Disclaimer: Nope, none of the characters in this story are mine. Except for the new character being introduced here. She's mine.

A/N: Hey! Thanks for all of the reviews, guys! I really appreciate them all! I did get the job that I went in for the interview for, so I'm happy about that. Oh, and there's a snake in this chapter. I give credit for its name to my mom and cousin since they found it for me! Love you guys! Thanks to Homegrl aka Amanda for her awesomeness in encouragement! You know what I mean! All right, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Thanks, guys!

Chapter 16- Hawthorne

Alice POV

Jessica was laughing by the time Angela and I approached the wooden door with the ancient-looking black knocker. Angela had been right. This place was creepy, but I still had the feeling that I was being pulled inside. I also noticed that I was the only one who seemed to feel it.

"Are you guys ready?" Jessica asked with excitement.

"I guess so," Angela muttered, still seeming jumpy as she nervously looked around at the dark yard that was only lit by the scattered candles.

"Let's go," I added, feeling much more confident than Angela. I wanted to know what about this place was pulling me in.

Jessica's smile broadened as she used the knocker, and all three of us watched as the door slowly swung inward. "Cool," she whispered before she stepped inside. I went in after her, and Angela slowly followed me.

The place was amazing. It was lit only by many skull candles that hung on the wall, so it was covered in an eerie lighting. The floor was mirror-like, but there was a black tint to it that made everything darker. The walls were the same blood red color as the exterior with some shrunken heads hanging on them, and there were some mats of the same color spread randomly on the floor. There were also some wooden tables around the small room with jars and vials sitting on them. I wandered over to one to see what was inside some of them, and I saw one had small skulls inside that could have been from some kind of animal, one had a few large, hairy tarantulas inside, and some of the vials contained a thick, deep red substance that looked eerily like blood…

Suddenly, I jumped when Angela screamed, and I whirled around to face her across the room from me while Jessica did the same from where she was looking at a shrunken head. "What?" I asked her.

Angela's face was very pale as she took a few stumbling steps back from the corner. "L-look…"

I exchanged a look with Jessica before we both walked over to the corner where Angela was, and we both stopped dead as Jessica screamed when we saw what our friend was looking at.

"What the hell is a snake doing here?!" Jessica shrieked as she grabbed my arm tightly.

"Actually, it's a python," I told her matter-of-factly as I looked down at the large, thick, diamond-patterned serpent where it lay coiled on the ground. It lazily raised its massive head and hissed softly up at us, and I put one arm in front of Jessica and the other in front of Angela as the three of us slowly backed away from it. I wasn't sure what it was doing here, outside of a cage, but I wasn't feeling as nervous about it as my other two friends. It wouldn't hurt us… at least, I hoped it wouldn't.

"You don't have to worry about Mordred. He won't hurt you. He's so lazy, he couldn't catch a mouse that was standing right in front of him."

We gasped as we all turned around, and I saw that there was a woman standing in front of a black curtain that was draped on the wall across from us. She was wearing a black, low-cut dress that fell to the floor with some black bead that hung over her face that were woven into her black, shoulder-length hair. She wore some blood red lipstick and some nail polish of the same color on her long fingernails to complete the look.

But what I noticed most about her was how pale her skin was and that her eyes were a deep crimson color. She was a vampire.

"Mordred?" Jessica repeated with a nervous laugh. "You mean like the evil brother of King Arthur in that one movie?"

The woman, who I assumed was Hawthorne, raised her eyebrow as she approached us. "Yes," she said with a Southern twang to her voice, and I noticed that she was only a couple of inches taller than me and was only breaching Jessica's height. "Like in that one movie. But since you spoke up, dear, would you like to go first? I'm sure you know that the first one is free."

"Sure, I'll go," Jessica replied with a smile, no longer nervous. As the woman started to walk away again, Jessica turned back to us and smiled brightly. "I'll see you guys soon!"

"Bye, Jess." I watched her disappear with Hawthorne behind the black curtain, which was actually the doorway to a second room. Angela and I then stood in the middle of the entrance room so that we weren't standing near any of the weird stuff around or by Mordred, who lay sleepily curled in his corner and didn't even seem to be disturbed by our presence.

We waited for only about ten minutes before Jessica came back out, positively beaming. Hawthorne stood with the curtain pushed aside slightly, and she gestured to Angela before she went back inside the second room. Angela looked at me nervously as I gave her a little push as she slowly walked behind the curtain, and Jessica took her place beside me.

"So, how was it?" I asked, hoping that I sounded more interested than I felt. My eyes were only on that black curtain, wondering who this Hawthorne was.

"Awesome!" Jessica exclaimed with a bright smile. "There isn't a crystal ball or anything like you see in movies, but she reads your palm and has you drink this tea so she can read the leaves. She told me that I would end up marrying Mike!"

