AN: Hi there!

Wow, I'm so pleased that so many of you have liked the first chapter. A massive thank you to everyone who has reviewed, placed this on alert and favourite. It means a lot to me.

A massive thank you to Spudzmom for once again reading over this for me and making sure its all pretty and lovely. If you haven't checked out her stuff, please do. You will not be disappointed!

So, the first chapter was the present time, this chapter and the next few are going backwards in time covering Jasper. In a few chapters time, they'll both be back in the same timeline, so hang in there!

Anyways... On to chapter 2!


Forks, Washington state, America.

Five years ago.

Jasper laced his fingers through his wife's hand and squeezed gently. He allowed his gift to flow from him to her. Something he tried not to do too often, choosing to keep his gift to himself, and not let Alice feel him. If she was to feel him all the time, then it would only add to Alice's worry as she would have access to his feelings. There was enough going on now without his wife and mate feeling everything he was going through. No, offering his gift now to her was best, and in his offering, he pumped as much comfort and love into her as he could, while she searched the future or possible futures.

Jasper couldn't shake off the feeling of dread that had sat in the pit of his stomach since the day he found out, and with each day that passed, that dread steadily grew. Slowly, it was creeping onto every thought, every feeling, every fibre of his being. He was being consumed by it, slowly. Painfully slow, and he knew it wouldn't stop until it consumed him, completely.

Garrett, a close friend of the family, had passed through Forks, taking a detour to visit them. It wasn't unusual for this to happen. Both himself and Carlisle knew a lot of nomads, who they called friends, and these friends knew that the family took up residence for years at a time in certain places. Places that allowed them to walk freely and fit in among humans. Jasper had known the minute he felt Garrett's signature of emotions, that this wasn't a social call.

Garrett had been passing through the cities when he had clocked the goings-on in nearby Seattle. Garrett had stayed there, keeping well hidden and undetected, while he observed the goings on. Two mature vampires where handling twenty or so newborns. Garrett heard the name Forks and headed this way, assuming that we must have been back in the area. Garrett had known that they were coming for the Cullens, without having to hear them actually say the name. The Cullens were the only large group of vampires in the area, and considering this wasn't the south, where vampires tended to be more on the feral side, it was a safe bet that the target was them.

At first, it was unclear to everyone else, bar Jasper, why they were coming here. Why would an army of newborns be created to attack them? They held no bad feelings or blood with anyone. No costing a vampire their mate, which would result in revenge. As far as they knew, there was no reason for this. But Jasper knew. He had already pieced all the information together and come to one conclusion. Maria. To him, it was the only thing that made sense, and also she was someone who knew what she was doing with a newborn army, after all, that's how he had been born into this life.

With him hearing word on her and now this, he knew she was behind it. A few days later, Alice had a vision that confirmed what he thought, what he already knew.

Jasper had always known this day would come, that it was only a matter of time before his past would catch up with him. He was almost surprised it had been this long before it finally did, but when you have an abundance of time, you can afford to take things slow. He knew Maria wouldn't be refused this time, not without a fight. Jasper had already respectfully declined her offer once, and he had held hope that she wouldn't come again. It was a vain and stupid hope, one in which he should've never have allowed to take root, yet he did. Jasper had thought that maybe she was just trying her luck when she sought him out last time, but that notion was foolish. He was foolish for even thinking it, foolish for allowing her to walk away when she came calling. Jasper should've destroyed her there and then, but instead, he'd allowed her to walk away, while Alice filled his head and in turn convinced him that she wouldn't be back.

"Do you see her?" Jasper asked.

He already knew the answer to that question, though he asked anyway. Jasper knew Maria well and he knew she wouldn't be there. It didn't matter how many times he got Alice to look, to see if maybe Maria had changed her ways. The result was always the same, Alice saw her, but Jasper knew it wasn't true. This battle would take place without Maria, this he was willing to bet his life on. That and the fact that this screamed a warning to him. Come back or else.

Yet, knowing this, believing this, he kept asking his wife to check. Just to see If she would be there and if she was, then he needed to take her out and fast. Though the chances of her leaving her territory were slim, even if she was desperate, it wasn't her style to leave. Maria would only leave if she had no choice. No, she would draw him to her.

To her grounds. Where she would have the home advantage.

