A/N: Hello! Yes, two in one week. I'm shocked too. This chapter is a little shorter than what I'm used to but I think it covers everything nicely.

Enjoy!

Chapter 6-The Devil

Jasper ran up the stairs two at a time until he reached her floor. He swung the door open hard and ran down the hall to her apartment. He knew something was wrong; the phone call he received scared the shit out of him.

It kept replaying in his mind all the way here. He was sitting at his desk working on the lesson plans for January when his cell phone rang. He smiled when he saw it was Alice. Although they hadn't gone out again yet, they were constantly calling and texting one another. He was planning on buying her a special gift for Christmas and was going to head out after finishing his lesson plans when he answered the phone.

Instead of hearing her beautiful voice, he heard noises. Rustling, crashes, screams and shouts. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was in trouble. And Jasper had a gut feeling that the person hurting her was Riley.

Jasper reached her place in record time, breaking every law in the book. He now arrived at her apartment door and heard another crash and then silence.

"Alice!" he shouted. There was no answer. He tried the door, locked of course. He began throwing his body against it to try to open it. After about ten tries, and thoroughly messing up his shoulder, the door gave way and he stumbled in, taking a look at the surroundings.

The place was in shambles. There was broken glass everywhere and things thrown around. Alice was not here. He began scanning the place and saw movement in the bedroom. He walked quickly and stopped short when he reached the doorway.

Lying on the bed, covered in bruises, was Alice. She was unconscious. Riley stood over her, attempting to yank her pants down. Jasper's eyes widen when he realized that Riley was going to rape her again.

Without a second's hesitation, Jasper lunged for Riley, pulling him off and throwing him across the room. Riley hit the wall with a loud THUMP! Jasper stood in front of his beloved, ready to kill if need be.

"Who the fuck are you?" Riley spat.

"Her boyfriend," Jasper spat back. Now was not the time to question.

Riley tilted his head and smirked. "Huh," he said. "I didn't think that little whore would find someone." His eyes shifted to Jasper. "You must be a desperate man."

Jasper growled. "No, just decent."

Riley's eyes narrowed. He stood up slowly and deliberately. Jasper took a step back to be closer to Alice. His hands balled into fists. He was ready to lunge if need be.

"You are a fool," Riley said with a low voice. He walked to his right, circling Jasper. "You don't know her like I do."

Jasper didn't miss a beat. "You didn't know her at all." Riley took a step closer. Jasper beckoned him. "Tell me, how was raping her 'knowing' her?"

This time it was Riley who growled. "It didn't happen like that." He had approached Jasper by now.

"Then please," Jasper said sarcastically, not relaxing his stance at all. He took a step so he was nose-to-nose with Riley. "Tell me what happened."

Once again, Riley's eyes narrowed but he didn't back down. "She was a whore. I wanted it; she didn't want to give it to me. So I took what was rightfully mine." He looked over Jasper's shoulder. "The only thing she's qualified to be is a whore."

God Himself could not have stopped Jasper. It was the break he needed. His right fist connected with the left side of Riley's jaw. Riley fell back, his eyes growing wide. He rubbed his cheek and looked at Jasper.

"You will pay for that asshole!"

And Riley charged him.

Illness or not, Jasper was still physically active. He ducked out of the way and grabbed Riley by the waist, tossing him backwards. Riley crashed into the dresser and the mirror behind him shattered. Shards of glass flew everywhere.

Jasper didn't stop there. He grabbed Riley by the collar and punched him again and again. Riley gave as good as he got, getting three shots in before bringing his hands up in defeat.

Jasper was in a daze. He didn't know where he was; all he saw was red. He was ready to kill the man that hurt his angel when she moaned from the bed.

Instantly the daze was broken. Jasper's head snapped towards her and he dropped Riley into the pile of glass. Jasper reached her in two strides and saw she was still out.

She's not breathing.

"Baby?" he said, gently shaking her shoulder.

Riley's breathing was labored and he curled up into a ball as he fell into unconsciousness. Jasper didn't notice.

"Angel?" Jasper whispered. He took Alice's hand and searched for a pulse. It was weak, but there. He pulled her towards him and hugged her.

"Alice, please baby. Please wake up." He pulled her back slightly and looked at her face. He felt rage building up as he saw the bruises around her left eye and the cut on her nose. He gently placed a kiss on her lips. "Come back to me, angel." He swept a strand of hair out of her face. "Please. I love you."

A sharp pain shot through Jasper and he dropped Alice's body back on the bed. He gripped the sides of the mattress and rode through the pain. When it subsided, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed the police while his eyes remained on Alice.

"Hello," he said with a raspy voice. "My girlfriend was attacked by her ex-boyfriend. I managed to get to her, but she's unconscious. She's not breathing but has a weak pulse. Please hurry." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "She's all I have in this world."

