Disclaimer: I do not own anyone or anything from Twilight or Phantom of the Opera!

It did not take Alice very long to sneak back upstairs and get a plate of food. Well technically she got two because now that she knew Jasper really existed, she felt as if she should feed him more. She did not want to risk her only real friend starving to death. She had gotten two helpings of everything including dessert and even brought two sets of utensils. She was happy to note he was exactly where she had left him. A part of her had been terrified that he would leave and never come back.

When she snuck back in through the window she handed him his plate with a smile. She barely even noticed how he did not make a grab for the fork and knife. "I brought apple pie back with me and I even managed to sneak two pieces. I have noticed that in the past if I brought something you did not like you would skip it and go straight for the pie."

"You always make the apple pie." Jasper told her as he used his fingers to pick up one of the baby carrots before shoving the whole thing in his mouth and chewing. Having never grown up around other people he tended to use his fingers to eat not realizing that could count as bad manners. "You told me so three years ago."

"You remember that?" Alice asked as she made a show of using her fork. She didn't want to say anything to upset this fragile friendship they had and so she figured that if she used her utensils and saw her doing so then maybe he would pick it up. She couldn't help sneaking glances at him either. A part of her feared if she stopped looking he may disappear from her sight forever.

"I remember everything you tell me." The scarred male told her as he studied the way she was eating.

He wondered if he should be doing the same thing and so with hesitancy in his movements he reached out for the fork holding it awkwardly in his glove covered hand as he tried to mimic her movements. He let out a frustrated sigh when the carrots kept falling from the eating device and eventually tossed it to the floor with an angry scowl as he continued using his fingers to eat. It is how he had done it for years and he wasn't going to change that unless his Alice told him it bothered her. Hopefully she would accept his way of eating as easily as she had his appearance thus far.

"Why?" She questioned as she too threw her fork to the side and started to eat with her tiny fingers. She figured that if she was in his living space she could do as he did. It was only fair to make him comfortable and more than anything the tiny girl wanted him to be comfortable around her.

Jasper paused in his eating to look at her. When he spoke it was if he was telling her one of the simplest things in the world. "Because you tell me."

"Oh." Not quite sure what to say to that she continued eating in silence for a few minutes before she decided to try speaking again. There was so much she wanted know about him and yet she knew she had to word things carefully so as to not upset him in any way. "How long have you lived down here?"

"Very long time." He replied easily before understanding she wanted a more in depth answer. "Since you first came to live here as a child. I came here a few weeks before."

Her eyes widened when she realized exactly how long he had been down here. "From where?"

His features darkened considerably at her question. Flashes of the past where children and adults alike would point and laugh at him while throwing things in the direction of his cage popped in to his head. He recalled whippings and beatings and things worse than death itself. "From place worse than hell."

Without thinking about it first Alice reached over to place her hand over his in a gesture meant to comfort him. "Do you have no family?"

"Dead." He spoke the one word like ice. "Mother died when I was young and only family I had left was stepfather who is not a nice man, but now he is dead too."

Jasper did not mention how he had been the one to kill his stepfather. It had been the night he escaped. His stepfather Phillip had been too drunk to remember to lock the cage door after feeding his stepson and later that night Jasper had gotten out and strangled him with the same chains that had been used to keep him prisoner for so long. He had been the first person Jasper had ever killed though obviously not the last. In all fairness the young boy had not had many other options because he knew that if he ran his step father would simply hunt him down to lock him back up again. He could not allow that to happen and so killing him at been the only choice he had.

"I'm sorry Jasper." Alice whispered as she squeezed his hand. "I never knew my real parents, but I know how lucky I was to have Esme and Carlisle take me in. I wish you had been lucky as well, but you should know that you are not alone. You do have family now. I promise that I won't ever leave you nor do anything to hurt you nor will I allow anyone else to ever hurt you again."

He nodded letting her know that he had heard her as both of them continued eating. He couldn't help, but be even more awed by her whenever she spoke. She wanted to take care of him and be there for him when nobody else would ever dream of it. She truly was an odd creature and yet so was he. They were both different and for that the world treated them like freaks when all either of them really wanted was to be known for who they really were deep down. He was relieved to see that someone could see the man behind the monster even though he was not entirely sure there was a man behind the monster, but if Alice wished to belief this then he would try as hard as he could to find that man for her because she deserved it.

"Is that-"The pixie like girl had to look twice when she saw a cat come in through the broken window. Her breath lodged in her throat when she recognized the orange ball of fur. "Is that Mr. Fuzzy Boots?"