"Really? That's great, Ang." I knew that was one of the general things that all fake fortune tellers told their clients, and said person would connect what was said to their own life. In this case, Jessica linked Mike to whatever this Hawthorne woman had told her.

Angela came out a little while later, and despite herself, she had a broad smile on her face. I looked behind her at the woman standing in the curtain, seeing that she was looking at me skeptically before she disappeared into the other room again.

"She told me that I would be a big success in life," Angela muttered happily to Jessica as I walked across the room since it was now my turn. I pushed aside the curtain and stepped inside the other room. I saw her sitting on a chair across from me with an empty seat opposite her, and I noticed that the circular walls were made of the same black material as the entrance room floor was, and the room was lit by a blacklight.

"Sit down, Alice," Hawthorne muttered as she gestured to the chair. "Though I'm sure that I could look at your palm or have you drink some tea and tell you something like I told your friends, and you would see right through me."

"Probably," I agreed, though I sat down in the chair anyway. I looked at her for a long moment, and she simply stared back at me without saying a word. "You're a vampire." The statement suddenly slipped out- I hadn't meant to say it so soon.

But Hawthorne only laughed at the observation. "Yes. That I am. Don't worry, I'm not going to harm you." She gave me a knowing smile since I had unconsciously tensed a little. "I can now see why Jasper is attracted to you. You're not a normal human, Alice. Most of the people who walk through that curtain will believe anything I tell them. But not you. You're something different."

I looked at her with shock. "You know Jasper?" I asked, not even concerned with how she knew me.

"Yes." Hawthorne seemed to be lost in thought now. "He was a friend of mine from the South during the war for territory."

"How did you two meet?" I wondered quietly. "If it's not too personal, that is."

"No, it's not too personal," Hawthorne replied. "I'm sure he's told you about how he was changed during the Civil War and he had to help Maria control her newborn army." I nodded. "Well, I'll back up a little. My real name is Heather Jackson. I was the younger cousin of 'Stonewall' Jackson when he was alive. I was nineteen when I was changed by Maria to become a part of her army. Jasper was the main one who tried to keep me under control in my group of newborns since I was rebellious and didn't want to serve Maria. He soon learned that she was planning on killing me since I wouldn't cooperate, and because we had become friends during our little time together since he admired my spirit, he helped me flee from her to the North so I would be free from Maria's control. I later heard that he was punished by her for helping me, and I feel terrible about it since I didn't get the chance to apologize or to really thank him.

"I wandered for decades around the country, trying to fit in with other groups of nomads but never really found where I belonged. So, eventually, I ended up here in Seattle where I started telling fortunes for a living. It's difficult being a vampire on your own, dear."

Sighing, I looked down at my hands that were resting on my lap. I felt a bit more comfortable now that I knew that Hawthorne, or Heather, was a friend of Jasper, one that he had helped. "Well, he may be attracted to me, but it obviously wasn't enough to keep him around," I muttered. "He and the rest of the vampires he lived with moved away about four months ago."

Surprisingly, Heather laughed, and I looked up at her with shock. "Do you really think that he would really go too far away from you, honey?" she asked. "He's always been there for you, you just haven't seen him. Believe me, I would have known if he would have left Washington."

Was that true? If that was the case, then was I really hallucinating when I saw him and the rest of the Cullen family? Had they truly been there after all?

"He wouldn't leave you, Alice," Heather finished as he reached over and took my hand in her cold one. "I'm sure he just wanted to make sure that you were truly safe. For most of his life, Jasper has had nothing but pain and hate. I can tell that changed as soon as you entered it, and since you gave him something to live for, he would not go far from you. I know Jasper, honey. I'm sure he'll show himself again when he feels the time is right. I don't have to pretend to look into your future to know that you will spend eternity at his side, in one way or another."

Tears burned in my eyes, but I hurriedly blinked them away. "You think?"

"I don't think, honey," Heather told me quietly with a sincere smile. "I know."

I waited for a moment so her words could sink in. Forever at Jasper's side… That's what I wanted more than anything in the world. But then, I remembered what Charlie told me the day before about what had been happening in Seattle. "Can I ask you a question, Hawthorne?"

"Please, call me Heather," she said. "But sure. What's your question, Alice?"

"Sorry. It's just that your sign… Never mind. Anyway, I was told last night that there were a lot of unusual murders happening here in Seattle and in a couple of other places. Do you know anything about that? I know they were caused by a vampire judging by the pictures I saw."

Heather sighed. "First off, I didn't do it, okay?" she told me. "I typically hunt away from Seattle so people don't get suspicious of me. But I know that there's a female with bright red hair that is creating a group of newborns. They're the ones who hunt in this area."

