Eyes of Truth

by stolenxsanity

Entry for the "For the Love of Jasper" Contest. Alice's life has been twisted by fate, taking on an unexpected course and changing the future that should have been. How can she convince Jasper that he is on the wrong path; that she is his destiny? JxA AU

"For the Love of Jasper" One-Shot Contest

Title: Eyes of Truth
Pen name: stolenxgypsy
stolenxsanity and gypsysue (collab)
Existing Work: N/A
Primary Players: Jasper/Alice

Disclaimer: We own nothing but our ideas and ability to crack each other up.

To see other entries in the "For the Love of Jasper" contest, please visit the C2:
www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/community/For_the_Love_of_Jasper_Contest/72564/

Summary: Entry for the "For the Love of Jasper" Contest. Alice's life has been twisted by fate, taking on an unexpected course and changing the future that should have been. How can she convince Jasper that he is on the wrong path; that she is his destiny? JasperxAlice, AU.
A/N: First things first, I suppose. Our heartfelt thanks go out to queenofgrey, AHelm, taloolah, and dizzygirl28 for reading, editing, offering suggestions and just basically making this little one-shot presentable. On a completely different note, please keep in mind that this is an AU so if Alice's power seems stronger/different, it's on purpose.

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[APOV]

I had known that she was coming for me, the visions playing out repeatedly in my mind with each decision we both made. I had tried to picture myself running, leaving this place before she got here, but all the attempts were made in vain. If I wanted the future I'd diligently sought for years, this had to play out her way in the beginning and I could be patient. There was no way for me to know how she had found out about me, but that mattered little. I had no other choice but to comply and go willingly if I wanted happiness, true happiness. She was the key to finding him; finding Jasper Whitlock, the man I had been envisioning since I woke up from the burning, my transformation from mortal to immortal complete. I knew that he was my future, my soul mate. I also knew it would take work for me to break through his tough exterior, the wall that he had been forced to build up in order to survive with Maria and through the Vampire Wars of the South. I had seen the things he had been coerced into doing; the killing, the torturing, the training. His scars were already etched firmly in my head, seared and unmovable onto my brain. I could see it all in perfect detail as if he were standing right before me. She would be here soon, and alone, to acquire what she perceived to be the second biggest threat to the vampire world after Jasper. The two of us together would be her prized possessions, handing her dreams of domination to her on a silver platter, if we let her.

"I see that you were expecting me, little one." Maria. Her voice was sickly sweet, a perfect match to the smile that turned up the corners of her vibrant red lips, a glaring contrast against her pallid skin. I had hated her well before I met her, for the things that she had done to my Jasper and how she had claimed him as her own. I wanted to rip her head off and dance around it but I couldn't. I needed her to take me to him. To my destiny.

I nodded in response to her question, head bowed but eyes upturned. "Yes, I was very much aware that you were coming for me and I will go without a fight." A wicked smile took over my face as I tried to hide my utter disdain for her, but unsure if it was successful. "Please, lead the way."

She took off at vampire speed, flying through the trees in a blur of colors and I followed quickly, matching her velocity. I already knew where we were headed but I wanted to keep the strength and capabilities of my gift to myself. Maria only had the basic idea of what exactly it was that I could do and truly had no idea what she was unleashing on herself by bringing me into this world. We were at the house being used in absolutely no time and she led me inside. Jasper stood just inside the door when we arrived as he'd assumed I would need to be trained for battle. Time alone with him would be necessary to break through his shell and help him understand that there is another way – a better way – to live; I would let him think that. My golden eyes shined in the harsh fluorescent light as he stared at me, confusion clear on his face and his crimson colored eyes boring into me.

This wasn't going to be easy.

"Jasper," Maria purred seductively, her smile feral. "Come here, my pet. I want you to meet someone very special." Her talon-like nails dug into my marble flesh, pulling me in front of her forcefully. "This is Alice and she will be joining us from now on; I need you to get her ready for combat." It was all I could do not to attack her right then and there; hearing her call Jasper 'my pet' grated on me more than anything else and it took every ounce of self-control that I could muster to maintain my casual, unresponsive stance.

"Why?" Jasper's forehead was furrowed in confusion as he regarded me warily before turning his attention back to Maria. "It's clear that she's no newborn. Of what use will she be to us?" He spat out angrily, teeth clenched and frame rigid.

"You will do as I tell you, Jasper, and not argue with me. Do. You. Understand?" Maria's words were punctuated with sharp jabs to Jasper's chest. She was livid with Jasper for questioning her authority in front of me. He had never questioned her before and even I could tell that it unnerved Maria that he was starting to now. I had already seen this meeting play out, though Jasper's reaction had been much worse than I'd expected.

