Lost and Found

Chapter Ten

~Alice POV~

I spend the journey back to the reservation in a state of confusion. Who was that vampire? Why did he think I was his wife - Alice? And why did he have a ring that matched the one that had hung around my neck for the past four years?

"We shouldn't have gone outside the reservation." Elan said, "Sam told us not to."

"Nothing bad happened." I pointed out, letting go of Kelsi so she could run off and play.

"Apart from that nut job back there." Elan said.

"Do you know who he was?" I asked.

"Best guess would be one of the Cullens. He mentioned a house and as far as I know the only vamps around here with permanent residence are the Cullens." He said.

The Cullens...the name sounded familiar. I remembered the conversation I'd overheard yesterday between two of the Quiluete boys. They'd mentioned the Cullens. I think back to what was said, straining my memory for the details. Since getting amnesia, my memory hadn't quite worked like a vampires should, reverting back to a more unreliable human-like memory.

They'd been talking about the Cullens...and a possible conflict between them and the Quiluetes if they were to find out about...something. A girl? How did the conversation end...?

I walked out in front of them and...

"He called me Alice." I said out loud.

"The Cullens are crazy, forget about it." Elan said.

But I wasn't talking about the boy from the woods. I was talking about the Quiluete. He'd called me Alice, and his friend had corrected him, calling me Marianna instead.

Two separate events involving the Cullen family and me being called Alice. Could it be a coincidence?

But then there's the ring...

I turn away from Elan and pull the ring out from under my shirt, studying it. Identical to the one he was wearing.

I turn to face Elan, "What if he's right? What if I am his wife?"

"That's insane Marianna." He told me.

"Just think about it," I said, "His wife disappears a few years ago, right about the time I turn up on the beach. We both happen to be the rare kind of vampire who only drink from animals. I don't remember anything, so it COULD be true. What if the Cullens are my family?"

"Marianna, this is ridiculous!" Elan said, "The Quiluetes would have recognised you."

Exactly - they did.

"You heard what they've been saying. The Quiluetes fell out with the Cullens." I prompted, "They might not want to say anything."

"Marianna," He said, placing both hands on my shoulders, "Stop. I know you want to know what happened to you, who you were and what life you had." He brushed a piece of hair from my face and sighed, "But your answers are not with the Cullens."

"You're right. I've just been feeling a little homesick, I guess I was jumping at the chance of an answer. But you're right, it's ridiculous. I'm not Alice."

I'm lying.

I'm not certain of anything, but I know that there's just too many coincidences here. It might be nothing, but I can't ignore it.

"I'm going to find Koda and ask when we're leaving." Elan said.

"Will you take Kelsi?" I asked, "I want to hunt before we go."

"I'm sure Emily wants to say goodbye to her anyway." Elan said, picking up Kelsi and putting her on his shoulders, much to her delight.

I make my way back into the forest with no intention of hunting. I can trace the vampires scent and it's not hard to find the house he mentioned. I stand a little way off, far enough away to be undetected whilst I survey the house. There's a whole bunch of cars outside and I can hear several people talking inside the house.

I take a deep breath. This could be the key to my entire past. My family, my husband, my life.

I walk up the gravel path and hear the voices inside grow quiet. They know I'm here, but they wait inside. I make it to the door and hesitate before knocking three times. The door flies open and the guy from before wraps me in a hug, "Alice!"

I bristle a little and step away from him, making him frown, "Why do you think I'm Alice?"

"I'd recognise you anywhere, Darlin". He said, "My beautiful, beautiful wife."

I look around at the other faces gathered in the room, not recognising a single one, even thought I'd hoped my memory might be sparked by the house and the family. But no, I couldn't tell you who any of them were.

One of the other boys frowned at me and said, "She doesn't know who we are."

It was as if he'd read my mind.

I turned back to my supposed husband, "I woke up on a beach four years ago with no memory of who I am. I might be Alice, and you might be my husband...but I have no idea who you are."

~o.O.o~

The rest of the Cullens left, leaving me and him alone in the house.

"I don't understand." He said.

"Neither do I." I admitted.

"Vampires don't sleep, how could you 'wake up'? And vampires have a perfect memory, how could you forget your whole life?" He asked.

"I don't know." I said with a sigh

"You don't remember anything?" He asked. I shook my head. He smiled, "We'll help you remember. It doesn't matter that you don't know us, all that matters is that you're home, Alice. You're home."

I smiled weakly, still so unsure of my surroundings.

"I'm sorry, Darlin', you don't even know my name." He said, "Jasper Whitlock, at your service."

"Marianna," I returned automatically, then shook my head, "Or Alice, I guess."

Jasper wrinkled his nose, "Marianna?"

"It's the name the tribe gave me." I told him.

"The tribe...don't tell me you've been living with the Quiluetes all this time! I knew they couldn't be trusted!" Jasper said, growing angry.

I shook my head, "No, a different tribe of wolves. We just came to visit the Quiluetes."

"How did you end up with a pack of wolves?" Jasper asked.

