Disclaimer: I am not Stephanie Meyers and I do not own any of the Twilight Characters. This is just a "for fun" short story.
Chapter 1: The Strangers
Alice
"I thought you'd never get here!" I said with a cool smile.
"Sorry to keep you waiting mam." He drawled and tipped his hat. Such a southern gentleman. I hadn't seen that.
"Well, now that you are here. Let's go." I took his hand and moved toward the door and out into the rain. We ducked into an alley where the car I had seen was. I didn't know how to drive but I knew he did.
"Just get in and take Main to Elm then get on the 106. We should be there by midnight." I instructed as he opened the passenger door for me. He appeared in the driver's seat very quickly and turned the car out of the alley.
"Not to pry miss, but I think you've mistaken me for someone else." He looked at me as he drove. I looked at him quizzically.
"Do you normally get into cars with strangers?" I asked with a wry smile.
"No mam, but, uh . . . " He stumbled. I had to laugh. Confusing unsuspecting vamps was usually my best defense, but confusing this young man was more fun.
"It's okay. It's a long drive. Plenty of time for the whole story." I promised.
Jasper
"First things first. I'm Alice. I'm about four years old. I'm clairvoyant. Now you . . ." the small woman prompted. I was still a bit stunned from total change my life had just taken in the past 20 minutes, I just stared at her fairy-like face for a minute.
"You are still troubled. That's okay, I can continue." She proceeded, " I was in the woods, hunting, and I saw myself at a beautiful home with others. This was not a new vision, I'd been seeing it for the past 6 or so months. It was what inspired me to change my diet. This home with these other vampires is very unique. They don't feed on humans." She let the last part hang in the air.
"How do they survive?" I asked after a pause.
"They hunt animals. I know it sounds strange but after my first vision of them I tried it myself. Not unpleasant." She remarked. She turned to me and considered something for a moment before continuing with her story.
"So a few days ago, I was in the woods hunting and I saw this familiar vision but something in it had changed. A new vampire was now standing beside me in this beautiful home with these five other vampires. He was tall and blonde and . . . " her voice trailed off. I looked at her questioningly. I could only assume she was talking about me.
"and conflicted." She finished.
"You saw me in your vision." I said slowly, trying to take it all in. Of course, I believed her. I'd seen centuries of unbelievable things and knew enough about the supernatural world to know that seeing into the future was possible for some of our kind. "How did you find me at the diner?"
"Well, I needed to know why you were in my vision to begin with. Like I said, I've been having this same vision for months. I just didn't know how I would actually get there. I couldn't connect to any of the others and I couldn't find any identifying markers in the vision that would tell me where to go. So I concentrated on the only new part. You." She smiled, quite pleased with herself.
"I concentrated on finding your face in the future and I did. You were soaking wet in an old diner. From there, I just did the math. Obviously we were in the same city, there is only one diner open 24 hours with red vinyl stools and I knew it would only rain one day this week." She paused and looked at me disapprovingly. "But I did wait over four hours for you." Her tone was scolding. I had to smile.
"Like I said, sorry to have kept you waiting." I responded.
Alice
"Apology accepted." I smiled. "As I was waiting, my vision got sharper, that's how I knew it was coming very soon. And with that came more details so that is how I knew what roads to take." I looked at my watch. "on this pace we might reach them before midnight."
"How can you be sure they will want us there." He asked hesitantly.
"The female leader smiles a lot." I assured him. It was all I needed to know we would be welcome.
"It has been a long time since I've lived in a coven. I'm not sure it would be the right place for me." He confessed.
"But taking human life no longer appeals to you. Right?" I questioned. I knew the answer. That's how I found him. He'd decided to no longer hunt humans and that's when he appeared in my vision.
"Yes, but I'm not very practiced at it. And I have never hunted animals except in times of dire necessity."
"Well, I'm sure it will be easier to adapt to that way with others around us to guide us. I've been surviving off of only animals for the last six months. Since my first vision of the coven I knew I would eventually join. It's been difficult but because I knew that it would one day get easier and I would have others around me, I stuck to it." I explained. He looked at me like I was crazy. I smiled.
"oh." I moaned softly. He looked at me worried. A quick vision popped in my head.