I watched expectantly as he pulled Maria aside, mere feet from where I stood, and whispered against her ear. I was surprised that I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I knew instinctively it was the color of my eyes that had piqued his curiosity. Maria, of course, would lie to him because she didn't know – or understand it – herself. Neither of them had any reason to even consider that I preyed on animals instead of the humans that made their eyes red. As their conversation continued, their voices picked up and I listened as she told him that my power came from my eyes, leaving out exactly what my power was. It was amusing, to an extent, that someone so ignorant was able to lead anyone in a war, let alone half-crazed newborn vampires. It was obvious that without Jasper, his ability, and his Military background, she would be appallingly useless. Maria knew this too, but would never admit to it. As their whispered conversation continued in the corner, I realized that in all the time Jasper had been with Maria, he was only ever on a need-to-know basis. She kept a lot from him, yet she expected him to do exactly as she demanded.

Jasper stood to his full height a few minutes later, having been hunched over to talk to Maria, and turned towards me, his hand offered in greeting. "It's a pleasure," he cringed slightly at the word before quickly regaining his composure, "to meet you, Alice. I can't say that I've heard much about you but I look forward to starting our training." He paused briefly as he watched Maria exit the room with a huff, his head tilted to the side and an odd expression crossed his face before he turned his attention back to me. "Do you need to feed first?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Jasper." My words were sincere as I raised my hand between us, taking his and squeezing it softly. "I fed before Maria found me so I'll be fine for a few more days." I would keep the fact that I fed on animals to myself for now. It wasn't the right time to discuss that information with Jasper just yet; I had to gain his confidence first and get him on my side.

He gave me a perfunctory nod as his eyes widened briefly before returning to their normal state. "That's fine. Let me show you to your room so you can get settled and I'll come back for you in a few hours to commence your training." He dropped my hand and gestured for me to follow him down a hall to the staircase. The house had three levels and my room was located on the second floor, adjacent to the room that Maria shared with Jasper. I gagged audibly as we stopped outside of my door, having caught the scent of them together, and Jasper gave me an inquisitive look that caused me to chuckle slightly and shake my head. I knew that he was trying to get a read on my emotions and rolled my eyes, quickly pushing him aside and opening the door that we stood outside of. As I stepped in, I was surprised by what I saw. I hadn't been expecting luxury and knew that the room would be sparse, but I wasn't expecting it to be quite this bad. The atmosphere was bleak, to say the least, and I couldn't wait until the day that we would be able to leave here and take our rightful place with the family I had already seen us with in the future.

It wasn't supposed to be this way; I wasn't supposed to see this side of Jasper up close and personal. If everything had gone how it was supposed to, we would've met in a coffee house shortly after Jasper had already left this life behind him. I knew better than anyone, though, that nothing was set in stone and all my visions were subjective, based on the decisions of others. When Maria had learned of my gift, she had decided that she wanted me for her own, as a pawn for her tyrannical pleasure. At that time, I had known that I had two options: run to the Cullen's alone and seek refuge, or risk death to be with him. It had been an easy choice to make.

Two hours later, there was a knock at my door and I paused in my perusal of the dingy room, "Come in." I called out quietly. I didn't need the power of foresight to know that it would be Jasper and that it was time for my training. I was ready and waiting for him, dressed in an old military outfit that I had managed to procure for this exact moment. Jasper walked in moments later and stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes clouded over and he licked his lips before he spoke. "Where did you get that from, Alice?"

"I picked it up along my travels." I responded with a nonchalant shrug. "I knew that I would need it at some point in time; don't you like it?" I started to twirl, already knowing full well that he loved me in this outfit. I also knew that this outfit would play a very big part in our future sex life. I will definitely be needing to pick up a few of these in the near future, I thought to myself, unsure if this one would last with the waves of lust that were currently rolling off of Jasper. I smiled to myself, doing my best to contain my own feelings, and ticked stage one of seduce Jasper off my list mentally.

"Jasper?" The sound of my voice jarred him out of his stupor.

He shook his head lightly as he cleared his throat and looked at me again before turning away. "Okay, Alice, let's head down to the training room and get started. It'll just be you and me, one on one, until I can get you good enough to take on the newborns."

"Lead the way, Jasper." I purred with a coy smile and laughed as his long fingers twitched at his side. I planned on having as much fun with this as I could manage; after all, I needed to keep up my optimism somehow. There was no doubt that things were depressing around here and I was probably going to have to kill someone eventually, which I was not looking forward to. I was generally a happy person, all things considered, so if I could make some good memories in between all the carnage that I would witness, then God damn it, that's what I was going to do.