"They found me." I said, "They took me in and I've lived with them since."

"Alice..." He's staring at me so intensely. I feel weird. It's clear he loves me, and I must have once loved him too...but I don't feel anything. I don't remember him and it's strange to feel such strong emotion coming from a stranger.

"Tell me about myself." I said, breaking the silence.

"Your name is Mary Alice Brandon, though you hate Mary so go by Alice and you took the Cullen name for appearance sakes," He said. "Your human life wasn't great, and you forgot it all when you became a vampire-"

"Wait, I've had amnesia before?" I asked.

"Not exactly." Jasper said. He doesn't seem annoyed by my interruption. "Most vampires begin to forget their human memories after a while. Your...circumstances meant that you blocked everything out and forgot it all."

"Okay..." I said, prompting him to go on.

"You married me and we lived alone for a few years before we found the Cullens." He continued.

"How did we meet?" I asked.

"You found me, of course." Jasper said with a smile. I gave his a confused look so he explained, "You saw me when you woke up a vampire and you used for gift to find me."

"What gift?" I asked, "And what do you mean I 'saw' you?"

He stared at me for a moment, then frowned, "You don't even remember your gift?"

Dasan had explained to me that some vampires possessed special gifts, but when none had emerged we'd assumed I didn't have one. I shook my head, "I don't have a gift."

"Alice, you can see the future." Jasper told me. I blinked at him, "It's how you found me, and the Cullens...I guess it's possible that losing your memory has affected it somehow. I'll have to ask Carlisle." When I look at him blankly, he goes on to explain about the Cullens, "Carlisle is the head of the family, he's married to Esme. Then there's Edward, who reads minds, and is married to Bella, who is a shield, and they have a daughter, Renesmee. She was born when Bella was still human; half human half vampire. She can project images to people. Then there's Emmett and Rosalie too."

"And you." I said.

"Yes," Jasper said, smiling down at me, "And me."

"Do you have a gift?" I asked, walking around the room to avoid the somewhat awkward eye contact.

Jasper smiled again and nodded, "I can feel and influence people's emotions."

"That's cool." I said, tracing my fingers along the mantlepiece.

"Not as cool as seeing the future." Jasper pointed out. I admit that WOULD be cool, could I actually do it.

My fingers find a photo frame decorated with silver leaves. Inside the frame is a picture of Jasper, his arms around me as he gazes down at me and I gaze back. The love between us in that picture is undeniable, but when I turn to Jasper I find that I feel nothing. Sure, I might eventually regain my memory, or learn to love him again, but I can see the hope in his eyes and I'm not sure I can lead him on like that.

"I should really get back." I said.

"What?" He asked, his face falling, "Why wouldn't you stay here?"

"The tribe are going home today." I said.

"But you don't need them anymore." He said, looking confused.

"Kelsi needs me." I said.

"Who?" Jasper asked.

"My daughter." I said, "Adopted daughter. Her parents died when she was a baby."

"She's more important than your family?" He asked.

"She IS my family." I objected.

"But-"

"I have to go." I cut him off. I ran from the house before he could object. Much to my disappointment, he followed.

"Alice wait!" He called out. I turned to face him.

"I have a new life now." I told him, "I'm sorry, but I don't remember you. What I do remember is my friends in the tribe, my daughter. I'm not going to abandon that for a family I don't even know."

"You don't have to abandon them." Jasper said, becoming so little desperate, "You can have both. Alice, you don't have to leave."

"Jasper, no. I'm sorry." I said, turning to leave again.

"Why did you come?" He asked. I stopped, letting him speak, "If you have no interest in coming back, why did you come?"

I shrugged, "Curiosity. I wanted to know where I came from, if I had a life before."

"No, it's more than that." Jasper said, "You want to remember, you want to feel again."

"It's not-"

"Alice, I can feel your emotions." He interrupted, "I know you don't feel anything for me. And that hurts, of course it does. But I wouldn't stop at anything to get you back. I don't care if we have to live as strangers for years, if you have to learn it all again, if we have to start new. I don't care because we have each other, and once you remember you'll know just how important that is."

I waver, my heart fluttering. I don't want to hurt him, or get hurt myself, but I've been longing for something more for years...what if this is it? My missing past come back to me...a husband, a family.

"It's a lot to take in." I said quietly.

"Please, Alice, I don't want to lose you again." He said.

"I have to go back with the tribe." I told him. "But...I'll come back. I'll come back and we can try and...I don't know. I can try and remember." He looks happy and sad at the same time, but agrees to the compromise, "Just don't get your hopes up Jasper... I might never remember, and just might never..."

I trail off, not wanting to say it. I might never love him again.

Jasper nods, "I know, but I also know how strong our love and bond is, and I have ever confidence in us."

"Goodbye, for now, Jasper." I said.

He leaned in to kiss me, but registered my flinch and went for a peck on the cheek instead.

"Goodbye, for now, Darlin'."

Heyy :) They're reunited...but as you can imagine, there'd gunna be some bumps in the road. Hope you liked it, thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter and please keep them coming!:):)