Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. You knew that.
A/N: Unless I indicate otherwise, this story will be written entirely from James' POV.
Present Day
"Jimmy," Alice gasped. She remembered? "I named that bear Jimmy. I took it with me everywhere. I even had it…" Horror passed across her face as another memory surfaced, one much less pleasant, I'm sure. "I even had it at the hospital."
"Yes, you did. You loved that bear so much. Do you remember anything else?" I asked hopefully as I leaned forward. I felt Emmett's hand on my shoulder as Alice shook her head no. I sighed and pressed my lips into a tight line as I sat back in my seat. "I suppose I shall continue, then. I should mention, though, that I still have that bear. I couldn't stand for him to be left behind, having offered us both so much comfort when we needed it most. He is safely tucked away in storage. I will return him to you if you wish."
"Please," Alice whispered, shaking ever so slightly. Jasper was rubbing her back and I could feel the waves of calm he was directing her way. It reminded me of a time when my touch would calm her, without requiring special powers to do so, but again, I was getting ahead of myself, and there were happier memories to be shared before we went down that path.
Flashback – Biloxi, Mississippi – Summer 1916 – James POV
My day had gone like any other day that summer. I finished my work on the farm with my father, got cleaned up, and rode my bicycle to Alice's house. When I reached the house, I could hear Rag-time music coming from inside and smiled. I recognized the song; it was a lively piano tune by Scott Joplin called The Cascades. I walked in the back door without announcing myself; I never needed to knock at their house. I passed Annie in the kitchen and stopped to give her a kiss on the cheek as I walked by. She rewarded me with a fresh, shiny apple, which I gratefully took a bite of as I walked down the hall. I found Mrs. Brandon, Alice, and little Cindy all dancing in the parlor. They were each wearing fancy tunics and long, narrow skirts that just showed their ankles. Their outfits looked more like costumes than clothes; they were so colorful and pretty, especially when paired with the long beaded necklaces they wore that went almost to their waist. But all I could focus on at that moment was Alice's hair. Her long, gorgeous locks were gone, replaced with the short bobbed style that was all the rage these days. I would have expected it to bother me, but strangely, it didn't. The new style accentuated her facial features, especially at that moment when her cheeks were flushed from dancing and her eyes were sparkling and full of mirth.
As I watched them, I reflected on my life and how it had always revolved around Alice. We had known each other since birth, we had always been best friends, even when we each went through a phase of detesting anyone of the opposite sex strictly on principle, and now here we were, best friends still. But I found myself seeing Alice through new eyes as of late. Alice was changing before me from the awkward, easily excitable little girl I have always known into the lovely, confident, if still easily excitable, young woman she was destined to become. She took much more care of her appearance now, no longer the tom-girl playing catch outside in the dirt with me. I frequently found her reading up on the latest fashions with rapt attention. If today was any indication, it was well worth the effort.
I found myself feeling even more protective than I usually was towards Alice. Not just protective – possessive. Especially since Cindy told me that Michael Chadwick had come calling for her yesterday. What a miserable wretch he was. Cindy was quite happy when she told me Alice had rebuffed his advances. Dear Cindy always looked out for me. I loved her like my own sister. It was that bit of information that spurred me to take action. I could not take a chance of losing Alice to someone else.
"James!" Alice called to me as soon as she saw me leaning casually against the doorframe watching them. I sat the small package in my hands on the table. She ran to me and took both my hands in her own, walking backwards to drag me into the parlor so I could dance with her. Each of the ladies, including little Cindy, took their turn with me, swinging and dancing and laughing in time to the music until we all collapsed exhausted and out of breath onto the sofas.
~End Flashback~
"I remember that day!" Alice jumped up from her seat, excited. I smiled at her hopefully. Could it be true? Alice closed her eyes and began humming the tune, swaying to the music. My heart felt as if it would start beating again, watching her dance just as I had that day. I looked around the room, and everyone held similar expressions to mine as they observed Alice smiling and dancing. She surprised me when suddenly she opened her eyes, sparkling just as much as they had then, and took my hands, pulling me up out of the chair to dance with her. We both ignored the multiple growls we heard in the room as I put one hand on her waist and held her hand with the other as we twirled around the room to the melody that only we could hear.