Once in the basement, Jasper wasted no time in starting my training. He gave no explanations about what he was going to do as he lead me to the center of the room, turned to face me and crouched, lunging at me swiftly. Hastily, I dodged his attack and moved back into position, my mind focused on the future as I waited to see what his next move would be. Jasper was a strategist; he planned every move before he made it, which made things all the more easy for me. He continued his attacks and I continued to dodge them efficiently, a constant smile on my face. A low growl emanated from deep in his chest after the fifth time this happened, and I quickly switched up my plans. Jasper made his move again and I moved to the side, spun around and jumped on his back, placing my teeth against his neck. "Gotcha," I stated after a moment and placed a soft kiss against the spot where his pulse would beat had he been alive before I jumped down. A beat later, he turned to face me, shock and awe apparent in his features.

"How did you do that?" he sputtered out, hand resting against the spot where my lips had met his skin.

"Well, Jasper, you know how you can feel the emotions of others?" I waited for him to acknowledge my question with affirmation before I continued. "I can see the future; every decision you make I see an instant beforehand. That's why I'm here, why Maria wants me here. It's not the reason I allowed Maria to bring me, though. I'm here for you, Jasper." He looked at me for a second like I was crazy, a reaction that I had long ago grown accustomed to, but I could tell that he still didn't know how to react to this information.

With a calculated look, I did my best to assess Jasper's willingness to learn the truth about me, my mind racing through images of the future. "Do you want to know the real reason my eyes are golden?" I finally asked. The sooner he knew the truth, the more time I had to get him to believe me and the quicker we could find a way out of this mess. His head bowed slightly in affirmation, the uncertainty that he felt suffusing the room around us.

"I feed off of animals, Jasper, not humans. In all my years as a vampire, I have never tasted their blood. I knew my path from the moment I woke to this life, and although it has changed recently, it has always lead to the same thing." I paused for a moment, allowing him to digest this information before I continued. "Do you want to know what that thing is?" I raised my eyebrow at him in challenge, daring him to refute my truth. I was trembling on the inside and I knew that he could feel what I felt, the slight shift in my conflicting emotions, but he would be unable to pinpoint just one. I shifted impatiently from foot to foot as I watched him; I could practically see the cogs turning in his mind as he considered my words. He wanted to know, his curiosity had been piqued, but the soldier in him that was forced to take orders tried desperately to fight it.

Finally, his decision being reached, my nerves settled. "You should already know if I want you to continue, Alice, right?" His lips were curved to one side in a delicious smirk. I smiled in return, the relief that I felt coursing through my otherwise empty veins.

"Yes, I already knew what decision had been made, but it's always polite to ask." I responded. It was time to begin; time to tell him everything, all the little details and exactly how my path had changed its course. So, I took a deep, unnecessary breath, and began.

[JPOV]

My mind reeled with the information Alice was giving me. How could one of us - a creature designed to feed off the blood of humans - possibly curb their natural appetite, fight their primal instincts and completely deny themselves the euphoria that came with the consumption of that delicious nectar? It wasn't logical, nor was it right. And yet, with years of wars and strategic planning behind me, coupled with the complete and utter mindset of an untamed warrior, this tiny, little female vampire, untrained and unskilled in my way of life, frightened me to a disturbing degree. Vampires didn't scare easily but I could tell that she knew things; things about me and my future, things that she kept to herself, almost smug in her knowledge.

There was a part of me – a small, almost inconsequential part – that thirsted for this knowledge as much as I did for the sanguine fluid I consumed. It dawned on me that this was something she was probably already aware of, her foresight a distinct advantage over the power and expertise that I yielded. To voice this, though, and put into words my curiosity would be a cardinal sin. I could not disobey Maria; she was my sire and my lover, the only constant I'd had in this life of death and destruction. I didn't love her, not by far, but she was all that I had ever known. I also couldn't deny the pull that I felt towards Alice, though, from the moment I'd first caught sight of her, taken in her lithe form with my keen eyes.

"You should already know if I want you to continue, Alice, right?"

"Yes, I already knew what decision had been made, but it's always polite to ask," she responded, a smile lighting up her face.

"I don't know much about myself, my past, Jasper. I woke up to this life not knowing who I was before the change, or who sired me. The only clear memories I had when I awoke were the visions that plagued me, taunted me; visions of a different kind of life, a different way to survive. I didn't know any other way than what I had seen; the visions that consumed me were what kept pushing me forward. My very first was of you," her voice turned wistful as she spoke, eyes not seeing the room around us. "It was raining outside and I was sitting in a Philadelphia coffee house just … waiting for you to arrive. You had already left this life behind, escaped with Peter and Charlotte after they came back to tell you of the life they had found outside the wars."

