Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight.

Alice P.O.V.

I was mystified. I hadn't worried about what to wear since high school. I'd never had any reason to. I was searching through my closet for something that wasn't too elegant, but was fancier then the usual loose t-shirt and old jeans I wore around Jasper. I used to live by the rules of fashion in high school, always reading the magazines and making sure my clothes were "up to date".

I pursed my lips. How many other fragments of my personality had I lost without realizing it? I didn't have an answer for that.

I finally settled on a lacy blouse and slightly less-shabby jeans. I quickly ran a brush through my short black hair and brushed my teeth. I couldn't believe how suddenly Jasper and I had transformed from friends into…something more. But the more I thought about it the more I realized we were never really just friends. We'd always had an unexplained mystical connection form the first time we laid eyes on each other. We'd just been denying it. Well, I had. Not Jasper. Jasper had been chasing it. And when he kissed me last night, I felt the strongest, strangest emotion I'd ever witnessed seeping into the kiss. I understood the sweet affection he'd poured into it, and the small amount of lust toward the end, but not the foreign, powerful emotion.

I walked out of the bathroom to find him lounging on the couch. We didn't bother with knocking anymore. His face lit up into a soft smile.

"You look beautiful, angel." I smiled.

"Thank you." He stood up and held out his hand.

"Shall we?" I nodded and grabbed his hand. We walked down the stairs with our fingers intertwined, and then Jasper clasped me to his side protectively as we left the building. We strolled down the street, chatting easily, and feeling the crisp September wind whip around us. We stopped in front of a small, almost whimsical restaurant that was painted a soft blue with white trim. There were painted clouds scattered around the door and windows. We walked up the steps and into the tiny restaurant, Jasper's hand on the small of my back. The interior was unassuming, but had an underlying charm. The hostess sat us down at a table and a few minutes later we told the waitress our order.

"This is wonderful Jasper, I haven't went on a real date in…ever."

"Really?" he raised his eyebrows. I nodded bashfully. He sighed.

"I wish I could say the same. But this is like my first date in a way, because you're my angel." I smiled, but it was fleeting.

"Do I want to hear about the other dates?" I asked warily.

"Probably not", he muttered. I couldn't help but feel a little jealous. I was only human after all. But, I pushed the jealousy back and we finished our dinner talking about the people he'd met at work today.

It seemed so casual, but every once in awhile he would reach over and lightly caress the back of my hand, the gesture leaking affection and that unknown emotion. Those light caresses were just as intimate as a kiss, for us. Jasper paid the whole bill without even letting me get in a complaint about it.

Jasper P.O.V.

As we walked out the door I pulled Alice close, like usual.

"Jasper, do you mind if we take a longer route home? It's so nice out and there's about an hour left before it gets dark."

"Of course I don't mind, angel." We strolled along the sidewalk. I glanced down at Alice, who was smiling softly.

Then we turned the corner and she froze. She stood as still as a statue for a few seconds, her eyes completely blank of any emotion, and her face as pale as a ghost. But to me, the seconds felt like hours and I was becoming increasingly alarmed.

"Alice?" I murmured gently.

Then all of a sudden my angel bent over, sobs violently racking her small body. I caught a long enough glimpse into her eyes to realize she wasn't seeing what I was seeing. Her mind was reliving whatever tragic event that happened to her four years ago.

"No!" she screamed, thrashing violently, leaving deep scratches running down her arm in the process.

I had to stop this. I snapped out of my shock and quickly scanned the area for a cause. The only difference I could detect was the strong smell of lilacs wafting out of a small florist shop. That had to be it. I scooped up my angel and sprinted down the street with all of the energy I had in me, swerving around people and ignoring their yells of surprise. I sprinted all the way back to our apartment building. I noticed the racking and sobs slowly faded to shudders and whimpers as the smell of lilacs was lost behind us. I set Alice down gently on her couch, where she curled up into a shaking ball. I stared at her with my eyes wide, waiting for her to come back to the present time. I saw her eyes flash as she registered her surroundings and then me.

Then my heart shattered as she said the words I prayed I'd never hear.

"Leave me alone Jasper! Get out of here!" she screamed.

I just stood there, frozen, as my vision of hell came true. She picked up a book off the coffee table and threw it at me.

"Get out of here!" she screamed again.

Then she collapsed onto the couch, sobbing.

"Please", she whispered. "Go." I had promised my angel I would leave the second she asked me to. I wouldn't break a promise to the woman I love. So I started to leave. I tripped on the book through my hazy mind, smashing my head into the wall. I scrambled to get up, my head pounding, and threw open the door, loping toward my apartment. My head felt disconnected from my body. I knew she wouldn't hurt herself, she told me she'd never done anything like that. So I wouldn't break my promise to my angel. I would leave her alone if that's what she wanted. My heart shattered once more at the mere thought of it.

But this time, it was all up to her.