Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters, they all belong to Stephanie Meyer, nor do I own the brilliant words of William Shakespeare.

A/N: hello everyone sorry for the long wait I was taking a break whilst on my half term holiday, hopefully this chapter will answer your questions shedding some light on why Alice left Jasper again. So thanks for reading and reviewing everyone enjoy! :) xx


Chapter Twelve – Tyrannous and Rough

"Alas, that love, so gentle in his view, Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof"

~Romeo & Juliet, Act I, Scene I ~

Alice POV

Sitting down in one of the waiting chairs I waited for my name to be called, my knee kept shaking nervously and I drummed my fingers against the side of the chair. Looking round the waiting room it was devoid of any colour. The walls were a light shade of grey and the floor was white with scuff marks and various spills, marking the floor. There was a small table to my left laden with old gossip magazines with ring marks on the covers from cups of coffee.

I was sitting in a pale green chair with numerous holes in it so that the stuffing was poking out of the side forlornly. Looking at a black and white portrait of a random woman but not really looking at it, I heard my phone ring interrupting my thoughts. Getting odd looks from the other people waiting, I quickly slid my phone out my pocket answering as soon as I could, not bothering to check who was calling.

"Hello?"

"Alice? Hi"

"What the hell, do you want James?" I sighed speaking in a flat voice and ignoring the plump fake blonde sitting opposite me, who rudely pointed to the cell phones off sign, just above her head.

"I just got the divorce papers, are you bloody serious?"

"Yes I am, just sign them so this can quick and painless"

"But I love you and I'm willing to forget this and we can start again"

"Really?" I spoke with false enthusiasm "how very big of you James. Shame you didn't know that before hand, sign the damn papers. I want nothing more to do with you, so stop calling and. Leave. Me. Alone." Hanging up I ran a shaky hand through my hair, pulling it back off my face. Closing my eyes I leaned back in the chair resting my head against the wall I tried to clear my mind so I could have a moment's peace.

Hearing the footsteps of people passing and a clock just above my head ticking loudly I concentrated on the ticking, counting the seconds and the minutes as I waited.

"Alice Brandon?" called a cheery red headed nurse, standing up slowly I nervously bit my lip, wordlessly walking to the nurse who led me to a room and it was a standard looking room with no touch of human life. The walls were blank and painted in what was supposed to be a calming green but just looked a bit sickening.

There was a small window opposite the door with the blinds wide open a desk with a computer on it was front of the window, a chair on either side of the desk. There was a woman of average height and size with mousy brown hair that fell to the shoulders limply, she had thin oval shaped glasses perched right at the end of her nose her lips pursed as she stood to greet me.

"Hello Ms Brandon, I am doctor Katherine Travena, please sit" I took a seat crossing my legs and dropping my bag to the floor "Well we have the results here from the blood count and the upper endoscopy"

"And...?"

"And it appears that we have found some abnormal tissue in the lining of your stomach"

"So what does that mean?"

"We would need to run some more tests but it looks like you may have stomach cancer" it hit me like a ton of bricks, stomach cancer that was what had been troubling me. I shook my head in disbelief staring at the floor as I spoke.

"Is it curable?"

"We need to run more tests-"

"Is it curable? I don't want to hear about more tests, in your opinion can I survive this?" I lifted my head uncrossing my legs as she paused for a moment, before pushing her chair back slightly.

"in my professional opinion...no. From the tests we have done it looks like the cancer has started to spread" he frowned and I felt my heart drop. Started to spread, cancer? It sounded like some bizarre nightmare, you hear about but you never expect it to happen to you.

"Okay"

"I still think we should do some more tests to see what stage you are at and if it is treatable" I simply nodded impassively the word cancer repeating over and over in my mind, I could not think of anything else.

I walked out of there in a cloud of disbelief, but I knew it was true what else could it be?

As I got to my car I got into the front seat, shutting the door slowly I leaned my head on the steering wheel closing my eyes. I listened to cars passing by, people talking and walking the beat of my own heart, cancer, cancer, cancer...

Tears leaked out of my closed eyes rolling down my cheeks, opening my eyes I leaned back my hands on the top of the steering wheel. With a surge of anger I slammed my palms against the steering wheel hard, more tears streaking my face.

"Why! Why! Haven't I been through enough?" wiping away my tears hastily, I paused, talking to no one in particular "My parents, Jasper and my husband what the else do you fucking want from me!" my body slumped against my seat, sobs wracked my body violently as I drowned in my own pity.

As my phone started to ring I saw that my personal assistant Jessica was calling me. "Hello"

"Hi Alice, I just wanted to know when you might be coming back to the office, because Melisa needs to run though the mock up for the magazine before it goes to print tomorrow"

"Tell her to drop it off at my house; I'm taking a personal day so clear my schedule"

"But Ali-"

"Just do it Jessica" hanging up before she could protest again I slumped again the wheel, my tears drying on my cheeks.