"only two of them are there, the others are hunting. That might make it easier. Less confrontational." I explained. He still looked worried. But more worried about me than the situation we were walking into. "I'm fine. " I assured him. "sometimes they just pop up like that."
Jasper
"Will they know we are coming?" I asked.
"No, I don't think so. I don't think any of them have my gift. Or yours." She said.
"My gift?" I asked. How did she know about my gift?
"But they are special." She mused, somehow enjoying a private joke.
"How did you know about my gift?" I asked. My guards went up instantly and but her mood did not change.
"I felt it. I could feel you tasting the mood around me as if you were actually touching me. Wasn't difficult to decipher." She teased, she was very lighthearted. That was unusual since she was in a car with a stranger on her way to find other strangers. Especially considering the way I looked. As if reading my thoughts she asked; "So are you going to tell me about the scars or would you rather wait until we get there and explain them to everyone at once?"
"Don't you already know?" I countered.
"I can only see the future, not the past. And I can't read minds." She looked at me levelly. I smiled.
"Well, first things first," I started, mocking her. "I'm Jasper. I'm over 200 yrs old." She smirked at my teasing.
"I was in a very different, violent coven for most of my life and only recently stepped away from that life." She was still silent, obviously expecting more.
"Maybe we should just leave it at that until we reach the beautiful house you keep going on about." I smiled nervously. My past was horrific. I wanted to avoid talking about it as long as possible.
"okay." She seemed so calm, and hopeful. I found I was also enjoying this adventure.
Chapter 2: The Cullens
Alice
I took his hand easily as he helped me from the car, and I held onto it as we walked up to the front door. I thought it would make us seem friendlier. He looked at me nervously as he knocked lightly on the door. I knew they had already heard our car and were very suspicious.
The male leader opened the door and I recognized him at once. I had to hold myself back from hugging him. I was so grateful to finally be there and see my vision realized. I smiled big.
"I'm Alice and this is Jasper and we are so happy to finally meet you!" I exclaimed. That may have been a bit too much. I might as well have hugged him. Jasper looked at me, horrified. The male leader looked confused.
"I'm sorry for my enthusiasm. " I apologized quickly as I stepped past him, dragging Jasper along with me. "But I have been waiting six months to meet you and to be here." I looked around and it looked even better than my vision! It felt so right.
"Please come in." The male leader said, belatedly. "I'm Carlisle, this is Esme." He gestured to the beautiful woman coming down the stairs. She smiled nervously. I couldn't resist. I approached her quickly and grabbed her hands in mine.
"Esme." I sighed, so happy to finally have a name to a smiling face. "Your home is beautiful and I'm so happy to be here." My head was swirling. After months of visions and continuous planning on what I would say, I had forgotten my well-rehearsed speech. I just looked at her and him and Jasper and the house, trying to take it all in.
"It is nice to meet you both." Jasper finally spoke.
Jasper
She is crazy.
She is making them very uncomfortable and I'm having to stabilize the mood and make sure they don't feel threatened. No wonder she needed me to come with her. Alone she would have scared them and they would have tried to kill her.
"We are, uh, um . . . " Esme's voice trailed off.
"We know we are unexpected." I explained. "But we don't mean any harm. Alice, as you can clearly tell, is just very excited. But we will explain everything." Alice nodded and danced over to my side to take my hand again.
"Yes, explanations! I have visions, I'm clairvoyant. I saw that you and your family do not hunt humans and we came to join you." Alice smiled. She looked at me then at them as if to say that was all the explanation they should need.
"That is fascinating." Carlisle spoke and I could tell his mood had shifted to one of curiosity. "You saw us?"
"Yes, you and your lovely partner. This house. And three others, who are out hunting, I believe." She finished.
"Yes, there are three others in our family." Esme smiled. Alice was right. She did want us here.
"I think I will take the room at the top of the stairs, to the right." Alice said sweetly. Carlisle and Esme looked at me questioningly. I just shrugged.
"Well, my visions work very easily. When things are decided, I can see the most likely future. You have decided to let us stay so naturally. We will need rooms. The one at the top of the stairs has the best light and the current occupant will not mind if I take it."
Carlisle glanced at Esme and she smiled and said she would show her to the room. They walked up the stairs leaving the two of us. Carlisle sized me up. Obviously examining my scars.