Waiting for me to arrive? This thought went through my head repeatedly as I tried to decipher its meaning. How could this future that she saw be a possibility, and why would I have let Peter and Charlotte leave? Once a vampire was of no more use to us - to Maria - they were destroyed, ripped limb from limb and burned to ash. And Peter ... he would never leave like that, this was his lot in life, just as it was mine. We fought shoulder to shoulder, decimated and devoured side by side. In this way, Alice's words did not make sense. That future could never exist.

"I don't see how this future you've seen could be real." My words were sharp, intonation curt and mocking. "Why would I leave this," I gestured around me with one hand as my gaze remained locked on hers. "To prey on animals?" Alice's jaw clenched shut at the disgust in my words, her entire body tensing briefly before she relaxed again with a slight shake of her head and pity shining in her golden hued irises.

"I feel it already," she whispered sincerely, "the shift that is taking place inside of you. The emotions of those you hunt, the innocents that you kill, are wearing on you. By the time I found you in that coffee house, you were only a shell of the man that stands before me right now, searching for a better way of life, a way to stop the emotions that were so out of control. We were two lost souls and, together, we made a whole. I know you feel it, too, Jasper, the pull to me. You are my future, as I am yours. You will come to learn that all of this," her eyes flickered around the room quickly before resting on mine again, "it's an illusion. There's a better way to live, and though you will struggle with the new diet, you will become whole again." Alice paused in her explanation, a breathy sigh escaping her slightly parted lips as she watched me steadily. "I'm not even sure if I'm explaining this correctly to you. It's difficult for me to see now that my future has shifted, but even with that shift, you are still there, a constant, unchanging presence. When Maria found out about my gift she came after me, completely wiping out how we were supposed to meet. I had two choices, I could run off to my future, a happy place, without you, or I could let Maria use me, bring me to this place, this desolation. For me, the choice was simple; I would never abandon you, Jasper."

"I," my eyes slid closed as I contemplated her words and the certainty with which she spoke. In her mind, there were no other options for her, for me, for ... us? "I don't understand," I finally murmured, looking down at her angelic face, trying to believe that there could be something good in my world, in my life.

"Do you want to know what the hardest part of this is for me, Jasper? It's knowing how things were supposed to be, how we should have met. My first words to you had that scenario come to pass would have been, 'You kept me waiting a long time,' and you would have replied, 'Sorry Ma'am' with a tip of your hat, a slight bow and the biggest smile on your face. It was so easy for us in that vision, so right and instant, but now," another brief pause followed as she looked away, her head tilted towards the end of the room. "Now, things keep shifting, changing too fast for me to get a solid glimpse of how everything will play out. All I'm certain of is that, eventually, it will be you and me, but how long it takes for us to get there is undecided and that's because of you." Her words carried such conviction, such complete acceptance of these future circumstances that she spoke of and I wasn't sure how to react. She was right about one thing, though, the constant killing, and the emotions that I suffered from because of it, had begun to wear me out.

"I need to get you back to your room," I responded as I turned away, hiding from her the emotions that I knew were playing out across my face. "Maria will be checking on you soon and I need to," I cut my words off hastily, casting a glance at her over my shoulder as I moved towards the exit. "I need to feed."

"Jasper, stop!" Her voice was fraught with worry as I listened to her approaching footfalls. "You can't hide from me; you can't run away from this." Her voice cut off swiftly as her eyes clouded over and she dropped to her knees, a sob wracking her entire body. I rushed to her without a thought and gathered her in my arms like it was the most natural thing in the world for me to do, pulling her into my chest and taking her scent in. At that moment, I felt something shift deep inside of me; something significant and irreversible as it tugged on my long-dead heart. My hold on her entire frame tightened as she looked up at me through fluttering eyelashes, the look of complete hopelessness being replaced by a sudden smile. "That's better," she said after a moment of studying me. "You had me worried there for a moment."

"How did I have you worried?" I asked, knowing that my face displayed nothing but utter confusion. "Did you see something? Is it Maria?" I released her from my arms and turned quickly so that I was crouched in front of her, using my power to get a feel for any emotions besides Alice's as I scanned the room with both eyes and ears. I wasn't sure where this sudden urge to protect her had come from, but it was undeniably strong, taking over my every instinct completely.

"The only thing that can ever hurt me, Jasper, is you. My entire future has always been completely dependent on your decisions, your actions. When you turned your back on me a moment ago, ready to walk away and lead me back to my room, all I saw was my end, my destruction. That future is still possible, but now it's for a different reason. If Maria finds out about these visions, about us, I will be destroyed and there's nothing that you'll be able to do to stop it from happening. It won't matter how important my gift will be to her, you far outweigh it and Maria will do anything to keep you with her; you are the one thing she will not allow to escape. No matter what we face, as long as we're together, we will make it."