Two days later...

"I have Mr James Donnelly as well as Now magazine on the line, the magazine wants an interview on your spilt with your husband, should I put them through?" I shuffled round some designs as she put a coffee on the desk.

"Tell them I am unavailable for comment tell that to any other magazines that call" pausing I put down my pen, sighing as I do so "put James through" Taking a deep breath I pick up the phone as Jessica walked out of my office again, these talks with James were taxing to say the least, but if I didn't talk to him now then he would call again and again annoying me and my PA.

"Hello James signed the papers yet?"

"How about dinner, we can talk about this find a solution, please Alice?"

"I have already found a solution and it does not require you. Sign the papers and stop harassing me"

"You keep saying that but you always answer the ph-" he was cut off when I unceremoniously hung up slamming the phone onto the desk.

Turning my attention to the designs in front of me I suddenly realised something every single design was red; red bags, dresses, shoes and belts and it was a particular shade of scarlet a colour that looked like the colour of blood.

Breathing heavily I ripped them all up scrunching and tearing till nothing was left but scraps of paper with dark red. Abruptly standing I grabbed the waste basket by the side of my desk and swept all of the bits of paper into it. Deciding that I needed a walk I disregarded that idea when I remembered I had a meeting in five minutes, running a hand through my hair I walked through to my personal bathroom.

Looking in the mirror I smoothed down my hair in its usual spiky style, turning my head to the side I got out my make up bad and attempted to conceal the dark circles under my eyes and add some colour to my cheeks. When satisfied I took a step back and pulled at the bottom of my short sleeve silk pale pink blouse, smoothing out any creases in the black pencil skirt and adjusting the silver chains round my neck and wrist.

Hearing a knock at the door, Jessica peeked round the door, as I walked back in.

"Alice the meeting with is about to begin" I had to pick a new advertising company, so several companies had come over to pitch their ideas to me, to try and secure the contract which could be worth £46 million. So it was understandable why many companies wanted to be able to get the contract.

"Right, thank you Jessica, who is the first company?" I exited my office with Jessica walking to the conference room.

"Sparks Advertising, owned by Laurent Moreau" we arrived at the lift and Jessica pressed the button for the eighth floor.

"Okay, how many other companies's?"

"Three more, Meadow Advertising run by Janet Dean, Galaxy run by Riley Thomson and Eclipse Advertising run by Bree Piaget" we exited the lift walking along the corridor.

"This should be fun"

She scuttled in front of me opening the door and handing me a clear folder with the details of each company. I was five minutes late but everyone was waiting for me, not commenting on when I had arrived. Seating myself I motioned for Jessica to start the meeting. Just as she was about to speak there was a shy rap at the door and Jessica's assistant Sarah, peeked her head round the door.

"Um...Mrs Brandon I have a James Donnelly on the line...as well as a Jasper Whitlock on the phone, they both wish to speak to you" she stuttered nervously as everyone in the room turned around to look at her, standing up I walked to her.

"Can't you see I'm in a meeting right now? Tell them to call back later" I hissed glaring at the young girl.

"I did, but they keep calling insisting that it is important"

"It can wait a while, go tell them to call later" she frowned worriedly, before nodding and scurrying back to her desk. I turned to Jessica and took my seat again.

"Well if you could all direct your attention to the board Mr Laurent Moreau will begin his advertising campaign" a smartly dressed man stood up with dreadlocks pulled off his face, he looked stoic as he motioned to his assistant to begin the presentation and the lights were switched off

The image of a woman sitting at a bar appeared on the screen, she was wearing a slinky dark green dress from my line along with a simply necklace and earrings and bracelets piled on her arms she looked so thin you could see her ribs before it could go any farther I stood up. The assistant stopped the ad, switching on the lights.

"Is there a problem, Mrs Brandon?" Laurent said in a lilting French accent, speaking for the first time.

"Yes there is" smiling I pointed to where the image was frozen, the woman back to the camera. "This woman looks unhealthy, her ribs are sticking out this is not the image I want to sent out to my customers that you need to be a size zero to wear beautiful clothes. That is not why I started this company" I slapped my hand on the table for emphasis, no one interrupted my tirade. "The point is that you can find something for whatever your shape, size or height that you can feel beautiful without having to change anything about yourself"

"But most companies and designers use models this size"

"I don't care what other companies do; I'm saying I don't want that. If there is a model this size in any other campaign then you might as well just leave now" no one moved from their seats. Turning back to face Laurent I held out my hand. "It was a pleasure meeting you Mr Moreau, but I'm afraid that Pixie Fashions will not be working with your company" ignoring my outstretched hand he stood up angrily, muttering something in French under his breath, before leaving with his assistant struggling to keep up with him.