"She's quite excitable." He observed, still looking at my neck.
"I wouldn't know, really. I just met her five hours ago." I admitted. He chuckled lightly and I joined him.
"Seriously?" he asked smiling.
"Yes." I nodded.
"Wow. That is some gift she has. I can't wait until she meets my son." He said. He seemed amused. The tone was innocent but the words were disturbing me. He has a son. A son that he wants to introduce to Alice. I pushed those thoughts from my head.
"Is he clairvoyant too? She said that none of you had that gift." I questioned.
"No, he can't see the future. He can, well, I guess this won't sound odd to you but he can read minds." He explained. I pondered that information for a minute. No wonder Carlisle and Esme believed Alice on sight. They were used to vampires with special gifts. I wonder if he could sense mine.
Alice
"This is Edward's room. Are you sure he won't mind?" Esme asked.
"Yes, quite sure." I lied. He'll mind but he won't say it. It's not fair but sometimes I tell a future I want to see rather than what will actually happen. Sometimes it's just easier that way. Besides, he will forgive me. And I love this room.
"Jasper will need his own room?" Esme asked cautiously. I could see she was curious about us.
"Yes, he is very new to this lifestyle. I have been practicing since I first got this vision. About six months." I smiled proudly. Esme smiled warmly stroked my arm.
"I'm very happy you came to us."
"Me too." I hugged her tightly and she laughed.
"Jasper and I are not mates. I just met him and he's the reason I was able to find you!" I explained the story and how my visions work as we took Edward's stuff to the garage, which was really more of a recreation room. When we came back into the living room we found Carlisle and Jasper looking at the same large ancient-looking book.
"Jasper, there is a guest room in the attic. I hope that will work for now." Esme offered. He bowed his head.
"I'm much obliged mam." Such a sweet gentleman. "That is more than generous."
Carlisle smiled at Esme and she positively beamed. Instantly, all our heads turned toward the back door from the kitchen. The others were back.
Chapter 3: The Brothers and Sister
Alice
I stepped closer to Jasper and took his hand in both of mine. I looked at him and tried to convey the optimism I was feeling. Brothers and a sister!
As soon as they entered the living room and saw us Carlisle made quick introductions and then suggested we all move to the large dining room table. Jasper and I sat down next to each other and then Rosalie, a stunning blonde, and her mate Emmett, a huge bear of a man, sat across from us. Edward sat at the foot of the table while Esme took the other side with Carlisle standing behind her. Everyone was quiet, I could feel Jasper tasting the atmosphere and trying to keep it calm and subdued. Strangely, I could also feel Edward. He was reading our thoughts. Interesting. I looked at him quizzically.
Hello. I thought and smiled slightly. His eyes widened. Interesting gift. I thought.
"Alice and Jasper have, uh, an interest in staying with us." Carlisle started to explain. Rosalie and Emmett exchanged nervous glances.
"They are exactly what they say they are." Edward finally spoke. I smiled, satisfied that Jasper had passed is telepathic interrogation. "They would like to try a new way of life."
Jasper nodded and I smiled broadly. This was all going so well.
"Of course this is a family decision." Carlisle said. "They will only stay if we all agree."
I glanced at Esme with confusion. She had already decided that we would stay. The others had not.
Jasper
"We should let ya'll talk this out. Alice and I will go and give you some space and time." I said, trying to sound calm, but I could feel Alice tensing up next to me. She had thought this issue was resolved. I rose and held out her chair. She rose and followed me outside. After I closed the door behind us, she motioned for me to follow her into the woods.
"Edward reads minds." She said after we were about a mile from the house.
"Yes, Carlisle mentioned it to me earlier." I nodded.
"He read your mind. He saw something, unsettling."
"He probably saw my hesitation and my uneasiness." I answered softly. She frowned.
"But I know that you do not want to hunt humans anymore, that's the whole reason you came." She said with some frustration in her voice.
"I don't want to hunt humans, but I'm having a hard time accepting that living on animal blood is possible. For me. Alice, I come from a very violent life. One where I fed whenever I wanted. I had no limits. This idea of restricting my thirst is . . ." I trailed off, not knowing how to explain.