"I keep seeing her, Jasper," Alice answered, rubbing her fingers across her forehead, trying to remove the tension that wasn't really there. It was a human gesture, one which they mimicked, and one he only ever saw when she was so confused and unsure. "Her, two others and newborns."

"It doesn't add up," Jasper stated, letting his wife's fingers fall from his. "This isn't her style."

Jasper wished his family would listen to him, listen when he told them they needed to act fast and plan this battle better. That they needed to take the fight to her. But it fell on deaf ears. They were relying on his mate's visions too much, that his experience with Maria was almost dashed away, and passed off as him over reacting.

Maybe he was overreacting. He had spent so long in that old life that he had almost become savage. Years it had taken him to come back to himself and that road had been long and hard. Alice had made all the difference when he found her, and he didn't dare think of how his life would've gone if he hadn't have stepped into that diner all those years ago. Jasper knew he was prone to overreactions, especially when it came to Alice, and any harm that could come to her. The thought of her being hurt, or worse, caused his instincts to go into overdrive. He had been beyond overprotective when Maria had sought him out last time, and it had taken a lot of convincing on the family's part to convince him that he didn't need to bolt with Alice.

Yet again, they had listened to Alice and her visions, something he seriously hated at times.

To them, they didn't need to, she was coming to them, why go there? Why move south into dangerous waters when they could just stay nice and safe in the north and wait for her. Jasper agreed that the south was dangerous waters, he had spent long enough there to know that, but to him, this was the better option than waiting here. The family took the vote and he lost. They were falling to see her goal.

Jasper sighed and looked out his bedroom window to see Rosalie and Esme sparring with one another. He needed to get back out there and help Esme out. She wasn't a fighter, far from it and was having the hardest time training. He knew that when it came down to it, Esme would step up to the plate, she would do all she could to protect her family, her children. But she struggled to train, to spar with her mate or her children for fear of hurting them, and because of that, she held back and made a lot of mistakes. Mistakes that Jasper needed to iron out before the battle was to begin.

It was a ploy, Jasper was sure of it. She was testing the waters or looking to damage them. Maria was smart, he knew this, he had been her second in command for a long time, long enough to know how she plots and wins. Maria knew how to win battles and get what she wanted, it was how she had survived for so long in the south, survived the constant wars that raged week after week, month after month. A lesser woman would've been dead by now. Maria wanted something, and she would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.

She wanted him back.

Jasper had caught wind that Maria had lost ground over the years and was trying to gain it back. The south was always fighting and throwing over ground, over the best feeding places. She had lost ground when he had been with her, though she had always won it back, and won more ground back with every inch she lost. Jasper had heard that Maria hoped her major would return to her, that he would dominate the south once more by her side. The thought sickened him. He wanted a peaceful life, and while he was dangerous and highly skilled, he wanted peace more than anything else. The life he had led there was a life he didn't want again and would sooner face death than have that life once more.

"She will be there, Jasper." Alice insisted, moving to Jasper and wrapping her arms around his tense waist. Her head rested against his shoulder, and he had to fight the urge to shrug her off him. The last thing he wanted right now was her against him, holding him to her. He didn't want to hurt his mate and knew she was doing this more for herself than for him, but he couldn't help but feel as though she was dismissing him.

"You can be fooled, Alice. Don't trust so much in that gift of yours." His tone was harsh but low, unwilling to draw the household's attention to them. Jasper hated the attention at the best of times, and the last thing he needed was for the family to hear them fighting.

He felt Alice's stab of pain at his wording. It washed over him before invading him, and in turn, her stab of pain caused him to feel pain. Jasper felt a little sorry that he had caused his mate, his wife pain, but she had to be told, and no one else seemed to be able to do it. What he had said was true. She could be fooled, all gifts could be and he knew this. This was the difference from him to them. Their sheltered life had led them to believe that their gifts were untouchable. Jasper found it amusing, but he had to see it from where they were standing too. None of them knew the horrors of this world, none of them knew what it was like to have to have a way to beat someone with a gift in order to survive, in order to feed. They had no idea what it was like to ignore your gift, in order to survive. Having to switch off something that's so ingrained to you, in order for you to know the key points of when to use it, and in turn, not rely on it. Jasper had spent years in southern wars, years fighting with and against those with gifts.

