The next morning was bright and crisp autumn morning. The leaves spiraled down from the huge maple trees outside of Alice and Jasper's window. Jasper smiled brightly as he watched the display of colors and felt that Alice was just as happy. "I think that today is the perfect day to…"
But before Jasper could continue, Edward bolted into their room. Jasper sighed in exasperation and Alice elbowed him playfully as she sat up. "Thanks for knocking, Edward. What is so urgent that you had to burst in?"
"Emmett…Rosalie…" He said. But before he could even get it out, Alice had a vision. The world around her slowed and went dark. The pain behind her eyes was blinding as she saw the future. Emmett and Rosalie were coming up to tell them that they were once again leaving for Africa. But instead of ending like her visions usually did, she was spiraled out of this into a deeper dark velvet vision. She saw a little girl with jet black hair in a straight jacket sitting in a desk. Alice turned to see an old man with immensely bushy grey eyebrows. His eyes were the color of coal and his smile was more as a grimace with pointy yellowing teeth. He was a darkening man. Alice felt an icy chill shot down her spine. She watched as he came closer to the little girl. But just as fast as the vision had come, it was suddenly gone.
Alice jumped up suddenly back in the comfort of her room. Jasper's face looked paler than usual as he looked down upon her. Edward's own face was also lined with worry and concern. Alice panted, gulping air that she didn't need. Alice shook and trembled. Her mouth felt dryer than cotton as she tried to moisten her lips. "Alice?" Edward asked tentatively. She looked at him, barely focusing as the trembling continued.
"Go get Carlisle," Jasper said with authority "now!" He pushed a stunned Edward out the door as he knelt down next to Alice. "Alice, honey, what happened?" Alice just moved to Jasper and buried her head into his chest, unable to respond yet still in shock. Carlisle rushed into the room at this point. He looked her over.
"Jasper, I need you to leave" Jasper growled in protest. But Alice grasped his shirt making him look down and she nodded at him to go. He sighed, kissed her forehead then stood to leave.
"I'll be right outside" Jasper promised. He left the room and shut the door quietly behind him. Carlisle sat down next to Alice and took the quilt from the bed, wrapping it around her. She grimaced gratefully as she snuggled against it.
"Alice, I don't want to push you…" Alice shook her head.
"It's okay…" Alice said, knowing that it was important.
"Alice, what happened?" Carlisle asked "what did you see?"
She looked up at him with solemn eyes. "My past"
Alice explained to Carlisle what she saw. "I don't know who he is but he had me in a straight jacket!" she was getting stronger as she told the tale. She paced angrily. "Carlisle, it was frightening…it was like he had some sort of power on me. I don't like this. I have to figure this out. I'm sick of not knowing about my own past. It's a part of me yet I don't remember." Alice was so unbelievably tense. She just wanted to find out who this man was. She had to know why.
"Alice, we're going to figure this out. I promise you" Carlisle's warm topaz eyes smiled reassuringly at her. Even though she knew that Carlisle was trying, she knew that it wasn't going to be so easy. She was just worried about telling Jasper without him getting upset. Carlisle seemed to sense this. "I'll talk to Jasper"
"Thank you, Carlisle."
Usually when Jasper entered Carlisle's office, he could sense Carlisle's calm nature. Today, however, all he could sense was Carlisle's uneasiness. Jasper shut the door behind him, fear clutching at him, curiosity driving him in automatically. "Have a seat, Jasper" Carlisle said kindly.
"I think I'd rather stand," Jasper said politely "but I am very curious about what happened this morning and why my wife can't tell me." Carlisle forced a smile on his face.
"I think that she's just nervous about how you'll take it." And with that Carlisle told Jasper all about the vision that Alice had. Jasper listened quietly with great horror when he thought how this all might seem for his wife. "Alice wants to discover her past. She wants to try discovering the truth again."
"But we've tried this before." Jasper reminded him. "We came up with nothing. All of the records and the transcripts were gone from the hospital." Carlisle nodded.
"Yes, but who knows? We might be able to find out what we couldn't discover all of those years ago." He smiled warmly at Jasper. "Alice is still quite distressed. I think you should go see to her now." Jasper nodded and forced a smile on his face as he left the office and made his way to his room. He stopped suddenly as he smelled the heavily fragrance of blood…Bella's blood. He had just hunted yesterday yet the tempting aroma seemed to entrap him. Jasper shook his head, trying to clear the horrific thoughts and entered Alice and his bedroom. Unfortunately there was the very problem he was trying to get rid of sitting next to his wife. Alice seemed to be hiding her true emotions very well as she laughed and showed Bella the ring Jasper had given her the night before.
"Oh, Alice, it's beautiful!" Bella exclaimed as she looked at the ring. Jasper tightened his jaw instinctively at the scent even more empowering than before. He looked over to see Edward in the comfy armchair that Jasper always sat in. Edward tore his glance away from Bella long enough to see Jasper. He swiftly crossed over to him.
"Did you talk to Carlisle?" Jasper nodded, trying so hard not to jump over and attack Bella.
"Edward…" Jasper said giving him a look. Edward noticed and hardened for a moment before nodding.
"Bella, we have to go now if we want to make those reservations that I made at that restaurant." Bella nodded gave Alice a hug, smiled at Jasper and then left, hand in hand, with Edward. Jasper looked at Alice silently. She seemed nervous and twisted the ring on her finger rapidly.
"Why couldn't you tell me?" Jasper finally blurted. She looked up at him surprised. "I mean I am your husband, Alice. I promised to be there for you but I can't if you won't let me."
"I know," Alice said softly surprising him "I just…" she looked up at him quietly. He could feel her sadness as well as her confusion. "I didn't think that this was going to happen…but we have to go and find out my past, Jasper. We have to leave tonight."