The rain was soaking Philadelphia, and I looked up into the sky, not really caring. I was getting thirsty, and for a moment I considered trying to find a meal, but I dismissed the thought almost immediately; I wasn't in the mood, not today. Besides, the weather would be keeping most people indoors anyway.

I was aware that standing out in the rain with no coat would draw attention pretty soon. I had been careless recently, and the jacket I had once had was stained with blood. I had tossed it in a dumpster the minute I entered the city. Now I sighed, glancing down the street to find an appropriate hideout until I could hunt.

I ended up ducking into a nearby diner. It was almost empty, which was good. Even the faint scent of human blood circling the room was enough to wet my mouth with venom. If it had been a crowded room, it would have been even worse. As it was I gritted my teeth, snarling at myself to keep from pouncing at the nearest civilian. Not now, idiot, God, not now…

I sat at a booth and ran a hand through my hair, aggravated. I shouldn't be in a big city like this, not when I was thirsty. It wasn't smart, never mind the fact that every kill was sinking me farther into this strange depression. I should just leave now.

It took me a moment to realize that the small girl sitting at the bar was walking over to me. She was very tiny, even though I suppose she was more of a woman than a girl. I doubted she would reach my shoulder. Her hair was as short as she was, midnight black, which was startling against her white skin. It was more than obvious that she was a vampire, but I was wary--something was wrong with her eyes. They weren't the deep, bloody burgundy I expected, but a light, amber color.

Hesitantly, I touched her emotions, and was surprised. She wasn't angry or jealous or afraid, the feelings I usually met among our kind. She was simply … impatient.

She stopped at my table, and I found myself tensed for a fight, even though I knew that a brawl in a place this public was a stupid move. Something about this girl with the odd eyes set me on edge.

"You've kept me waiting a long time," she snapped, annoyed.

I was taken aback. Did I know her? I was sure I would have remembered someone like this. In any case, she didn't seem like she was preparing for a fight, so I struggled to grasp my manners.

"I'm sorry, ma'am."

"Well, that's okay." She slid into the seat opposite me. "I suppose you didn't know. I've been here every day for almost two months, waiting for you."

"Why? Who are you?"

"Alice Cullen."

"I'm--"

"Jasper Whitlock Hale," Alice interrupted. "Only I'm going to call you Jazz."

I didn't let myself wonder how she knew my name--or how she incorrectly knew my name. I had never met anyone named Hale. I was more concerned with the nickname.

"No, you're not."

"Yes, we are," she said confidently--stating, not arguing.

"'We'? Who is 'we'?"

"Me and Carlisle and Esme and Edward and Rosalie and Emmett, of course."

"I don't know those people."

"No, but you will. Come with me. I don't want to talk about it here."

(-(-)-)

"Alice, I'm not so sure about this."

"Oh come on, just relax. We're nowhere near the city, you're not going to kill anyone. This will be easy."

"What if it doesn't work?" I asked, eying the trees warily. There was a deer standing absolutely still a hundred yards away, and Alice was still trying to convince me that feeding on it was possible, the way she said the Cullens did. I was stunned. I had never imagined that our kind could live like that.

"What do you mean, how could it not work?" Alice demanded.

"Well what if it doesn't sate the thirst? What if I loose control in a city just because I thought I was safe? Do you really want to have to deal with that?"

"Jazz, I've been doing this for thirty years, and I already told you about Carlisle, right? He's a doctor, for Christ's sake and he's just fine on deer. Just try it."

I bit my lip and sighed. Maybe she was right. It … it was worth a try.

I stepped forward and bent my knees, slipping into the familiar fighting stance, and closed my eyes. It wasn't easy for me, giving up thought to be ruled by instinct the way we had to while hunting. The emotions, the ones that weren't mine, were hard to let go of. It was easier with just Alice here, however, no distracting humans.

The wind blew slightly through the trees, and the warm smell reached me. It wasn't the same as always. There was a slightly earthy smell to it, more raw. The scent wasn't flowery or spicy or fruity, the way I would have expected, but somehow more substantial. Before the leaves had settled, I had leapt forward.

I wasn't used to hunting in the woods, so even my light footsteps snapped a twig. The doe heard and looked up, but before its wide black eyes could even focus on me, I had crashed into it. My teeth found the throat and I bit down, hard.

That moment is sort of a blur, which is odd. I'm used to having a crystal clear memory, but I was gone until Alice appeared at my side.

"See. It's good, isn't it?" she asked smugly.

"Not as good," I disagreed.

"But enough," she said with finality. Without a moment's hesitation, she reached up and wiped a smear of blood from my chin, licking it idly. When she noticed me watching--and not resisting--she smiled brightly.

The new taste in the air was something that I had only known once or twice before. I didn't recognize it at first, but the first thing that entered my mind was Peter and Charlotte. It was an odd combination of contentment, giddiness, and lust. I frowned down at Alice's little face, the golden eyes that I knew must be the same color as my own now, and tried to find a name for it.

…Love?