Edward had whispered something to Bella, who nodded enthusiastically. He got up from his place next to Bella, and looked pointedly at Jasper, who took Edward's cue and sat next to Bella. Then suddenly we weren't the only ones who could hear the music. Edward walked to the piano and began playing the intoxicating music, having heard it in Alice's thoughts. Alice's carefree laugh filled the room as Edward played and I found myself laughing too, genuinely laughing, for the first time in decades. Carlisle and Esme soon joined us as we danced around the living room. Rosalie was scowling. Emmett looked confused, but smiled when his parents joined us, and looked hopefully at Rosalie for a moment before hanging his head down in defeat. Jasper looked murderous, and Bella was watching us with a sad smile on her face. Maybe she wanted to dance, too. My dancing slowed with both the remembrance that I was the reason she couldn't dance and the fact that Alice's eyes clouded over in a vision. Her eyes captured mine with a mischievous twinkle and the corners of her lips curled up in a grin. I fought back the urge to place my lips on her own, but I barely had time to register that thought when she glanced back to Edward. He nodded in consent to whatever he had seen in her thoughts. Suddenly I understood where she was going with this and nodded to her with a smile. Alice squeezed my hands before pulling me over to Jasper and Bella with a squeal.
"Would you dance with me, Jasper?" Alice asked. Jasper stood hesitantly, his eyes not breaking his glare at me until I looked to Bella with my hand extended.
"Bella, would you care to dance?" I asked her softly. If Alice had not had a vision, I would have been terrified of her answer. "I won't let you get hurt," I promised her. She looked at Edward first, then Carlisle. When they both gave their silent okay, she flung the blanket off her legs and my heart broke at the sight of her cast. I lifted her up gently by her waist, being careful to not put pressure on her ribs, and swung her around the room, her legs dangling and her head flung back as she laughed, whether with joy or at the sheer absurdity of the moment, I wasn't sure, but the reason why was irrelevant. I was just thankful to hear it and somehow be the cause of it after the pain she had endured because of me. Emmett made quick work of moving the coffee tables out of the room, creating a makeshift dance floor, and pulled Rosalie into his arms as Edward broke into another tune.
We continued this way for some time, until even Jasper and Rosalie seemed to be smiling. In fact, Rosalie even danced with me for a few minutes so Emmett could have a chance to twirl Bella around the room. Of course, Rosalie pulled me close to murmur in my ear 'hurt anyone in my family ever again and I'll kill you myself,' before allowing me to gracefully spin her around the room some more. I smiled at her and held her gaze, hoping to convey without words that there is no way I would ever hurt Alice, or anyone she loved, ever again. Rosalie seemed to understand and gave me a curt nod in acknowledgement as we danced.
As the last note hung in the air, we all returned to our seats so I could continue my story. But it was different now, more relaxed, the ice having been broken somewhat. "What happened next?" Alice implored as she sat next to Jasper and took hold of his hand again. Jasper was looking at me again, and I could see his concern as I struggled to maintain control of my emotions. If I couldn't keep them in at this point of the story, when it should be so much easier, how would I ever keep them in check later? I took a deep breath and willed myself to calm down before continuing.
Flashback – Biloxi, Mississippi – Summer 1916 – James POV
When our breathing had returned to normal from the dancing and the giggles from the women in the room had died down, I swallowed hard and stood to face Mrs. Brandon.
"I know that this isn't the traditional way to go about this, but it seems out of place to be so formal in a home I love as my own, so I hope you will forgive me for my lack of etiquette, but I would like permission to court your daughter."
Cindy jumped up off the couch and gave me a big hug. "I thought you'd never ask!" She laughed, as did everyone else in the room.
"Very funny, little one," I said as I kissed the top of her head and looked hopefully to Mrs. Brandon. I heaved a sigh of relief when I found her smiling back at me.
