Thank you for the reviews to- lovably17, PrettyinBlack8, and Cowboy's Montana.
XXX
1940
"Jasper, did you hear what I said?" Charlotte asked and when Jasper still didn't answer her she looked at Peter worriedly.
"Jasper," Peter called out.
"What?" Jasper frowned. "Sorry."
"Charlotte just pointed out your eyes are getting black," Peter told him. "And asked if you wanted to go hunting tonight?"
"No," Jasper said firmly.
"Come on Jasper," Charlotte sighed. "You need to feed."
"Starving yourself won't help brother," Peter added.
"You don't understand," Jasper murmured. "I just can't feel that anymore."
"What?" Charlotte sighed.
"Their fear when they see me," Jasper told her.
"So what?" Charlotte prodded. "Are you going to starve yourself? Jasper, it won't work. You need to feed. We aren't the horrible monsters we were in the south but we still need the blood for sustenance."
"I don't want it anymore!" Jasper snapped.
"You will," Charlotte sighed.
Peter put his hand on her arm to silence her and a short while later they slipped out to hunt leaving Jasper with his own thoughts. He loved Peter and Charlotte but over the last few months they had been pushing and pushing him to hunt. The more they pushed the more he resisted the idea, only hunting when the burning in his throat became completely unbearable.
By the time Peter and Charlotte returned Jasper had made a decision and prepared himself. As soon as they walked into the house Peter noticed the bag Jasper had packed that was sitting at his feet.
"What's going on Jasper?" he asked worriedly.
"I appreciate everything you have done for me," Jasper sighed. "But I need to get away. I need some time alone."
"Alone?" Charlotte echoed in horror. "Jasper, no."
"I have to do this Charlotte," Jasper said firmly.
"We can't pretend to understand what you're going through," Peter sighed. "But if you feel this is what you need to do we support you. Just remember you have friends here."
"I will," Jasper nodded and got to his feet. He put the bag over his shoulder and then stepped towards them and Charlotte launched herself at him and hugged him tight. Unlike when he had first joined them he was use to her exuberance and touchiness now and he hugged her back warmly.
"We'll miss you," she murmured into his neck. "Please stay in touch."
"I promise," Jasper nodded as he let her go and she reluctantly stepped from him arms.
"Good luck brother," Peter smiled and Jasper held out his hand. Peter just glared at it for a moment and then pulled Jasper into his arms and hugged him. "We'll be here if you ever need us."
"Thank you," Jasper whispered. "Both of you, for everything."
They smiled at him and he turned and walked out the door, not sure where he was going and what he would find but he knew he had to leave Charlotte and Peter before his depression affected them more.
XXX
Alice drained her third deer and then dropped the carcass and sat back with a satisfied smile. The burn in her throat had lessened somewhat but she decided to catch one more. As she jumped to her feet a vision hit her and it was so strong she dropped back to her knees.
She was sitting in a diner and it was raining outside. The doorbell rang and she turned and watched as Jasper walked through. The curls around his face were damp from the cold rain and hung in his eyes and he was taller than she previously realised. He shook the water from his coat and then his black eyes locked with hers. She quickly looked around the vision wanting desperately to find some clue as to where the diner was. She noticed a menu sitting on the counter and the words on the front cover answered all her questions.
'Sam's Diner, Philadelphia's Best Diner for nearly 100 years'.
"Philadelphia," Alice giggled as she came from the vision and she jumped up, her hunting forgotten, and raced to where she had left her bag, in a hurry to get to Philadelphia.
The next day she had reached the outskirts of Philadelphia but she stayed in the tree cover until night fell. As soon as it was dark she walked quickly into the town and she found a cheap hotel and got a room. She still had a pile of money from her dealings with the stock market and she decided to take that up again so that Jasper and her wouldn't have to worry about money.
She settled into the room and then slipped out and found some stores and bought new clothes for herself, wanting to look her best when she finally met Jasper. When she returned to the hotel the owner behind the counter smiled at her.
"Been shopping," she commented.
"Yes, Philadelphia has some wonderful stores," Alice nodded.
"It does," the woman agreed.
"I was wondering Shirley," Alice said as she stepped up towards the counter, getting the woman's name from her name tag. "A friend recommended a diner somewhere here. Sam's Diner. Have you heard of it?"
"Of course," Shirley laughed. "Sam's has been around for years. Its two blocks from here. I often recommend it when our guests are looking for somewhere to get a hot meal. I'll draw you a map."
She grabbed a piece of paper from under the counter and Alice tried to contain her excitement as she leaned over and watched Shirley draw.
"There you go dear," Shirley smiled and handed the paper to Alice.
"Thank you," Alice grinned and turned and skipped up the stairs. She rushed into her room and spent the rest of the night going through her shopping and flicking through her visions but she only saw the Cullens, not Jasper.
Finally at 4am she could no longer contain herself and she jumped up and took a quick shower. She walked back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped around her and quickly dressed in a long skirt and a long sleeved shirt. She grabbed a pair of gloves and a jacket and pulled them on and then added a hat she could pull low over her face if the sun became too bright.