I swallowed the thick venom that had coated my mouth when my more primitive side had taken over and stood up straight, still alert but no longer defensive. "If it's not safe for you then why would you risk yourself? Why not just run away like you should have. If Maria won't let me leave, then how can there be a future for us?" Question after question ran through my mind at a rapid pace, each one more important than the last. I couldn't, however, put the most pressing into words; vocalizing it would be making this - whatever this was - real and I wasn't yet prepared to deal with those repercussions. Still, it was there, taunting me with its stifling presence, clamoring to be unleashed, verbalized. How do we escape?

"Jasper," Alice's voice was soft, gentle, as she took my hand in hers, lacing our fingers together. "I would risk everything for you. My life, this existence, means nothing to me without you by my side." If she could cry, I knew that she would be; the emotions emanating out of her were so strong that they almost brought me to my knees. "I can't see how we will escape, not until you make the decision to do so, and only then will things start to clear up in my visions. However, what I can tell you is that when you decide to leave, we will be happy, we will be safe, and we will be together." She sighed as she finished her statement, her gaze never leaving mine, imploring me to understand, to listen, and to trust her.

"Alice, I'm - I ... I need to think about everything you've said. It's a lot to take in and I'm not entirely sure that I'm convinced of this path yet. We need to get you back to your room now, though, and I really do need to feed. I'm sorry if that offends you, I can feel your disgust with me every time I say it, but it's true nonetheless."

"I could never be disgusted with you, Jasper. Yes, your choice of sustenance does leave a lot to be desired for my tastes, but not you, darlin', never you." She looked up at me through her eyelashes, lips curved into a playful smirk. "I know that you can feel my emotions, Jasper, but you don't know what I'm thinking or what they represent." She breathed out slowly and pouted her lips in the most alluring way. Of all the things that were unclear, all the decisions I needed to make, there was one thing that I was completely decided on: Alice was a very dangerous creature.

After I'd secured Alice in her room, I made my way outside in search of Peter. I wasn't sure how much I could safely tell him, certainly not enough to put Alice in any danger, at least not any more than she was already in. I needed answers first and the best way for me to see how well Alice's visions worked was to get tangible proof on the things she'd already told me. I knew of Charlotte, but I had no idea that she and Peter were lovers, and to find that out for myself, I needed to go straight to the source, to Peter. Alice had managed to crawl under my skin with her optimistic disposition and, even though I knew better, my dead heart would not let it go. I wanted it all; Alice, the future she spoke of, everything. As I approached Peter, I formulated the best plan of attack for this situation. I knew he wouldn't be forward with me about any relationship that he may have formed with Charlotte but his emotions would surely give him away.

"Peter, can I speak with you for a moment?" I called out as soon as I caught sight of him.

"Sure, Jasper," he responded, quickly moving to meet me at the end of the field. "What do you need? Are there more newborns that need to be trained already?"

"No Peter, we only have Maria's new pet to worry about and I'm taking care of her training on my own." I hated calling Alice that but I couldn't betray the emotional connection I had somehow forged with her just moments ago. I needed to be one-hundred percent certain that I could get Peter on my side, and if Alice was right, then Charlotte was the key to achieving that goal. "I just wanted to talk to you about one of the newborns," I started as I watched his reactions carefully. "A female by the name of Charlotte?" I let her name hang in the air between us, an unspoken question. Almost immediately, his placid feelings turned to confusion and then rage; worry, love and concern flickering in and out sporadically. It was in that moment that I realized everything Alice had told me was true, and, for a split second, my heart soared.

"It's true then, Peter, you and Charlotte are lovers." It was a statement and I waited for his response as he nodded slightly before squaring his shoulders and raising his head defiantly. I placed my hand gently on his shoulder in reassurance, offering him an awkwardly tentative smile. "I do not wish to separate the two of you, Peter; I want to help. You're aware that she is supposed to be destroyed soon; that her usefulness to us has expired? We have a few weeks to make an alternative plan, though, if that's what you had in mind. I assume you two are already making plans for your escape?"

"Yes," Peter responded uncertainly. "I refuse to give her up, Jasper; I won't do it. I've finally found my mate and I've grown weary of this life style, these battles. You and I both know that it's pointless; what exactly are we fighting for here?" His expression was grave, unsure if his disloyalty to Maria would be condemned by me. If only he knew. I kept my expression stoic and my body rigid as I struggled to keep from projecting my own emotions. I had found an ally and the elation that coursed through me rivaled that of the hunt. Everything was coming together, my decision all but made, and I knew that Alice was up in her room buzzing with excitement at the way her visions had likely changed with every thought that passed through my mind.

