Hi again! Okay so this fic is going to be how Alice and Jasper started off, first separately and then together, then with the Cullens :) They're my favourite characters and I hope I've done them justice. Reviews are greatly appreciated and I really do hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 1 – Ache

Her screams could be heard throughout the building, they echoed violently down the corridors, seeming to physically scratch the walls. Nobody bothered to look in on her anymore; she was a lost cause, a dead end. Her file was a thin two page sliver of words like "psychotic" and "mentally deranged".

She sat in the corner of the dark, grey room with her arms wrapped around her knees as she rocked slowly back and forth. Her bright aquamarine eyes darted around the room, always searching, always looking for danger. Every now and then she would hear something scuttle across the floor. She always screamed.

She pressed a tight fist against her forehead as another blinding pain shot through her head. With the pain always came the pictures; a beautiful young man with deep red eyes and swirls of straw hair, another man, just as beautiful, with a kind face and bright honey-coloured eyes. Then the images always changed; they morphed into scenes of violence: the straw-haired young man became covered in blood, surrounded by bodies and death. The kind faced man with the beautiful eyes became savage, a hunter. He would dive onto various animals; deer, mountain lions, even bears and tear them apart. Tears streamed down her face as the images finally began to fade once more and the large metal door at the end of the room slowly opened, groaning slightly under its own weight.

"Only me", a tall, familiar man walked slowly into the room. He was a doctor with shoulder length red hair that swept around his face, and a smile that radiated warmth. He knelt down beside her, his eyes, always shaded by his unruly hair, looked darker than usual. He brushed the young girl's long, dark hair away from her pixie like face as he spoke,

"Alice? Alice", he lifted her chin so that she was looking at him, "I need you to listen to me".

Alice's bright eyes focused on his and her eyebrows pulled together, puckering her smooth forehead, she nodded once.

The doctor continued, "Do you know who I am? Do you remember my name?"

She nodded again, "Dr-", she paused, frowning again, and then continued, "Smith", her voice was a tiny pinprick in the empty room, "Arthur".

Arthur smiled and relaxed slightly. He leaned forward and placed his hands on her tiny shoulders, "Good, good. Now you must listen Alice", he paused to check that she was and then continued quickly, "Someone is coming for you, someone bad".

Alice began shaking her head furiously and tried to cover her ears but Arthur held her arms down firmly,

"He's coming and he won't stop until he's found you… and killed you".

Alice's eyes widened and she began to whimper softly, "Why?"

Arthur brushed a tear from her face and spoke gently, "He wants your blood".

She screamed and covered her mouth with both hands.

"I don't have time to explain it dear child, but you must get away from here, now", Arthur pulled out a small pair of scissors from his leather bag and held them up. They glinted softly in the dim light from the barred window, "I need to cut your hair Alice".

Alice squealed and frantically pushed herself back to the wall. She pressed the side of her face against the cold stone and shut her eyes tightly as Arthur continued in a hushed voice,

"Please Alice. This man, he can track you so much easier with your hair long like this. The scent is so strong, trust me".

She opened her eyes and stared into his kind face, after a few moments she nodded and crawled forward slowly, "Okay", she whispered.

He leaned forward and began to chop her long, dark locks slowly. Alice watched as small clumps began to drift to the floor and land in her lap. It was over in a matter of minutes, her hair now hung just below her ears in sharp spikes.

"Alright", Arthur's voice was sharp, nervous, "We need to-"

He suddenly stopped speaking and cocked his head to one side, as though listening to something far away. His eyes widened and came to rest on Alice's terrified gaze.

"He's already here", he said.

Thanks for reading!

I know it's short but it had to end there :)

More chapters soon, please review!