Dread flooded through me. "That female. Her name is Victoria," I explained. "She's probably creating those newborns to help her find me and Jasper."

"Why does she want you? Why does she want Jasper?" Heather asked with worry.

"I'm afraid it's my fault," I answered hesitantly. "It was because of me that Jasper killed her mate last year. She wants revenge on me, so she's going to do the same and kill Jasper. I can't let that happen…"

Heather tightened her hand around mine. "I wouldn't worry too much about Jasper, honey. He can handle his own," she muttered, and it seemed that she was trying to assure herself of the same thing. "But how do you know what Victoria's planning on doing to him?"

I knew that Jasper was a strong fighter and could handle his own… if he wasn't distracted by protecting me. "Well, I guess the best way to put it is that I can see a person's future based on what that person decides," I told her. "Victoria has been making a lot of decisions lately, and all of them have led to Jasper dying…"

Her worry for Jasper was evident on Heather's face. But then, she brushed that aside as she smiled and laughed a little, most likely to try and make me feel more comfortable. "You would be perfect for this job, Alice," she said teasingly.

"Yeah." I returned the smile, but my heart was still heavy. "I miss Jasper terribly, Heather, but if he's away from me, at least he's safe from Victoria."

"He's probably not really away, remember?" Heather whispered. I was frightened by her words, but before I could say anything in response, she slowly released my hand and got to her feet. "I've kept you long enough, honey. I don't want to worry your friends." She placed her hand on my shoulder when I stood up also. "I like you, Alice, and I believe you're exactly what Jasper needs also. If you ever want to talk about anything or want updates on Victoria, feel free to come see me or call me anytime. I'm here for you."

"Thank you," I said gratefully as I took the card she offered me. It was nice to find a typical vampire that was actually kind. "It was nice talking to you, Heather."

"You too, Alice. Be careful, dear."

I smiled at her as I put the card she gave me in my pocket and left the room, allowing the curtain to close shut behind me.

I told an excited Jessica and Angela that Hawthorne had told me all my dreams would come true.

Jasper POV

Once Alice and her friends had left Hawthorne's Fortune Telling Parlor, Edward and I quickly crossed the lawn and entered the building. The gothic décor didn't surprise me- it set the mood for her business, especially being a vampire. I saw slight movement out of the corner of my eye, and I noticed a giant python sitting curled in the corner, watching us warily.

"Hey, I'm closed!" a sharp voice suddenly snapped. "Come back tomorrow!"

I turned to look at a black curtain across the room from us, watching as a pale woman with crimson eyes that was a few inches taller than Alice and was dressed all in black came through it, crossing her arms as she glared at us. I smiled and laughed a little. "It's been quite a long time, Heather," I muttered. "I see you're doing well, though I didn't expect you to be doing a job like this."

The woman's eyes instantly widened in recognition. "Jasper?! Oh my, God, it really is you!" There was a huge smile on her face now as she crossed the room in a few quick strides and hugged me tightly. "It's so good to see you!"

"You know her?" Edward asked me curiously with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," I answered as we parted and both turned to look at my brother. "This is Heather Jackson. She was a friend of mine from the South during the war. I helped her to escape from our creator, Maria, when she was planning to kill her."

"I'm so sorry for what Maria did to you for helping me," Heather suddenly muttered as she looked up at me with apologetic eyes. "I never did get the chance to say that before…"

"It's all right, Heather," I replied as I gave her an encouraging smile. "I'm just glad that I was able to get you out of there."

Heather sighed, but then her mood shifted dramatically. "Oh! Your girlfriend was just in here a little while ago."

"Yes, I know," I said. "We've been keeping an eye on her."

A knowing smile appeared on Heather's face. "I knew you were," she told me. "I knew you wouldn't let her out of your sight since she means so much to you. She loves you so much, Jasper. Worried sick about you too…"

"I know that she's worried about Victoria coming for me." I had known that for a while, ever since the first time that Alice had tried to call me to tell me about her first vision. But I had been suspecting it for much longer.

"That's not all, Jasper." I could feel tremendous worry coming from Heather now. "I didn't want to tell Alice the full magnitude of this so she wouldn't be scared further, but Victoria is raising a newborn army, right here in Washington. I'm afraid that she's not just coming for you but for Alice too. I don't want anything to happen to you. To either of you."

A newborn army here in Washington? That would explain the messy kills that had been discovered around the area. But why did Victoria need an entire army to come for me? Maybe Heather was onto something. Victoria wasn't coming for me, at least, not directly…

"She's going to use Alice to get to me," I whispered. I could feel Edward's anxiety spike from behind me. Could I really have been wrong this entire time? I had assumed that Victoria would just come for me directly, but it didn't seem to be that way.

