**Since the basic story plot to this fic is Jasper's past, you may be aware that this is winding down a tiny bit...**

Ch. 11-Gone Past, Near Future

When Alice rose from her seat beside me, I felt immediately cold and alone. I was about to snatch at her tiny white hand, but decided against it, which was very excruciating to do. I bit my lip as I watched her disappear into the hallway, the darkness engulfing her. I stood erect, ready to save her from the tiniest creature. She smiled over her thin shoulder. "I'll be right back."

The moments ticked by like hours…days. I kept my breathing normal and focused on the frame on the bare wall.

"Jasper, here."

I looked up, and there she stood with a pile of clothes in her hands. They appeared to be men apparel, and I knew right away how she knew to have them in her house. I grew more and more amazed by her as seconds passed.

I took them, feeling the unusual cotton softness opposed to my heavy canvas coats I usually wore. I looked across the row of buttons and casual pants into her eyes.

"Bathroom is the first on the left. You can change in there."

Maria would never allow me such privacy; I nodded my thanks and hurried past her. To shed any more memories I held would be cleansing.

The wooden door clicked shut. The row of lights were made of four bulbs, of which only three were glowing dim mustard yellow. The wall tiles were also a similar condiment hue--which did in honesty look odd and unpleasing, but it was Alice's. Anything of hers was perfect to me.

There was a hollow thud as my dirty coat I had bore for so long fell to the linoleum. My trousers whispered over the ground.

I looked up, into the eyes of my reflection. I tightened my lips and simply studied the creature staring back.

I didn't let my eyes pass over my chest, for if I allowed this, I would be summoning Alice back in to hold me as I pitied myself. I stared into the vampire's onyx eyes, almost in fascination. I was sort of happy that they were not blood red, for I hated myself like that. The creature seemed to be sizing me up, and I took the challenge. I suppose I shouldn't have, because I was in there longer than anticipated.

"Jasper?" A sharp rapping came from the other side of the door. The tiny white clock on the wall suggested I had been in here for twenty minutes. Horrified, I fumbled to unbutton the shirt Alice had given me, sending the pants tumbling across the floor. I huffed in frustration, and Alice asked, more high-pitched, "What are you doing? Are you alright?" I could hear her fingertips grazing down the wooden door, towards the doorknob. I cursed the brass knob as I saw there was no functioning lock.

I tried to tell her I would be right out, but nothing but cold air blew from my lungs. I bit my lip, and snapped my head opposite of the door when she burst inside. Cool blue waves of worry poured in, chilling the warm little room.

I froze, facing the empty towel rack and not Alice. I heard her tiny feet shuffling forth, her hands reach out, whispering in her sleeves. Her hands touched my naked back, and I could feel her unreasonable admiration again as she stroked my scars. It made me want to slap away her hand--why should she find respect in these deformities? The thought of harming her, however, sobered me from these angry thoughts.

"Oh, my." she sighed breathily, but I didn't move an inch to meet her warm gaze. Even if it wasn't a lie--these feelings, I had always been so used to fake sincerity that I could hardly tell true from false. Her tiny fingertips brushed over my back, over my shoulder blades and down my spine.

"Jasper, look at me." It sounded sort of like a question, and it was like a plead, so I had to obey her as to not hurt her. I did look at her through my dark eyes. Her mouth was parted open, her teeth glittering, her cheeks pinched. Her hands were upon me, shifting as my body moved to see her. Seeing her face gave me less shame that I was under these harsh lights in only my boxers.

Alice broke her eyes from mine to stare into the mirror, and by instinct, I followed suit. There we were, staring at the somewhat dingy mirror. She was tiny and dressed beautifully, sharply. Her hair was glossy, her smile luminous, her skin a glowing sun kissed white. My hair was in tangled snares, my shoulders tensed, body towering over hers. The scars were laced with the faint light from the bulbs, and I could see clearly the contrast of her creamy skin to my slightly darker complexion.

As I straightened up, both fascinated and disturbed by this contrasting picture, her tiny arm wrapped around my bare waist. She pulled near, her head leaning upon my shoulder. I could feel her soft, wispy hair tickling my hard skin. I watched in awe at her gorgeousness as she beamed at my reflection.