"Difficult to commit to." She finished. "But you are curious, you are willing to try? Right?" Her eyes were questioning and hopeful. They were also a dark golden color, completely unlike my normal red which were now black from hunger.
"I think so." I answered. She sighed, still frustrated.
"That's what he read. He believes you don't like to eat humans but he also knows you aren't fully committed to this new way of life. He could read your confliction." She seemed exasperated.
"Jasper, I want you to stay here. I do." She said slowly. "But they know I'm committed. This is exactly what I've been waiting for, and I'm ready. They are trying to decide right now, if they let us both stay or only me. If it's only me, I will stay. I will not leave with you." She said the last part kind of softly, almost regretfully.
"Of course, Alice. I understand." I tried to reassure her, but I found it difficult. "We are not bound together. If they ask me to leave, I will leave." The idea of it hurt more than I thought it would. She looked pained too. In the darkness, she took my hand.
"Thank you. Thank you for leading me to them. I really thought I was going crazy and my visions were just taunting me. But then you came into them and everything just clicked into place."
I didn't know what to say. She was so different from every vamp I had ever met. She seemed so hopeful.
Alice
"They've decided!" I exclaimed. "We'll both stay. Sort of a trial period, then we will all reevaluate when it comes time to move."
"Time to move?" He asked.
"They move every 10 or so years. Before people start getting suspicious." I answered as we ran back to the house. "I'm not sure how much longer they plan to stay here."
Jasper opened the door and we walked in to find them waiting. I smiled and immediately hugged Edward.
"This is wonderful!" I exclaimed. He was taken aback, but did respond hesitantly. I hugged Rosalie next and then Emmett. He smiled big and seemed excited too. Jasper murmured his thanks and bowed slightly.
"Well, first things first. Jasper needs to hunt and he needs someone to show him around the woods." I stated, matter of factly.
"Of course." Carlisle stepped forward. "We can do that as soon as you like." He smiled warmly at Jasper.
"Also, we will need clothes. So shopping at first light? Rosalie? Esme?" I put my arms around my new sister and mother.
"Of course." Esme smiled and exchanged surprised looks with Rosalie. Jasper looked hesitant.
"Don't worry, I will get you a new wardrobe and you will love it." I smiled. He chuckled.
I grabbed his hand. "Let's go see your room." I tugged him up stairs.
"She is, uh, different." I could hear Emmett say.
"That's putting it mildly." Edward chuckled.
"He seems more like a kidnap victim than anything else." Rosalie observed. Esme laughed. I glanced at Jasper sideways as we stood in the middle of the attic. He smiled.
"You just take some getting used to." He assured me. I danced around the room. It was spacious and had plenty of shelving.
"What kind of books would you like me to pick up in town later?" I asked as I spun. Singing a melody softly to myself.
"I'm sure whatever you pick out will be just fine."
"Are you ready to hunt?" I asked. "I would go with you, but I don't want to mess up my clothes since they are all I have for the moment. I don't think I'd fit into anything of Rosalie's or Esme's." I flitted to the small window and saw that it was getting close to dawn.
"Maybe they have some doll clothes laying around." He teased. I looked at him surprised. I could hear chuckles downstairs.
"Humor is a new look for you." I observed.
"This whole situation is so absurd, I don't know how to take any of it seriously." He chuckled slightly.
"Carlisle is ready to hunt. We should go downstairs." I danced down the stairs.
Jasper
I ran my hand through my hair, letting the reality sink in; I would never taste human blood again.
Carlisle was in front of me crouching at the mountain lion. I couldn't say the smell was all that appealing. But it was close to a human's, just not as flavorful. This would take some getting used to, I thought as I crouched into an attack position.
On our way back, Carlisle and I took our time, just walking through the forest. It was still so surreal to me to be so comfortable with others after spending so long only focusing on wars and fighting tactics. Carlisle was easy to be around. Very serene. Not like Alice who jumped and flitted and couldn't keep still.
"Edward says Alice is unlike any other vampire we've ever come across." Carlisle offered. It was as if he knew that I knew as little about as they did. "She woke up and was completely alone. The only guidance she had was her visions. That is why she is so happy to finally be here. This vision was the first one in four years that was happy about." I pondered that for a minute. How confusing it would have been to just wake up like this. No one to explain anything to you, no one to guide you to tell you the rules. It would have amplified my terror even more and I remember waking up pretty terrified already.
