The Twilight Twenty-Five
thetwilight25[dot]livejournal[dot]com

Prompt: #07
Pen name: stolenxsanity
Pairing: Jasper/Alice, EsPOV
Rating: T

Photos for prompts 1, 7, 13, 19, & 25 can be found here:
community[dot]livejournal[dot]com/thetwilight25/16325[dot]html

I watched the boys through the kitchen window, all three of them sporting matching grins of excitement. Today was Jasper's twelfth birthday, and even though he'd had the option of a big get-together with his friends from school and around the neighborhood, he'd requested something a lot more low key instead. This didn't surprise me, of course. Unlike his older brothers, Emmett and Edward, Jasper was much more laid back. A backyard camp-out with his brothers, and the girls from across the street – with Carlisle chaperoning, of course – was the only kind of a celebration he'd wanted.

Carlisle and I had been more than happy to oblige.

It brought a smile to my face to see them now, getting ready for the night ahead as they traversed the backyard gathering rocks and firewood. Back and forth they went, occasionally disappearing into the thicket of trees that bordered the property only to emerge moments later with victorious smiles on their faces and an armful of loose sticks – some thick, others thin, but all perfect for the kindling that would be required later in the evening when they were ready to get warm, roast marshmallows and, if all went as planned, tell scary stories.

A knock at the front door, followed by the ringing of the bell echoing throughout the entire house, pulled my attention away from Jasper. He'd been standing in the middle of the open space, hands planted firmly on his hips, as he operated as overseer of everything going on around him. I chuckled to myself as I quickly moved from my spot at the counter, abandoning the night's rations of sandwiches and hot dogs ready for the grill.

The girls stood on the front porch, arms laden with a variety of supplies, and sweet smiles on each of their faces as I greeted them with hugs. Their family had moved in across the street about six months prior and, almost immediately, the boys had taken a liking to them. This had, of course, relieved Carlisle and I. While they weren't exactly social pariahs – far from it, really – they were rather choosy about whom they spent their time with, or gave their attentions to. We'd learned early on that, for the most part, they preferred each other's company over that of their peers. That had changed rather quickly the day a front yard game of catch had ended with a baseball through the front window of the Swan home and Rose had come storming out the door and tossed it back to a star struck Emmett.

"She throws better than Edward and Jasper," he'd exclaimed as they'd come inside, though a sheepish grin quickly replaced the look of awe.

From that point on, the six of them had been near inseparable. The connection between Emmett and Rose, or even Edward and Bella, paled in comparison to that of Jasper and Alice, though.

Shaking my head to clear it of the errant thoughts, I ushered the girls inside. "The boys are out back if you want to join them," I stated, closing the door behind me and following them back toward the kitchen. "They've been out there all day, getting ready."

With a chorus of "thank you's," the girls piled their belongings on the table before slipping out the sliding glass door and I returned to my previous task of food preparation and watching from afar. The trio immediately split up as they hit the lawn, each going in their own direction and I smiled at the easy camaraderie between each pair, though my focus immediately returned to Jasper.

And Alice.

As loathe as I was to believe that they were meant to be together, especially at such a young age when they both had a lifetime of experiences to look forward to beyond what was currently taking place, and beyond the bubble in which they currently existed, it was difficult to not see that they complimented each other well. Where Jasper was quiet, and content to remain on the periphery – traversing the background as it were – Alice was a force to be reckoned with; an entity in and of herself with more energy than any one person should ever have.

She brought Jasper out of his shell in ways that not even his brothers had been able to accomplish and according to her parents, he was the only one able to successfully calm her down.

The sound of raucous laughter drew my attention to the scene unfolding outside the confines of the warm kitchen. Lifting my head from the ingredients haphazardly spread out over the counter, my eyes searched for what had caused such a reaction from the six children under my care. It was the sight of Alice, arms lifted in a V-shape, her tiny fists clenched tightly and a wide grin on her cherubic face as she stood above Jasper. Both her feet were planted firmly on either side of his body as he lay beneath her, head thrown back and loud laughter spilling from his throat. A stray, abandoned football lay forgotten on the ground beside Jasper's head.

Even though I couldn't see them clearly from my vantage point, and because of the distance, I could picture the way his bright blue eyes danced with mirth when he was happy – truly happy – and a grin spread across my own face. While he'd been happy before, it was easy to see the difference that Alice, and her presence in his life, had made. It was heartwarming, and made me all the more grateful for the appearance of our relatively new neighbors all those months ago.

"Almost done?" The question once again stilled my wayward thoughts and I turned toward Carlisle, smiling.

"Just about." My reply was quick as I finished up, stacking the sandwiches on a tray and handing it off to my husband. The packages that he'd walked in with sat on the table. Bags of chips and hot dog buns, along with the ingredients to make s'mores and a variety of snacks, spilled from their confines.

"I'll be out in a few, once I've got all of this prepared for them," I continued after a moment. "You go on and start the grill. The children are already out back, being their usual selves."

"How did I get roped into chaperoning this little get together again?" Carlisle asked with a dramatic huff as he playfully rolled his eyes.

"I'll be out there all night too," I responded, nudging him in his side with my elbow. "At least until it's time for me to go to bed. I prefer soft mattresses, thank you very much."

With a soft, barely audible scoff, Carlisle planted a kiss on the top of my head before walking out the still open sliding door. I listened as he interacted with the kids, convincing Emmett to help him with the grilling while instructing Edward and Jasper in the proper way to set up a campsite. The playful banter between everyone went back and forth, interspersed with soft giggles from the girls and loud guffaws from the boys.

It was a sound that I hoped I'd be hearing often.

Glancing around the kitchen once more, I picked up the second tray that I'd separated Carlisle's purchases into and made my way out the door as well. The sun was just beginning its descent behind the trees and I paused for a moment to watch. The pinks and purples and oranges that lit up the sky were the perfect backdrop to what I was sure would be a perfect night for all involved. Shaking myself from the errant thoughts, I continued my short trek across the deck and joined Carlisle at the table beside the grill, setting the provisions down. The two older boys were on them almost the moment they hit the table, Rose and Bella following close behind.

I watched them for a moment before turning my attention to Jasper. He and Alice were sitting together just outside the open flap of the tent. Her head was resting on his shoulder as she spoke. I couldn't hear what she was saying but I could see the movement of her lips and the way Jasper's twitched at the corners as he tilted his head back. A serene expression had taken over his face, and I thought back over the past twelve years, trying to remember if I'd ever seen him look so utterly content and whole before she'd come along.

They continued talking for a bit longer, seemingly unaware of the world around them, before Jasper stood and offered a hand to Alice. Her responding smile was blinding as she slid her palm into his, allowing him to pull her to her feet. She stumbled slightly, tripping over her feet and falling into Jasper's chest as the movement propelled her forward. Without a moment of hesitation, he righted her and I could vividly picture the look of concern that would flicker across his face as he looked her over, making sure she was okay while he brushed the loose strands of hair from her face.

If there was one thing that I knew for certain, even before watching the largely intimate scene that had taken place, it was that all three of my boys took after their father in many ways, but especially in this one. They were gentleman. None more so than Jasper, though, which wasn't at all surprising. It was something that I attributed to his proclivity to watch and listen more than he interacted, verbally or otherwise.

Even though he was only twelve years old, I was confident that this was one of the traits that would stick with him for the rest of his life. Pride surged through me as both he and Alice walked toward their siblings, hand in hand, with bright smiles on their faces.

I knew in that moment, and without a doubt, that Jasper would be just fine.