(Jim/OC, Tealshipping) The one you love doesn't always have to make sense. But for some reason, these two make love seem easy and romantic... in their own way. But when the one thing separating Jim from her is the only way to uncover how to help her, he has to chose between his privacy and the only one who doesn't seem to care. What choice does he have?

(A/N: Alice made her debut on the story "My One and Only", if anyone wants to know)

-Jesse and Alice-

She ran up in her little white dress. The frills along the sleeves and hem were lace and somewhat itchy when they rubbed against her skin.

"Alice, stop, we need to fix your hair."

Alice stopped with her foot sticking out behind her. Her pure white shoes and socks matched her dress, but clashed with her dark blue hair.

For some reason, Alice was starting to become pale and her hair was becoming dark. She was starting to look less and less like her mother and father and twin brother.

"Put your foot down, Alice."

Her shoe tapped the floor, but her arms were still raised.

"Stand up nice, Alice."

She stood like a perfect portrait. Her hands were clasped nicely on the front of her skirt. Her shoulders were rolled back and relaxed. Her heels were together and her knees were straight. Her chin was up and her eyes stared straight ahead.

Alice let the servant fix her hair so it was nice and curled and pulled back in her usual half-ponytail.

"Go on, Alice."

"Thank you, Rosemary!" Alice hugged the servant and dashed off, giggling and clopping like an every-day, six-year-old.

Alice rounded a corner and stopped. Her cheerful exterior vanished and she became more of a woman than a girl. "Father," she greeted, pulling her skirts and dipping an elegant, low curtsy. As she stood up, she looked ahead at nothing and, in French, proclaimed she was happy to see him today. Another curtsy and she walked passed him.

Once out of his view, she kept running towards the back doors. She burst out, into the warm sun and ran into Jesse, hugging him.

Jesse nearly toppled over, but laughed out-right. "Hey, off the birthday boy, birthday girl!" he said, loud enough for people to look.

Alice stood on Jesse's left, holding his left hand in her right. It was how they always were. Jesse always came first and Alice always came last. They liked it that way.

"Birthday kids!"

Jesse smiled, but he felt the shake in Alice's grip. As the crowd resumed their talks, he turned to her. "Alice..."

"It's nothing, Jesse. He only did it once." Alice smiled at Jesse with the smile of a broken heart willing to fight. "M, maybe we can go play with the pony."

Jesse smiled warmly at Alice. "N, only if you go first."

-three hours later-

Alice saw the hand come down on her and she turned her face away.

Jesse fought the servants. "Stop it! Stop it, daddy! Stop it!"

"Insolent child! How dare you break your mother's vase!"

Jesse bit the male servant holding him, causing the two to let go and he dove for Alice. As he covered her shaking body, a quake ran through the house.

Jesse tucked in around Alice, his suit and tie from earlier lose about his body. He held her close as an earthquake shook the building. The lose books fell to the floor, servants were yelling to evacuate to the cellar for safety.

"Jesse! Get up!"

Their father took hold of Jesse's arm. He held fast to Alice. "No!"

"We need to get to the cellar!"

"No!" Jesse held onto Alice. The twins would suffer through the earthquake for the sake of being together.

Jesse felt a few heavy objects falling overhead. Suddenly-