"In return, though, I expect you to do me the same favor; help me get away from here, Peter. Can you do that? Can I trust you to do that?"

I could feel the shock and apprehension that radiated off of Peter, saturating the air around us, as he stood before me with his mouth opening and closing in quick succession. "You can't be serious, Jasper. Maria would never let you leave her; she'd destroy you herself if she even thought that you planned on betraying her. Besides that, I never got the feeling that you would ever want to leave, not even when the onslaught of emotions from everyone proved to be too much. I know you, and you're nothing if not loyal."

"Maybe I've found something that means more to me than all this; something that I'm willing to fight for, to die for. We both know that Maria could never get the best of me; she doesn't have the skill necessary to annihilate me. So I ask again, Peter, Can. You. Do. That?" His look was cold, calculated as he looked at me warily in an attempt to figure out if I was playing some sort of game with him. I couldn't blame him; antics like that were par for the course in testing the loyalties of the newborn vampires that we trained.

"I need an answer," I stated, cutting off his internal contemplations. "And I assure you, this is not an assessment. Can I trust you to help me the way that I am putting my trust in you right now?"

His demeanor shifted quickly and his posture visibly relaxed before he clapped his hand on my shoulder and smiled openly. "Let's go hunt and iron out the details, friend."

And with that, we set off in search of a meal.

Peter and I were gone for three hours on our hunting "trip" and had come up with a few different ideas for our escape. I would have to run them past Alice first, to find the one most likely to succeed and there was very little doubt in mind that she was already expecting that. I was also certain that she would have her own ideas as to how we would get away now that my decision was made; after all, she'd be able to eliminate those that were too risky and add in things that could work better. I glanced up at the sky as we ran back towards the compound and realized that it was almost time to see Alice again. I was eager to be in her presence, though I couldn't quite figure out why, and unconsciously picked up my speed, leaving Peter far behind me. I could feel that pull I felt towards her getting stronger; binding me to her and it was unlike anything I had ever felt before in my life.

The moment I walked inside I focused my ability, searching for Alice's emotions, desperate to feel that connection with her again. As I'd expected, despite all the feelings of suffering and pain that were running rampant throughout this place, utter joy and excitement overshadowed it all. Alice. Somehow, she had the strength to soothe me in the worst of times and I really wanted to find out how she did it; learn how, against seemingly impossible odds, she was able to remain optimistic and upbeat and I made a vow right then and there to learn her secrets. As my decision was made, I heard a faint chuckle coming from the direction of her room and couldn't help the smile that tugged at my mouth. I searched for Maria, making sure she was nowhere around before I let my joy take over, and took the steps two at a time to reach Alice's room. Taking a moment outside her door to calm myself, I knocked lightly, "Alice, are you ready for your training?"

The door swung open seconds later and there she stood, smile bright enough to light up the darkest of skies as she tapped her foot lightly, a playful gleam in her honey-colored eyes. "You've kept me waiting a long time."

I couldn't help the laughter that bubbled deep within my chest as she said those words to me, the exact words she had envisioned saying to me months - maybe even years - ago if our futures hadn't shifted because of Maria's plans. "Sorry ma'am," I replied and tipped a pretend hat at her, bowing slightly and smiling just as widely. I reached out to take her hand in mine and lead her down to the training room. I wasn't expecting the sparks that shot through my arm at the action and the shock would've been enough to stop my cold heart had it still been beating.

When we arrived at the training room, I opened the door and ushered Alice inside so that we could begin our lesson. Leading her to the center of the floor, I prepared to attack her as usual, completely certain that she would evade my advances once again. To say that I was surprised when I found my hands wrapped around her was an understatement but when I felt myself throw her across the room and heard the thunder-like sound as she hit concrete, I froze in place. It was then – at that exact moment – that I realized how right she had been and that I could not live without her. If anything ever happened to Alice, it would destroy me.

She. Was. Mine.

Those words rolled around in my mind as I tried to process exactly what they meant. Alice was mine; my mate and my love.

I. Loved. Her.

I was drawn out of my epiphany by the sound of Alice's laughter and the way her face scrunched up in pure, unbridled delight was dazzling. She had me completely and utterly entranced.

"It's about time you caught up, Jasper." Her smile was radiant as she jumped up and threw herself into my arms. The love that poured out of her literally floored me and I felt myself sink to the ground, Alice pulled tightly to my chest. I was holding on to her like a life preserver as my brain caught up with my emotions.

My voice was hoarse as I spoke, I could hear the roughness in it clearly. "You knew, you did," I was having trouble articulating my thoughts and my words and for the first time in my life I was absolutely speechless.