"She is definitely different than any vampire I've ever met or created." I offered. Carlisle looked at me curiously. I told him my story. Best to get it out now, maybe it would help him understand my apprehension.
The New Adjustments
Alice
"The best way to get money is simply to steal it." I instructed. Rosalie, Esme and I were in a small boutique and they kept looking at price tag of things I was picking out. Rosalie looked at Esme worriedly. I smiled.
"I just watch a jewelry store for a bit, see when I can get a managers key and when the police will be busy with something else, and then I just help myself. Too easy, really." I explained as I grabbed more from the racks.
"Alice, we don't steal. Carlisle works as a doctor and I deal in antiques." Esme said slowly. Oh, I guess they have even better consciences than I expected. I nodded.
"No problem, I was anticipating being in rural area so I have enough to last us quite a while. I won't need to take anything anytime soon." I assured them.
"Us?" Rosalie questioned.
"Well, Jasper and I. I'm not sure where he stands on money. But I hit a jewelry store just a couple of days ago in case." I started looking at the dresses on display. "I'm sure I can find a legitimate way to make money, if get used to acting human." I said thoughtfully. Usually I just mime what I see, but it doesn't always set humans at ease. They still are very wary of me.
"That might take a while." I heard Rosalie say under her breath. She was holding up a beautiful emerald green dress.
"Emmett will love this on you." I smiled and took it from her hands and put it in my pile. She tried to object, but not very hard.
We moved on to the men's shop. It was easy to pick out things for Jasper. I found myself seeing his subdued happy reaction to everything I chose.
We arrived home to find the boys remodeling the garage to have more windows. Edward gave me a wry look.
Thank you for my new room. It's lovely. I thought. He gave me a crooked smile as if to say 'your welcome, you sneak!'
Jasper immediately took the bags from my hands and took them upstairs to my bedroom. I met him there and separated what was his and what I had chose for Emmett, Edward and Carlisle.
"Did they need new clothes?" He asked as I started putting away my purchases.
"No." I answered.
"Okay." He smiled slightly. I'd started to get used to the fact everyone here was constantly laughing at me and constantly amused by me. It was actually kind of nice.
"How was hunting?" I asked. I knew of course, I had looked after he left.
Jasper
I knew she was only asking to be polite. I indulged her.
"It went well. You were right. It wasn't wholly unpleasant. But it will take some getting used too." I confessed.
"I will go with you next time and then we will be on the same hunting schedule. I assume you will need to hunt again before the others. They are more practiced." She walked around the house dropping shopping bags in Emmett and Rosalie's and Carlisle and Esme's rooms. We walked downstairs to drop off Edward's gifts in the garage.
"For your trouble." She smiled at him as she handed him the bag. He half smiled and thanked her.
We went back up to her room where I picked up my clothes and then went up to my room.
She quickly arranged everything in the closet.
"Everything is already sorted and ready for you to use." She turned toward me, quite pleased with herself.
"You are the strangest creature I have ever met." I said without thinking. Her whole face fell and she looked at me thoughtfully. "I just mean that I've never met anyone like you before. I didn't mean any insult Alice." I tried to back track. I can't believe I just hurt this girl's feelings. This girl who had changed my world.
"I can't help how I am Jasper." She said quietly, busying herself with arranging my new shoes. "The visions are just part of me." She sighed.
"I didn't mean the visions." I tried to explain. "I mean everything about you. How you didn't know your creator." She flinched slightly. I had struck a nerve. "Or how you are able to summon such excitement about giving up human blood, or joining a coven that is obviously weary of both of us."
She shook her head slowly as if to say 'silly Jasper'.
"I have been waiting for my eternal life to start since I woke up. I had no direction, only thirst, only horrifying visions showing me how I would satisfy that thirst and the lives I would destroy. And then one magical day I saw this family and that all changed for me. I had a future. I just couldn't wait to get started." She shrugged and smiled.
"You don't mind the visions?" She asked with trepidation.
"No, they are very convenient actually." I replied. She smiled at my approval.