Heather narrowed her eyes in confusion. "What?" she asked.

"Victoria. She's going to use Alice to get to me," I explained hurriedly. "She's going to take Alice so that I will follow her. This is my fault. I never should have left. I've exposed Alice to Victoria too much…" I quickly turned to face Edward, seeing that he looked as horrified as he felt. "Call Carlisle immediately. Tell him we're coming back."

Edward nodded and gave one more wary look to Heather before he quickly left the building, taking out his cell phone. I sighed, and then I looked down in surprise when Heather's arms were around me tightly, and I hugged her back.

"Jasper, promise me you'll be careful," Heather whispered. "Please, go back to Alice now. Keep her and yourself safe."

"I will, Heather. I will," I assured her, running my hand comfortingly through her shoulder-length, dark hair once before we pulled apart. "Do me a favor and keep watch for any of Victoria's movements. That will help a lot in protecting Alice."

"You can count on it. That's no problem," Heather said. Then, she sighed, and I could feel her mood shift to a sadder one. "Jasper, why don't you change her?"

I also sighed. "I… I don't know," I muttered. "I want to, Heather, it's just-!"

Heather looked at me with sad understanding. "You want her to have the chance of life you never had."

"Well, I guess that's one way of putting it," I agreed. But now, I realized with dread that she might not get that chance because of my decision to leave. "Plus, you know who we'll have to deal with if I did. They would be interested in her foresight."

"Please, don't tell me that you're actually worried about those crackpots." I raised my eyebrow. It took a lot of courage to insult the Volturi, the vampire elite. But, she always did have that rebellious spirit… "But seriously, Jasper. Don't let this one go. She's perfect for you, I can see it. You can't lose her to time's cold grasp. Promise me, Jasper. You deserve happiness."

I looked at Heather for a long moment as I thought her words over. I wanted to change Alice so I could spend eternity with her, I really did. I just didn't want the Volturi to be watching her closely, most likely hoping to have her join their ranks due to her unique ability. It was a fear that I shared with Carlisle since he could see the same thing happening. Maybe when the time was right, I would turn her. But now, I had to concentrate on keeping Alice safe… and alive.

So, it was with a small smile that I muttered, "I promise."

Alice POV

Nose, stomach, man area, back of neck.

I kept repeating this to myself as Jessica, Angela, and I walked to the car in the parking lot we had left it in. It was a self-defense technique that Emmett had taught me a few years ago, and I thought that now would be a good time to remember this fighting order in case some guy tried to mug us or something, especially since I didn't have my pepper spray with me. Plus, I've always wanted to try it to see if it actually worked.

However, we made it to the car without any trouble, so I didn't have to try it tonight. That was a good thing. I wasn't sure if I was up for it. Jessica drove us downtown for a couple of more hours, and we stopped at some more stores for shopping and got some ice cream before we went back to the hotel for the night.

We dropped off all our shopping results in the room and changed into our swimsuits to go swimming in the pool on the first floor even though it was after midnight. We were all eighteen, so it was all right. We swam for about an hour and a half before I decided that I wanted to go back to the room. Jessica and Angela agreed and stayed behind to relax in the hot tub for a little while and do a short workout.

I climbed out of the pool, dried off a little so that I wouldn't drip all over the hallway floors, and left the pool. After I took the glass elevator up to the third floor, I began to dry off my hair some more as I found or room, inserted my copy of the room key, and pushed the door open. I made sure that the door closed quietly behind me again before walking past the bathroom so I could grab a pair of clothes to change into.

But when I reached my bed, the towel I was using to dry my hair from the pool dropped from my hand as my eyes widened in shock.

A/N: And… that's it for that one. Sorry for the cliffie, but I thought it was a good spot to end it. I'm not going to be able to give much of a preview since it would give away who is in her room, but I'm sure you all have your own ideas on who it is anyway, but I'll do the best I can. Thanks for reading! Your reviews are much appreciated. Enjoy the preview!

Next Chapter: Here With Me

"You're not real! Go away! Leave me alone!"

Xxx

Then, I felt someone sit on my bed, and I looked up to see that Angela was looking at me with concern. "Are you okay, Alice?" she asked quietly. "Your eyes are red."

"Oh, I'm fine," I answered as I quickly sat up. "It's… it's just the chlorine."

Xxx

The hallways were dimly lit, making them seem very eerie as I walked down them to the stairs since I didn't want to take the elevator. The second floor felt even creepier than the third as I searched for the right room number. 204… 205… 206… 207. I stood in front of the door almost nervously, raising my hand to knock. But before I actually could, I heard a soft click as the door slowly swung open to reveal the lit room inside. After a moment, I cautiously entered.