Jasper witnessed those who were too sure of their gifts, being ripped apart and killed. He had learnt not to think in battle, and never to get within touching distance of the enemy unless you planned on ripping them apart. Jasper battled on instinct, an instinct that had been honed over years and years of practice. It wasn't something you could just learn either, it took a lot of time to retrain your instincts to fight how you wanted too. To have it become second nature that no thoughts were any longer required, it just happened. It was one of the reasons why he lived so long in the south and why he was so damn good.

Alice and the rest of his family didn't truly realise what they were dealing with. Well, maybe Carlisle did. He had been around a hell of a long time, and was very wise, though the head of the family was a peacemaker and would try and avoid a fight at all costs. They never would know the horrors of war or their ill-placed beliefs in their gifts. They never would, not unless they had lived that life of war.

"She'll be there," Alice said again, a little firmer this time.

But she wouldn't be. She wanted them to believe that, Jasper was sure of it. Sure that Maria had had her spies on him, on them for a while. After all, the woman was a pro at planning battles and winning wars. Jasper wondered how long she had been spying on him. Since she last sought him out? Probably, but he didn't voice this with the rest of the family, or Alice for that matter. It was pointless to do so, they wouldn't listen anyway. Jasper knew that Maria would know the talents the family had within them. She already knew he was an empath, and it wouldn't be hard to find out that his mate was a physic, and one of his brothers could read minds.

Both his mate's gift and his brother's were almost useless in battle, even more so against a seasoned fighter like himself. Edward's gift ranked slightly better in battle, compared to Alice's, only because he could read the person's thought, know their move a moment before they made it. It would be useful against a bloodthirsty, out of control newborn, as long as there was only one of them and not three or else four. Then he would suffer, his gift would confuse him too much. Edward relied on it too much, making him a semi-decent fighter, when it was one on one.

Alice's gift was even worse. She needed to see the move happen in her mind. And for that to happen, her opponent needed to make a decision first. Once that vision hit, she would know the outcome and could attack or defend accordingly. On paper, that seemed like a pretty great gift to have on the battlefield. Though, reality works very different to what's on paper. When Alice gets hit with a vision, she becomes almost completely useless, making her an easy target to pick off. She couldn't defend herself and see the vision at the same time. It was almost like she blanked out when she got one. Jasper knew that she wouldn't last long against a newborn and even less time against someone like himself.

He needed them to be more ready than they were. Needed them to know, without a shadow of a doubt that Maria knew their gifts.

The first rule of battle; know your enemy.

Alice kept seeing her there because that's what Maria wanted them to believe. And because she kept seeing Maria there, the family dismissed Jasper's objection.

Kissing Alice's head, he hoped he was wrong and she was right.

Xoxo

'Never bet against Alice,' Emmett had reminded him as they left the house this morning.

Perfect memory recall flooded his mind as he moved through the battlefield. Old habits, old ways, came forth like he had never been away from war. His beast growled and roared as he bit, ripped and destroyed anything that came in his path.

'Never bet against Alice.' It swirled around his mind as he roared and ripped another newborn apart, sending bits of venom and vampire flying.

Alice had been wrong, he had been right.

Alice...

Jasper refused to feel, refused to look for her on the battlefield. He had heard her cry only seconds before it was silenced forever. Jasper hated himself, hated that he had moved away from her. That he had clocked the five newborns to their right and had gone after them. He should've stayed near her, should never have moved, but he had. He didn't need to look for her now, there was no point, he wouldn't see her . Just like he wouldn't see Maria. Maria had tricked them, tricked Alice's visions, just like he had presumed she would. The family had been so sure in Alice and her visions, that Jasper's years of knowledge on Maria was brushed aside.

'Why didn't you listen to me?'

The smell of burning vampire flesh and smoke filled his nostrils and he destroyed the last newborn he could get his hands on. Inflicting his pain into them, both physically and emotionally.

Oh God...

The pain began to creep into his chest as he realised there was nothing else he could rip apart and burn. Nothing else to distract him from the reality of what he was faced with, what he was feeling. Desperately, he pushed the feeling down, trying to keep a lid on it while he was still on the battlefield. He wouldn't crumble here, not on the battlefield and certainly not when he knew it would get back to Maria. Instead, he looked around him, checking his family.

Rose and Emmett were holding each other tightly. They looked dishevelled, with torn clothing, but other than that, they seemed fine. Jasper could feel their loss, their pain. It washed over him, trying to push into him, into his skin and body. It mirrored too much of his own, that it threatened to bring him to his knees. He couldn't cope with his and theirs as he began to feel his grip on his ability slipping.