After hanging up, Jasper continued to try to revive Alice. He said silent prayers to whoever would listen that she would be okay.

I can't lose her now, not after just finding her. God sent me His angel knowing that I needed her.

Tears began to fall onto Alice's still chest as the police and ambulance arrived.

Jasper paced back and forth in the lobby, wearing a hole in the linoleum floor. There had been no word about Alice since she arrived at the hospital. He checked his watch and saw that was two hours ago!

What the hell is going on?

The staff gave him a wide berth. They tried asking him to sit down and he would snap at them, saying they should have answers. The receptionist watched him with sympathy in her eyes, but said nothing.

"Mr. Whitlock?"

Jasper spun around and saw Dr. Cullen approaching him. He stopped his pacing immediately.

"Thank you for bringing her in. Her body had gone into shock from the abuse. She's a tough girl. What she endured would have killed someone else. Her pulse is weak but it is there."

How long was Riley there?

Jasper swallowed hard. He felt like he had failed Alice. He got there as quickly as he could and now she hovered between life and death.

"She is still unconscious though," Dr. Cullen continued. Jasper's mind snapped back to the present. "She is not out of the woods yet."

"She will be okay, right?" he whispered. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer.

Dr. Cullen smiled. "Yes, she will recover; provided she makes it through the night. It will take awhile, however. She will need your help."

Jasper smiled and then nodded. It would be a privilege to help her. He was already making plans of what to do.

"C-can I see her?"

Dr. Cullen gestured towards her room. "Be my guest."

Without a second's hesitation, Jasper walked towards the room. He gasped at the sight before him. His angel, sent from Heaven, lying in a hospital bed with tubes sticking out of her. The monitor beeped loudly and obnoxiously. He approached her slowly and took her hand.

The electricity surged. He smiled lightly, knowing that the woman he loved was still in there. He sat on the chair next to her head and stroked the back of her hand.

After an hour a nurse came in to check her vitals. She saw Jasper's tired face and decided to intercede.

"If you want to help," she said quietly, "there is a chapel on the third floor."

Jasper barely heard her. He was fighting a sharp pain and it almost rendered him useless. Once it subsided, he focused on the nurse.

"What?" he whispered.

She smiled. "Prayer is a powerful thing." And then she walked out.

Jasper stared at the spot that the nurse was in. He hated leaving his angel, but at this point he couldn't do anything for her. After gently squeezing her hand, he rose from his seat and went to the chapel.

Upon entering, he felt like a fish out of water. It had been years since he had been in a house of worship. He had turned away from God and never thought he would go back. The last few days, though, he was changing his mind because he believed Alice to be a gift sent to him.

That's why she's an angel.

Jasper sat on one of the benches and stared at the cross on the wall for awhile. It was quiet in the chapel. He could use this time to think and reflect. Jesus stared down at him from the cross, encouraging him to admit his feelings. And he felt a wave of peace wash over him.

He was unsure how long he sat in there. He closed his eyes and basked in the silence around him. He felt a welcoming presence when he thought he would feel unease. Leaning forward, he laced his fingers together and rested them on the back of the bench in front of him. Then he did something he never thought he would do again.

He prayed.

Looking up to the man staring down at him from the cross, Jasper asked for forgiveness. He asked God to forgive him for walking away and for not believing in Him. He thanked Him for not giving up on him, although He had every reason to. Then Jasper thanked God for delivering Alice to him and he prayed that she would be okay.

Jasper jumped a mile when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked behind him and saw the nurse that spoke to him earlier smiling down at him. He saw her nametag and chuckled.

Holly. Fitting.

"I see you took my advice," she said softly. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I wanted you to know that your girlfriend is awake."

Jasper bolted up from his seat. Nurse Holly chuckled at his enthusiasm. She crooked her finger indicating "follow me." He walked behind her silently, listening to the hospital sounds.

Holly smiled. She had known Alice for years and saw her bruises during her time with Riley. She had been worried that Riley would kill her, but by the grace of God Alice left him. And now it seems that she has been given another chance.

Holly glanced back at the disheveled man. He ran a hand through his hair as he observed his surroundings. She could see everything in his eyes. She knew he was the perfect man for Alice. She knew that God had delivered him to her.

He will save her.

Right before reaching her room, another pain shot through Jasper. This was ten times worse than before. Jasper reached for the nurse as he crashed to the ground quickly. Sneakers squeaking on the linoleum and shouts flooded his ears as he fought to hold on.

The last thing he heard before losing consciousness was Alice's voice screaming for him.

A/N: Uh-oh! Any ideas what will happen next?

Thanks, as always, for reading. Chapter 7 should be up on Sunday.

Have a great weekend!