"Yes, Jasper, I knew exactly what you needed in order to come to terms with what we are to each other. I have been in love with you from the first time I saw your tortured face, blond curls hanging over your blood red eyes. You have no idea how hard it was for me to be patient and wait for you to come to this understanding. I'm sorry if I pushed you but I couldn't wait anymore." Alice's hand reached up and gently pushed my hair out of my face as her thumb caressed my cheekbone. I waited as she looked deep into my eyes, hesitance clear on her face before she closed the distance between us and kissed me. It was unlike any other kiss I had ever experienced; not only was it full of passion and lust, but the love behind it was astounding. As her tongue made its way into my mouth, exploring tentatively, a gentle moan reverberated through me; a stark contrast to the warrior facade that I presented. I felt peaceful, I felt loved, and most of all, I felt like I had found my home.

The kiss quickly picked up pace as our hands explored each other's bodies. Soft caresses and feather light touches soon turned into frenetic pulling and ripping of fabric as lust and desire encapsulated the room. My passion flared and I needed her more than I needed blood; I had to claim her, mark her as mine. My lips slipped from hers and made their way down her neck, biting, sucking and licking their way to her collarbone. I had to taste her, all of her; my mind was unrelenting in its quest to take her over completely. I moved down to her chest and my tongue made lazy circles around her nipple before I pulled it into my mouth sucking and biting before licking again, causing the most wonderful noises to escape her mouth.

"Please Jasper, I need you," Alice pleaded and those five words set off an explosion inside me. I laid her down on the floor and moved down her body quickly, pulling her legs apart further as I reached the apex of her thighs. Without a moment's thought, I dove into her as my hands gripped her thighs, fingers flexing sporadically. She tasted like heaven and I couldn't get enough. As my tongue moved in and out of her frantically, I moved my hand up and began rubbing her clit swiftly, moving it in time with the thrusts of my tongue. Alice was writhing beneath me, moaning and saying my name over and over like a mantra, the breathy sounds shooting straight to my crotch. I was so hard and couldn't wait any longer. I needed release but, more than that, I needed to be inside her, needed to make her mine in every way. I kissed and nipped my way back up her body lovingly, cherishing every bit of skin on my way to her lips.

"Alice," I murmured against her lips. "I love you so much." My voice was a mere whisper as I thrust into her and groaned, loving the way that she felt around me and all the emotions that emanated from us as I continued to move within her.

"I love you too, Jazzy," Alice breathed out as her hips moved to meet mine, her hands stroking my neck and back while we moved together effortlessly. As we grew closer to our release, I realized that I wasn't just having sex with Alice – this wasn't just fucking without an emotional connection, like it had been with Maria – I was making love to her.

Alice's breathing picked up a few minutes later as I felt her begin to clench around me. "Jasper," was all she said, her voice airy and barely audible, followed by long, slow moans and sexy whimpers before she reached her climax. Her orgasm coursed through her as her entire body shook beneath mine and low keening sounds escaped her parted lips as her muscles clamped down on me in rhythmic beats and I couldn't hold back any longer. With one final cry of pleasure, I released my seed deep inside her as her name, interspersed with sharp pants, flowed from my mouth in one ceaseless stream. Physically unable to stop myself, I collapsed atop her and wrapped her in my arms, pulling her with me as I rolled over onto my back.

"That was amazing, Jasper." Alice's voice was a whisper as she nestled into the crook of my neck, her face turned towards mine. I glanced down at her to see her eyes shining, glassy with tears that she would never be able to shed. If I hadn't been able to feel what she was feeling, I would've been worried, but I knew that she was happy, content and relaxed.

"It was," I agreed as I tightened my hold on her. "Truly wonderful, sugar, and I can't wait to repeat it, but I think we should –"

"Yes, we should," Alice answered before I could finish my sentence and I raised an eyebrow at her in questioning. "Maria will be back soon and we have spent more time down here than necessary. We need to get showered and cleaned up before she arrives and we can discuss our plans at the next session." I nodded my head in agreement but still refused to loosen my grip on her. I wasn't sure when or if I'd be able to hold her this way again, and if I was being completely honest with myself; I really didn't want to be separated from her. Ever. It pained me even more to know that I would have to wash her scent off of me but she was right. If Maria found out about us, it would end badly.

Reluctantly, I released her and helped her to her feet. We picked up the remainder of our clothes; my shirt was ruined but my pants were fine. Luckily for Alice, only a few buttons were missing from her shirt; everything else was intact. We dressed quickly and I pulled her into my arms one last time and placed a gentle but commanding kiss on her lips before pulling away and leading her up the stairs.