"Well that went well, whose next?" I turned to Jessica who was about to introduce the next company, when there was a loud knock on the door and Jessica looked very annoyed having been interrupted again. This time it was one of the doormen at the front of the building. His name was Paul and he was a tall, young man with a fiancée and a child on the way, he had long black hair gathered at the nape of his neck loosely as well as deep russet coloured skin.

"Mrs Brandon there is a man here who demands to see you, a Jasper Whitlock"

"He is here?"

"He wishes to speak with you, says it is important" sighing I shook my head, Jasper had been calling nonstop since I landed, and now he had followed me back to London what would he do next?

"I am sorry ladies and gentlemen I am going to have to reschedule this meeting, please arrange another appointment with my assistant Jessica" I rushed to get the words out before I was bombarded with questions. Walking out side I told Paul to let him in and send him to my office, as he walked to the stairs I got the lift back up to my office.

Fifteen minutes later I heard a sharp knock opening the door I saw Jasper standing there, he looked very tired with his hair askew, he was most probably jet lagged. He wore a dark blue sweater that brought out the colour of his eyes and loose black jeans that hung low on his hips, his blonde curls were gently sweeping over his eyes as he smiled at me.

"Hi Alice"

"Hello Jasper, when did you get here?" I blurted out as I walked round the desk to sit down.

"Three in the morning"

"Oh" he sat down opposite me, his face suddenly turning serious.

"Bella told me what happened" I furrowed my eyebrows, thinking he was talking about the test I had a couple of days ago.

"I only found out two days ago"

"What?" he frowned confused. "I was talking about James; you found out before the wedding, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, the same thing I was just mistaken" I stood up turning round and looking out of the window.

"You're lying, don't you think I know you well enough to know when you're lying? What are you hiding Alice?"

"Nothing" he was silent for a moment, feeling the familiar ache in my abdomen I turned round reaching for my bag I had carelessly thrown on my desk. Rooting through the bag I found the pill bottle, before I could open it, Jasper snapped it up.

"Hey!"

"It's to do with this isn't it, so if you're not ill, what is it are you a druggie now?" anger flared in his eyes as he angled his body so I couldn't reach for it.

"No I'm not!"

"Then what the hell is it? You were acting strange when you first arrived in Forks and then that night when you were round my apartment. You told me all about your marriage and then you avoid me like the plague, like it never even happened!" I stopped trying to get the pill bottle and threw my hands up in desperation as I sat back down.

"Why are you here? If I avoided you why the hell are you here?"

"Because, when I said that I loved you, you just looked at me and for a moment, one moment I saw something flicker in your eyes, something that said you loved me too" pushing back his hair off his head roughly he stopped letting out a dark laugh, with no humour. "But you said you loved me but left me again" looking away he dropped the pills on to the desk, ignoring the pain the pills rolled off the side of the desk landing in the wastebasket.

"Why would you want to be with someone that lies Jasper, someone that can't face the truth not even to herself? I do love you but I'm not right for you Jasper, you never should have broken up with Tanya"

"I never broke up with her"

"What?"

"She broke up with me" he sat down and leaned forward looking down at the floor. "When she saw how I was when you came back, she realised I was in love with you even though I couldn't admit it to myself"

He stood up walking round the desk and placing both of his hands on the arms of my chair turning it round so I was facing him. Leaned so his mouths was only inches away from my ear breathing out slowly his warm breath on my neck and ear sent shivers down my spine.

"Tell me you don't feel that, that feeling when your close. Like your heart's speeding up yet slowing down at the same time, like everything is in slow motion, because that's the way I feel when I'm near you" he took my right hand placing it on his chest so I could feel the beat of his heart. Keeping his hand on mine with his free hand he placed it on my cheeks caressing it slowly as he moved his head lower so our lips were almost touching. My eyes fluttering closed, my heart picked up its pace my breath coming in laboured pants as he finally pressed his lips to mine.

It was soft at first, but my hand fisted his shirt pulling him closer to me, pressing his lips to mine with more fervour. He swiped his tongue across my bottom lip seeking entrance which I gladly gave him, hearing his sexy guttural moan as I swirled my tongue with his. Hearing the moan that came from my mouth as he pulled me up crushing body to, mine I stopped breaking away suddenly.

"We can't do this" I slowly peeled myself off him, as he looked at me forlornly.

"Why not, what is so wrong about it?"

"I can't be with you because...I'm dying?" his face went blank and he held on to my wrist still.

"What?"

"I have cancer"


A/N: dun dun dun!

I actually have nothing to say, that's a first.

Well thank you all for reading.

Bye bye, until next time :) xx