smile in her eyes. Jasper could see that she was still in pain and he could also see she was trying to hide it. She could easily mask how much it really hurt from everyone else but he could read her like an open book, he was far to accustomed to her to miss anything out of the ordinary.
Alice felt him slide his arms around her as he stood, carrying her over to the bed in the centre of the room. He lay down and let her curl into his side, one of her very favourite places to be. He ran his fingers up and down her spine as she hugged herself as close to him as she could his touch sending shivers through her that seemed to wash away tension in their wake. They lay still for what could have been any length of time, Jasper was succeeding in taking away the pain. Eventually he turned onto his side, their legs became entangled as she snuggled into his chest.
Jasper thought that maybe he could shield her from anything if he pulled her close enough to him. In the silence of the now dark room they were the only ones in existence. They had created their own safe haven in which neither could be hurt.
Alice could barely notice the pain now she knew when she left their bubble of serenity she would feel it again but now was not the time to worry about that. Right now was preserved only for Jasper, this time was for the only person who could make anything hurtful or frightening could make worrying visions seem like nothing but nightmares that could be forgotten. He alone could sooth her and make her happy. He was her soldier. He was her hero.