As I opened the door and walked out into the kitchen area, we were confronted by Maria. Her eyes darkened as she looked down, zeroing in on my hand entwined with Alice's as her nostrils flared. I knew that she was picking up on the scents that enveloped us but before I could react, she had Alice in her arms, hand wrapped tightly around her neck with excessive force.

"Does she mean that much to you, Jasper? Enough to make you want to betray me; leave me for this," she shook Alice forcefully with the hand that still gripped her neck. "For her?" Venom spewed from her mouth as she sneered, anger and hurt rolling off of her in waves.

"You will not harm her, Maria, not if you have any sense of self-preservation." My voice was calm but menacing as I lowered to a crouch, my moves mirroring hers as I tried desperately to hold it together for Alice. The look on her face betrayed her fear more than her emotions; there was nothing but love pouring out of her.

"I won't allow you to leave me, Jasper, and I will never allow her to take you away; I'd destroy her first."

A few things happened all at once then, Alice's eyes clouded over as a vision hit her; Maria moved to twist around in an attempt to decapitate Alice and Alice shifted slightly, just enough to give me access to Maria. I pounced quickly, grasping Maria's hands in mine and removing them from Alice's neck before I gently placed Alice behind me. I felt, rather than heard, Alice stumble backwards and lean against the wall, but my focus was on Maria, her face filled with rage and contempt as she tried to move around me. I blocked her every attempt as I advanced on her, my crouch deep as low snarls reverberated throughout my body.

"I told you," I spat out, cutting Maria off again before she could leave the room, "that you would not harm her. You should have listened, Maria." My lips curled up into a wicked smile as I heard Alice moving behind me, breaking down the wooden table that no one used and piling the pieces in the middle of the room. I could feel the worry, ire and terror coming from Maria and I threw it all back at her, doubling her emotional reaction and slowing down her response time exponentially.

"I let you have your fun with all this," I continued, my voice low and dangerous, "but I won't let you touch Alice." The moment Alice's name fell from my lips I lunged forward and tore Maria's head from her neck then tossed it into the fire that Alice had started.

Once I was finished methodically dismembering Maria, I pulled Alice to me and hugged her fiercely, the realization that I had come way too close to losing her was too intense for me to deal with. The relief that washed through me when I felt her in my arms, her small body pressed tightly against mine, I shuddered in relief. It was so concentrated, so fierce, that I could feel my body trembling with the weight of it.

"Oh, Jasper, honey, its fine; I'm fine, baby. We're both fine." Alice spoke gently as she reverently rubbed her hands up and down my back in a comforting gesture, pushing out waves of love and contentment towards me. She had the power to calm me immensely; bring me to my knees and raise me to the highest of highs all at the same time. Only her, only Alice, and I realized at that point that I would follow her anywhere, do anything for her as long as it kept her happy. It didn't even matter that I would have to give up the consumption of human blood and prey on animals for the rest of my existence.

She. Was. Worth. It.

I held her closer, reveling in her scent as I accepted the comfort she was offering before I leaned back, rocking on the heels of my boots and taking her face in between my palms. "Before we move on, Alice, there are a few things that need to be taken care of. The newborns will need to be destroyed; the ones that are capable of taking care of themselves set free, and I need to find Peter."

"I know," Alice murmured as she stepped away from me and took my hand in hers. "We will do it together, just as we'll do everything else from now on."

Even though the guilt of all that I had done and the scars that covered my body were a constant reminder of who I was and would forever plague me, I knew that Alice would be there; that she loved me. She left no room for me to ever doubt that her feelings for me were sincere and would withstand the test of time. She had risked her life to save mine, to bring us together, and for that I would remain eternally grateful. It amazed me that someone so wonderful, so beautiful and so pure could love me so fiercely, passionately and unconditionally, but she did. Alice loved me and I would do everything in my power to deserve and return it.

For eternity.

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stolenxsanity: So, um, yes, I'm the neurotic one of this unlikely collaboration duo and I'm nervous as all fuck about submitting this. NGL. I don't write AU, it scares me. There's so much shit to consider and it's just ... frightening. That being said, be gentle, please?

gypsysue: Im the easy breezy one...deals with it all without too much fuss...love you really T :D. I only write AU so I was totally in my comfort zone, so if ya hate it blame me. I want to say a huge thanks to my partner in crime stolenxsanity for working on this with me, we worked so well together we are gonna do it again lol. OK so thats about it, thanks for reading and please hit the button and review :D

stolenxsanity: I love you, too, even though this still scares the fuck outta me. Just saying. Also, you're welcome, I wouldn't have entered this contest otherwise so, really, no thanks are necessary.