She checked her reflection in the mirror and then snatched up her purse and the map Shirley had drawn for her and rushed from the room. She raced out into the still dark streets and thanks to Shirley's detailed map she had no problems finding the diner. She stood outside for a moment, unable to believe she had found it and then she walked to the door and stepped inside.
It was nearly empty with only a waitress behind the counter and an older man sitting in the corner. Alice walked over and slipped into a booth at the back and moments later the waitress came over to her.
"Hi, I'm Carol," she smiled as she set a menu down in front of Alice. "What can I get you?"
"Just a coffee thanks," Alice replied and Carol nodded and walked away again. Alice glanced around the diner and although it was a little shabby it had a quaintness about it that impressed her.
Her eyes kept drifting towards the door and it must have been obvious because when Carol returned she set the coffee in front of Alice and smiled at her.
"Waiting for someone?" she asked.
"Yes I am," Alice grinned.
"I hope he's worth it," Carol smirked knowingly.
"Oh he is," Alice giggled and Carol flashed her another smile before rushing off to serve the older man.
XXX
1948
Jasper walked through the cold dismal streets and pulled his jacket closer to him. He didn't feel the cold but he noticed many other people doing the same thing and he didn't want to stand out. It had been nearly a month since he fed and he knew he shouldn't tempt himself by walking through crowds of people. He had nowhere to go and nothing to do and his depression was at an all time low.
He turned into a quiet alley and decided to head back out into the forest for the day. As he walked down the street he heard the shrill scream of a little girl and his eyes darted up.
"Come on sweetheart, I'm not going to hurt you," a man leered and Jasper could immediately sense the little girl's fear and the man's intentions.
"Please don't hurt me," the little girl sobbed and Jasper rushed towards the sound of her voice. He turned the corner and saw a man in a long dark coat holding a little blonde girl by the shoulders. She couldn't have been more than five or six and she was shaking in fear.
"Hey!' Jasper yelled out to get the man's attention.
"Stay out of this," the man snapped, barely turning his eyes from the girl.
"No!" Jasper snarled and moved closer to them. The little girl looked up at him with tear filled eyes and he felt pity for her.
"Do you know this man?" he asked.
"No," the little girl sobbed. "He grabbed me on the street and pulled me in here. I want to go home to Mommy."
"Go," Jasper nodded but the man didn't release his grasp. Jasper walked over and took the man's hands and forcibly removed them from the child with little effort. The man looked at him wide eyed and Jasper looked down at the scared little girl.
"Go home to your mother," he said firmly. The little girl mumbled a thank you and raced off down the alley and Jasper watched until she disappeared before turning back to the man.
"Look…" the man started but that was as far as he got as Jasper lunged for him. He felt the man's fear and terror like he normally did but the bloodlust was too much for him and he sank his teeth into the man's neck and drank eagerly.
When he was finished he dropped the dead man to the ground and turned and walked quickly from the alley. It was now raining and he began to move through the streets but he noticed people were looking at the strange man walking nonchalantly through the rain. He decided to slip into one of the stores until the rain eased off and he glanced across the road and noticed a small diner.
"That will do," he murmured, knowing he could handle being near humans now he had drunk a little. He checked for traffic and then stepped into the road and quickly raced across the street and headed for the door of the diner.
XXX
"Can I get you anything Alice?" Carol smiled as she walked back behind the counter after delivering a meal to a couple in the booths.
"Maybe just a juice," Alice shrugged.
"Coming right up," Carol grinned and slipped into the kitchen. Alice sighed as she watched her go and threw another hopeful glance at the door. She had been coming in here for eight years now and her and Carol were good friends but Jasper still hadn't turned up.
At first Alice had been there every day but eventually she had limited her visits to the days when it was overcast or raining. She remembered the rain on the windows from her vision and she knew if the sun was out it wouldn't be the day that Jasper arrived. Still even when the sun was shining she never strayed too far from the neighbourhood just in case the weather changed quickly.
"Here you go sweetie," Carol said as she set the glass of juice in front of Alice. "Honey, do you really still think he is going to show? It's been eight years. Maybe its time you moved on."
"No, he's coming," Alice said surely.
Carol just let out a sigh and Alice knew the human thought she was strange but she couldn't very well explain how she could be so sure Jasper would turn up one day. The doorbell rang and Alice glanced over quickly like she did every time and then her eyes went wide. Standing in the doorway was him. Jasper was here.
Jasper had frozen, immediately picking up the vampire scent and he watched with narrow eyes as Alice jumped from the stool and walked towards him. She had a huge grin on her face and he had a fleeting thought of how he could handle her. If she was coming towards him to attack him he couldn't very well defend himself with the room of humans as spectators.
The emotions he could feel were like nothing he had ever felt before and they flooded over him as he watched her walk towards him. She seemed to be checking him warily, like she knew he would be sizing her up, and then she stopped right in front of him.
"You've kept me waiting a long time," she murmured as she looked up at him.
"I'm sorry ma'am," Jasper replied instantly and ducked his head to her. She offered him a sweet smile that seemed to melt his insides and held her hand out to him. Jasper looked at her for a fraction of a second and then lifted his own and placed it in her tiny hand.