The masked man nodded with a hint of a smile as the cat sauntered over to him looking for a treat. He pets the feline twice before feeding him a bit of his chicken. Besides Alice, Mr. Fuzzy Boots was the only living thing he cared about. "Yes, he likes the chicken."

Reaching out timidly she caressed the soft fur. Never in all her years would she have thought that Jasper had kept him. She had been saddened over the years thinking the poor thing had run off or perhaps been hit by a car. "You kept him?"

"Why would I not?" He asked not understanding how she could ever believe he would not have kept the kitten she had given him all those years ago. "He does not eat much and as you said he has been rather helpful in keeping the rats at bay."

"Why would you?" She shot back as she too ripped off a piece of her chicken to feed the cat. Now she would have to buy some cat food because she couldn't have him living off of left overs.

"Because you gave him to me and asked me to keep him safe." He replied scooping the cat up with one arm and holding it securely to his chest. A frown marred the unscarred portion of his face. "You were afraid for him and wanted me to have a friend. Are you displeased that I kept him?"

"Of course not!" Alice said quickly and lowered her voice when she realized someone may hear her and coming look if she was not careful. "I just assumed that he had run away. Nobody has ever really done anything like that for me before. It was really nice of you to keep him. I'm glad he could be your companion when I could not. I see that he likes people which mean that you have treated him well. Maybe I should bring both you and he another kitten to have as a friend. Would you like that?"

One brown eye lit up at the prospect of having another cat. Jasper had a fondness for animals that he did not have for people. "I would be very pleased to have another friend down here. It should be a girl this time."

"They could have babies!" Alice chirped with a dreamy sigh. "Wouldn't that be adorable? Then you would have an entire family of cats down here to keep you company. Do you think you could handle that?"

"It would not be a problem." He assured her while giving Mr. Fuzzy Boots another piece of chicken. "You will come to see the kittens yes?"

Alice grinned as she set her now empty plate on the floor. "Well of course I would come see the kittens. I plan on visiting you every day as long as you are okay with that."

His face scrunched up in to one of confusion and uncertainty. "You wish to see me again?"

"I wouldn't be down here if I did not wish to see you again." She told him truthfully as she laced her fingers with his again. "You are not going to scare me away and I don't plan to tell anyone you are down here. If you wanted people to know I am sure you would make your presence known."

"Someone as bright and beautiful as you should not waste your time in a basement." Jasper said as his expression turned sour once more. "You should be in the sunlight shining like the star you are."

"Well I can shine just as brightly down here can't I?" Her tone held no room for questions or complaint. "A star shines best in the dark anyways. That reminds me that I have to bring some more candles next time I come down and do you like to read because I have some books you may be interested in. I thought you could enjoy them when you get bored."

"That would be much appreciated." He said as she set his plate down next to hers. "I have read everything down here many times."

"I am sure you have." Alice said as she stood up. "As much as I would like to stay here all night long I actually have got to get going before somebody misses me. Tomorrow though we will be eating breakfast together before I have singing lessons with Carlisle. I will be sure to bring extra blankets for you then because I am sure you get cold at night. Is there anything else you need?"

He nodded once and stood up. Walking over to her he placed on hand on her hip before lowering his lips to hers. "A kiss goodnight would be too much to ask would it my beautiful Alice?"

She never got the chance to reply since his lips came crashing down on hers as they had a few nights ago and once again she was lost. She didn't even mind the cool plastic brushing against her cheek during the kiss. When he pulled away and caressed her cheek, she wanted to close her eyes in order to make it last forever. "Goodnight my beautiful Alice. I shall see you in the morning and I will be counting the seconds until then."

TBC…

AN: I thought this chapter came out alright and the reason Alice did not ask too much about his past his because she realizes how hard it must be for him. You will learn more as time goes on. In the next chapter you get to see more Alice/Jasper and Edward/Alice where more of Edward's feelings for her come out to play. Let me know if you all liked this or not.

Please R&R like always!

Preview for the next chapter:

"Jasper can I ask you a question?"

"Feel free to ask anything you wish."

"Are you the one who leaves me a rose each night?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

AND

"So Alice did you hear that dad is throwing a masked ball to celebrate the new play."

"Yes I did and I am so excited." "You know how I love a good dance as much as the next girl."

"I remember very well indeed." "So did you have a date?"

"No, why should I?"

"Well I don't have a date either and I thought we could go together. I mean I already cleared it with dad. I think he would be happy you went with me instead of some random guy because dad doesn't like the idea of you dating."