"It's about time, James," she said with a chuckle as she stood and kissed my cheek. "Shall I assume you will be joining us for supper, then?"
"Yes, ma'am, if that's alright. Afterwards, do you think that I could take Alice roller skating?" I turned to Alice, "if you would like, of course." I blushed furiously. Never in my life had I been so nervous around Alice. Come to think of it, never in my life had I been so nervous. Period. Alice was uncharacteristically demure as she nodded, her eyes looking moist and full of emotion.
"Come on, Cindy, let's tell Annie to add another plate to the table and start on your studies." As the other two Brandon women left the room, I sat next to Alice and handed her the gift I had set on the table when I came in. She unwrapped the book and hugged me tightly. I relished the warmth that spread from my heart throughout my chest as I held her to me. It felt as though it were for the first time, and I supposed in some ways it was.
"Emily Dickenson! How did you know I wanted this? How did you ever find it?" I loosened my grip, but did not release her as I looked into her beautiful eyes smiling back at me.
"I knew you wanted it because I know everything about you, Alice Brandon, as you do me. As for how I found it, you should know by now, I can find anything. I could track a falcon on a cloudy day." My happiness and need overtook my sense of propriety and I chanced a soft, chaste kiss to her lips, which she thankfully returned. I leaned my forehead against hers and held her hands in her lap as we both silently contemplated our newfound feelings for one another. I no longer loved Alice as my best friend, as a pseudo-sister, or even just as a companion. We were in love with every fiber of our beings.
I ran my fingers through her hair, twirling the end of a lock between my thumb and forefinger. "Do you like it? It looks pretty, I think, but I can't run my fingers through it the way I used to."
"You look beautiful, my love. I suppose I'll just have to let my hair grow out so you can run your fingers through mine, instead," I teased. Alice gasped in shock at my forwardness and I laughed. I didn't care about rules and rituals, I didn't care about Michael Chadwick, I didn't care about anything except the fact that the woman I loved was sitting next to me, and she loved me, too. Never in my life had I felt such peace as I did then. I vowed in that moment to keep her near me always.
~End Flashback~
Alice's gasp distracted me from my story, so consumed in the memory as I was. I looked up to see her release Jasper's hands and put her fingers on her lips. She remembered our kiss. She remembered the love we shared, the love that scorched my veins still. Alice's eyes clouded in another vision and she sprung away from Jasper, looking horrified.
Edward immediately jumped from his place next to Bella. "I think we need a break from this. Jasper, let's you and I go hunting. The others can keep an eye on James. Now."
"No," Jasper growled, looking ready to pounce at me. Edward put a restraining hand on his shoulder.
"Yes." Edward commanded calmly. "We won't go far." Jasper stood and led Edward towards the door, but not before turning to me.
"Touch her and die, understand?" Jasper growled at me. I nodded and they walked out the door.
"I'm assuming that Jasper was picking up on our emotions and you had a vision of him losing control in some way?" I asked Alice without passing judgement.
"Yes. It was…not pretty," Alice replied mournfully. She glanced at Bella and I understood. If Jasper attacked me, innocent bystanders would have been hurt as well. No wonder Edward was in such a rush to get him out of there.
"Would you like me to follow them? I could reassure him that my intentions are honorable. Or, I could just let him take his frustrations out on me in the relative safety of the woods for a while, if you would prefer." When Alice looked at me, confused by my willingness to let her husband beat me up, I continued. "It is completely understandable, my dear. If I were in his shoes, I would have reacted the exact same way. In fact, I did once."
A/N: Chocolate sauce looks really good when it's running down James' washboard abs...Really. Really. Good.
A few of my stories have been nominated for Eddie and Bellie awards. A Lesson in Release has been nominated for Best Novel and the S. Meyer award for best grammar, punctuation and spelling. NCB, Inc. and Edward's Release were nominated for best multi-chapter smut. (*blushes*). Please go to http://www(dot) thecatt (dot) net/tw/Default (dot) aspx and cast your nominations, too! The stories with the most nominations move forward for the judge's consideration. THANKS!!!