The man in this mirror was wide eyed as well, and as I looked closer, his eyes were dark, yes, but not tortured as my past reflections had cast at me. These eyes were interested with life, fascinated with love. I hadn't seen these eyes--never had I seen these coal black irises full of anything but loathe or pain. I gasped quietly, and Alice squeezed me harder.

Her free hand traced across my chest, dancing over the scars. She leaned forth a little to kiss one daintily, then drew back to look at this whole picture with me.

I went from being the most hell-sent and damned creature on the earth to the most lucky in a matter of days. I don't know if some greater force had made this my destiny, but I'd like to kiss that force's feet. Someone sent me an angel, and I would go through my whole past again with an idiotic smile if I knew it was all for Alice.

--...--

My eyes cracked open--no, not from slumber. From relaxation, from letting my eyes shut out the room and focus on my Alice. Her dancing, her talking, her smiling, her kissing. I let my mind wander.

Now the sunshine was pooling into the room once again. A brief slash of memory startled me, as I thought of the blood red sheets, the jasper stone necklace. I swallowed and shoved it away, letting my eyes stare straight into the bright sun. It was a brilliant orb of white, and it bathed my face with a sweet burn. It was like Alice's kisses, hot but wonderfully addicting. I snuggled into the cotton blue sheets, pulling up an edge to inhale her scent.

Of course, vampires didn't have beds…not most. Not the single ones. It wasn't necessary, but it was wonderful.

I gazed outside again. Had the sun ever risen until today? It felt like I had never seen it before--it had always been a banished enemy, sent to spotlight my flaws. Now, it seemed to be sending a ray of hope inside the rays of light, and a plentiful ribbon was hitting me right now.

I remembered all those times I would open my eyes, closed for hours to block things away, not to welcome them and revel in them. The sun would feel like steely knives on my skin, pricking at my scars and screaming at Maria to notice them. I felt my lips turn into a line, my brow became furrowed.

They look pretty nas--

"Jasper?"

Her voice was questioning, wondering if I was a figment of the mind. Her vocals were tired and breathless. Happy. Her emotion waves were just as warm and wonderful as the sunlight's. Hers hit my bare back as I watched the sun bloom over the field her window faced.

Her cool, tiny hand touched my shoulder blade. I melted into the sheets at her touch. Her fingernails tickled my skin, and I didn't even flinch when her path was interrupted by an upraised flaw. Gently, her fingertips whispered over my back, and I let my eyes close as I enjoyed the touch.

After a while, she withdrew and leaned near, her lips homing at my ear. She rested her collarbone on my jutting shoulder blade. I felt her lips deliciously graze my ear lobe, and she whispered, "I love you so much."

The words sent my body into a frenzy of shivers. Would I ever get over these embarrassing effects of her love? Maybe I didn't want them to. Not ever.

I gently turned so my back was nestled in the sheets, warm and folded around us. The wrinkles raised like tiny mountains. Her hand scurried over the planes of my glowing chest, feeling like soft, frayed ribbons with their lightness. I smiled serenely at her touch, so soothing and electrifying at once.

I could have spilled out all the love I had for her right then, but then again, that could result in some regret later. I'm sure her intentions were the same--I'd never felt this unfaltering love before--but I still chose not to bombard her with everything she didn't know just yet. So, instead of all that overwhelming soul spilling, I settled for:

"I love you, Alice. More than you know."

I turned my head just in time to watch her smile bud on her gorgeous face, lit by the sun, sparkling like a million diamonds. Her ruffled inky hair fanned around her face, askew against the plain pillowcase. Her cheeks seemed rosy, dewy and dappled with joy. Her teeth were blinding white, her eyes burning with a happiness I still wasn't used to. It was beautiful. There was nothing to match it, nor would there ever be.

I took her hand as it lay on my chest, touching her lovely fingers, her tiny palm. She leaned forth more, so our lips could meet, and the kiss was just as wonderful as our first.

Just like the sun that had just risen for the first time, I heard the birds sing their first song. I heard the wind hum its first soothing hymn, the one that always seemed mute when I had needed it. The grass looked emerald, each blade a glimmering spear of brilliance. The sky looked deep and endless…hadn't it always been stormy and congested with bleak clouds?

And it all came at once…through Alice's lips.

My past disappeared. My future opened, and I had never been this excited for it.

Fluffalicious, once again. Tune in next time, readers! It's not over til the fat lady sings!