"Alice?" I called out nervously. I stumbled -an odd thing for a vampire- over a large root that protruded out of the soil. I couldn't help it; I needed to see her, see if she was alright. Alice wouldn't answer any of my phone calls, and I even went out to Port Angeles to see if she had gone on a short shopping trip to get her mind of Bella and her baby without reminding me. I smacked away a large branch looming before me, pleased with the destruction I had left behind me. Nothing stopped me from finding my soul, my heart. The one that had literally saved me from myself.
My eyes scanned the edge of the forest, noting the change in the lighting. The color of the light soaking through the leaves was a jade color, the canopy above me getting thinner as I neared the end of the woods. I inhaled, having not taken a breath since I started on the trail. Too many humans passed here daily, and for it to be one of the very few sunny days Forks received, I imagined the scent would be stronger. The air danced around me with the breeze, stirring up a scent I had not recognized before. It was Alice; she had been here.
"Jasper?" My pixie called, her voice tremulous. I looked up. I hadn't heard her approach. My face relaxed as I saw her approach me. Studying her face and assessing her mood, I waved. I was before her quickly, and I met her with a warm smile.
"Jazz, I'm.... I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I'd be. But you've been so stressed with Bella around all the time and the blood and... Well, by the time I headed up here, I saw that you would come look for me. I didn't think it'd be a problem. I just... needed to think, you know? Be alone." Alice looked down for a few seconds, and the pity that ripped through me was shocking. I knew how he felt. Often times I felt the same. I took her face in my hand, but she did not look up. Her hand closed gently over mine, and I felt her fingers move slowly over each of my scars, haphazardly criss-crossing each other. "I should have told you, Jasper." Her voice was barely audible, like hearing a whisper through the trees or a sigh from across the room through human ears.
I didn't get her solemness; it was foreign for my Alice. My bright, happy, full of life Alice. Sensing the new mood, I didn't know how to respond. Say something that turns out useless? Turn and walk away and leave her standing in the woods? I was chivalrous enough to know that would be rude and unacceptable. But I could not create the right words to say.
"That's alright, Alice. It's okay. I should tell Carlisle you're all right." I stroked her cheek with my thumb and removed my hand from hers. I turned and started down the path, sucking in a safe amount of breathable air before returning through the heaviest scented areas of the woods.
"No, Jasper, wait." Alice's voice was closer, as was the vibrations I felt through the earth as she walked towards me. I couldn't smell and see if she was right behind me, so I waited for her touch.
Her hand wrapped firmly around my elbow, and she yanked me to a stop. "Please stay." Her voice was pleading.
I couldn't say no. Even when I turned to tell her I was fine, and that I wasn't angry in the least, her eyes dawned up at me and I was rendered hopeless to inning an argument. I was swimming in their depths, nodding slowly. Alice's lips turned up in the corners, and I felt her mood turn smug, probably because she was able to stop me from leaving.
--
Alice led me out of the wood, onto a damp gassy patch of land just outside of Forks. The questions were already forming in my head. The mystery was interesting, and Alice was here, alone, and I needed to know why.
"Oh just ask already." Alice sighed, seeming more herself by the minute. I laughed, and sat down, pulling her down with me and into my arms. I breathed in the fresh air, not polluted with human at all. I closed my eyes.
"What brought you out here, Alice?" I asked. Alice leaned back against me and nestled into my lap. Looking into the clouds, now parting to us the magnificent sunset we hardly ever saw. Her skin began to glitter softly, throwing rainbows in my vision. For once, I felt like I belonged, matching her perfectly, not the freak with the battle scars and trouble containing his thirst around humans. She held my hand in hers, and to see our fingers intertwined always made me feel hope. It was almost dreamlike to call her my own.
"Bella's baby is giving me a headache. Not to mention Jake around all the time." Her voice was honest, and she looked up at the grey sky. It was difficult to be around my home with the werewolf boy and cups of blood everywhere. My Alice was fond of the werewolf, calling him her own personal Aspirin when we were up in our room. She didn't dislike him like Edward or Rose did. I rubbed her arm, feeling the familiar fabric of an old shirt of mine. Shocking for Alice, who hardly wore the same things twice. I ignored it, letting myself feel smug for suggesting she wear it. She turned to smile at me, and I noticed her eyes again.
"I'm sorry Alice, but you need to hunt while you're out here. Your eyes are blacker than coal." She ducked her head into me and moaned.
"I want to stay right here," her voice faded into a growl, "thanks." It was unlike her to refuse a hunt with me; we normally got... off task. I felt her sudden quietness.
I kissed the top of her head and stared out across his lawn. It could have been minutes, or it could have been hours. We sat there until twilight was just beginning to touch the tops of the trees, fanning a violet darkness around us. Another night...
"Jazz, I don't mean to be rude, but Emmett is going to come looking for you if you don't get home soon..." She kissed my shoulder, her mood reluctant.
"I'm perfectly fine here, Alice. And I won't go home without you, you know." She laughed.
"Go, Jasper." I had to admit, whenever Emmett found me, it turned into a wrestling match. Wouldn't want this shirt ruined and getting muddy. Alice would kill me. I picked her up out of my lap and set her beside me, and then I rose to my feet.
"I'll go with you, if you'd like." She murmured. She jumped to her feet.
I shook my head and smiled. "It's alright Alice. You need a hunt." I brushed the visible shadows beneath her eyes thoughtfully. "Tae your sweet time, too. I'll be there with arms wide open- literally- when you return." She took my hand.
"Really?" She asked, unsure. I nodded.
"You need to get away for a while. I am not going to stand in your way. Just remember that next time your in need of comfort, you don't have to travel outside of Forks to get it. I'm a good source, too." I sighed at her smile; she was beaming.
"Thank you." Her voice bubbled and withdrew like waves on rocks, loud, but I could feel her pulling away. It was hard to let her go, even for the shortest of times. He figure disappeared quickly, but I knew she was still in hearing range.
"Alice, wait." I blurted out quickly. Her head poked out from the wood. I swallowed. "I love you."
Her peal of laughter caught me by surprise. Her smile sparkled, even at night. "I love you more, Jazz. But I won't be too long."
--
It wasn't long, as Alice had predicted. After coming home, I escaped from Emmett's glare and into Carlisle's study. I stared at the paintings on his wall, and my eyes traced the outlines of the Volturi.
It felt like only minutes when Alice returned. I felt her hands land softly on my shoulders. I tilted my head backwards, my eyes staring at her face, only inches away from mine. Everything was upside down, and I was forgetting I was sitting down. Her eyes were now a warm butterscotch color.
"Told you I wouldn't be long." She sang. Her hands squeezed my shoulders. I got up and went to embrace her.
"I'm glad you're back to normal, Alice." She laughed quietly.
"You're in a better mood, too, Jazz." She wrapped her arms around me in return.
"It's much easier to breathe with you. Jacob has a habit of leaving an odd wolf smell." Alice tittered into my shirt, and I was glad she was no longer in a serious mood.
It wasn't the same.