No!

He roared the word in his head, slamming the lid on his emotions before he crumbled. It took every bit of strength he had to push it all down and switch it off.

Jasper saw Carlisle and Esme. They were doing the rounds, picking up bits of missing vampire and tossing them into the fires that blazed around the field. Carlisle felt a great sense of loss. Jasper knew that this battle would be hard on Carlisle when it came to the end if it. He didn't relish killing, taking a life just to survive, it was a big factor in him sustaining on animal blood. Carlisle's great sense of loss was bearing down on Jasper. The loss of life for those on the battlefield that were no more than ash; the loss of life within the...

Jasper growled, stopping his train of thought. It was a dangerous ground, he needed to change his course of thought, but he was struggling to find something else to think of. Something else to focus on.

Esme caught his eye, and he wished he could look away, yet he couldn't. Tears that would never fall filled her eyes as she smiled sadly at him. Her mouth twitched with a sob that was already lodged in her throat, waiting for the right, or wrong moment to escape. It wouldn't take much for her to lose it and begin to cry tears that would never fall for the loss. Jasper knew that she wanted to go to him. Her motherly instincts were on overdrive, he could feel it in the undercurrent of her emotions. She knew one of her own was hurting and she wanted to comfort him desperately. It didn't really matter to Esme that Jasper wasn't her child, that he was classed as a man when he was turned, or that he was older than her in vampire years. This was just a tiny little detail that she chose to ignore once he became part of the family. Jasper knew she would wait to go to him, for a short time at least, he was safe from her crippling emotions.

His eyes cast around, picking up Edward's emotional signature. Deep self-loathing ran the undercurrent of pain he was feeling. Jasper knew the pain he was in was more than just loss of his sister. Edward had been hurt.

Narrowing in on his brother's signature, Jasper saw him lying almost motionless on the ground. His body was only just starting to twitch to try and locate its head.

Edward had been lucky, very lucky in fact. Jasper noticed that his brother's body had fallen within a metre of a fire. If the fighter that had ripped his brother's head off had been smart, he would've been dead. As it was, the fighter had not taken in his surroundings as he thought, thus saving Edward. Though, someone else could've easily turned him to ash while he lay there. It would have been so easy for a newborn to throw his body in into the nearby fire, and he would have met the same fate that Alice had.

'Alice'

Jasper's eyes slammed shut. Right now he couldn't even begin to comprehend what this all meant. What it meant to his family, what it meant to him. He had never thought about a life without her. He wasn't even sure he would cope if she wasn't there.

Picking up Edward's head, his fingers clung into the mess of bronze hair. Walking towards his brother's fallen body, he was glad he didn't have Edward's ability right now. It was bad enough feeling their emotions, let alone hearing their thoughts and seeing past memories. Jasper was lucky that he could shut down his ability to a degree-well, he could ignore it. Edward couldn't ignore his gift. His poor brother was subjected to every thought, every image that ran through someone's mind. Jasper knew that if he had his brother's ability right now, going through what he was, on top of seeing and hearing everyone else's thoughts, he would have walked into the fire already.

Sitting his brother up, he allowed Edward's back to rest against his chest as he placed his brother's head back on his neck. Jasper held it in place as it began to fuse to its body again. Neither of them spoke to each other, both too engrossed in their own thoughts to talk. That was something that Jasper was happy for. He wasn't ready to talk about it, to even address what had happened. For Jasper, this was all a bad dream. An incredibly bad dream that he wanted to wake up from. Quickly, he scanned his brother for signs of any other injuries. Bar a few bite marks, something that they had all received, he was good.

Taking hold of Edward's wrists, he placed them either of his head. "Keep your hands there, it'll take another five or so mind, to fully fuse. A hunt will help," Jasper stated flatly. He rose up from the ground and began to head back to the house, not bothering to wait for his family.

He didn't have it in him to voice any emotion. Not now, maybe not ever. The thought of allowing his emotions out almost crushed him. He didn't want to feel it – any of it - so he did the only thing he could think of, he shut down.


AN: So, yeah? How was that? Sorry for killing Alice, but I couldn't really keep her alive and be good. I didn't want her to be bad either, so death it was.

If you guys wouldn't mind, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks.