Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns the Twilight universe. The title of this chapter and opening quote belong to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

Synopsis: A very short vignette about Alice's accent...or lack thereof. (suggested by Rose Gilmore...kind of)

"There's a southern accent, where I come from. The young'uns call it country, the yankees call it dumb. I got my own way of talkin,' but everything is done with a southern accent, where I come from." - Southern Accents by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Southern Accents

"So I've been thinking about the Mississippi thing."

Alice was hunched over the desk in their room, her hand gripping a pencil as she made lazy strokes over her sketchpad. "Mmm," she said noncommittally, "what's there to think about?"

She heard him close his laptop with a snap and lay it next to him on the bed. "You can't be from the South without an accent."

Alice looked at him curiously, her brow furrowed and her lips turned up in amusement. "I was locked in an asylum. It probably faded away."

"But you had one. It has to still be in there." He laced his fingers behind his head and crossed his feet at the ankles, his smile wide and playful.

She flipped her pencil onto her desk. "Should I speak like you, darlin'?"

He laughed. "I have a Texan accent."

"So?"

"Honey," he practically purred, his drawl as pronounced as it had ever been, "you aren't ready for a Texan accent."

She shook her head with a little laugh even as she was certain she could feel her still heart jump. Honey? He had never called her honey. Darlin'? Yes. Love? Once or twice. But never honey. "All right then," her voice was silky to match his tone, "enlighten me."

He tilted his head, his eyes darkening slightly. She gave him a half smile, her eyebrow raised as she realized that he had felt the sudden punch of lust emanating off of her. "All right," he said slowly, "you've gotta talk lazier."

"'Gotta?'" she repeated. "You are taking this seriously."

He pushed himself into a sitting position, his arm draped across his raised knee. "It is serious." Jasper's perfect face was made all the more beautiful by his good mood and delighted expression. "You can't be a true Southerner without an accent."

She tilted her head again, her smile growing. "Can't I just get some new boots instead?"

"You'll look like an impostor." He shook his head. "Say, 'I'm fixin' to go buy some boots.'"

"I'm not entirely sure that even makes any sense." She couldn't help the laughter that accompanied her words.

"Just say it."

"I'm fixing to go buy some boots," she said with a dutiful little sigh.

"Terrible." He laughed as she scowled at him. "Fixin'" he said carefully. "And it's 'ah,' not 'I.'"

"Ah'm fixin' to go buy some boots." She raised an eyebrow. "Better?"

He grinned in response. "Now say, 'I love you, Jasper.'"

She raised her eyebrows. His drawl was comical. Had he really just said, Ah love yew, Jas-per? "That is ridiculous. Can't I just say 'y'all' a lot?"

He sighed and shook his head again, amusement still spelled out across his features. "My wife wants to look like an impostor."

"So...what you're saying is..." she said thoughtfully, "I need to forget proper enunciation, emphasis, pronunciation, and usage?"

Jasper raised his eyes and pursed his lips as if considering it. "Yes."

"Ah love yew, Jas-per," she said with a grimace and a laugh.

He shook his head, his brow furrowing even as his smile spread. "Well, that did sound ridiculous."

Alice laughed, throwing back her head at his expression. She stood and crossed to him in easy steps. "Ah'm fixin' ta kiss yew, Jas-per."

It was Jasper's turn to laugh fully. He twisted to let his legs hang over the side of the bed. He reached out to her as she stepped close, his hands wrapped around her narrow waist. "Ridiculous," he whispered, their smiles both still in place as she bent to kiss him.

"Your idea," she said softly, her lips moving across his with the lightest touch. She pulled back, her elbows resting on his chest, her hands skimming through his hair.

"We'll work on it."

"Starting with boots?" She put on her most hopeful expression. She could go alone or get Rose to go with her but she would have so much more fun with Jasper.

He grinned. "Will you say 'y'all' to a salesperson?"

"If you'll let me buy you a cowboy hat." It wasn't hard for her to picture it in her mind and her lips curved even as his grin melted into a grimace.

He wrapped his fingers around her belt, tugging her close for another teasing kiss. "You're unscrupulous."

She danced away, moving into her closet to grab her purse. "I've heard that before," she said on a laugh, "darlin.'"

Note: Spell check HATED this chapter. This one goes out to Rose Gilmore who asked for something about them both being from the South and to Yvaughn, my fellow Texan who has been gracious with both her reviews and her advice (and who loves a good Texism). I thought I'd give y'all something happy after the last one.

Oh and I was pleased to see so much interest in the novel-length fic. I have been working on it more diligently since Six Interruptions wrapped up but I want to finish it completely before I start posting it. Look for that fic in February probably (at the earliest).

Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter. More to come sometime later in the week. Please review!

Octobergrace – They ARE like Remus and Tonks. Never made that connection before. Thanks!

Pookykums – That has been suggested before and I'm still trying to come up with something totally in character for that idea. Jealousy between entirely committed soul mates isn't the easiest to write.

Paper creations – I'll read it asap. Thanks and I am looking forward to it!

SignedSealedWritten – Happy Birthday!

- Brynna