Many people who fall in love cannot tell you the exact time when they knew that they were in love. In some cases, like Esme and Carlisle, it was a "slow burning kind of love that hits you like a fireball when you do eventually realize you're in love", and in others, like Rosalie and Emmett, it was an instant connection that drew them together. And yes, while their eyes lit up as they remembered that magical time, they couldn't pinpoint an exact time when they said to themselves, "Yes, I'm in love with this person."

When I fell in love, I knew the moment it happened.

It wasn't like the movies; I didn't fall into his arms, and look deep into his eyes, I didn't kiss him in the rain and fall head over heels in love with him. If there was one thing I have learned in the seventeen years I have been on this earth, it is that nothing meant to be can be rushed. There is something in this universe that is bigger than you or I, that is bigger than us all, and while I don't know what that thing is, I know that it exists, and that we cannot decide our own fate.

When I fell in love, I was laughing.

I may have felt like everything was falling apart, but I was laughing regardless. That is how I knew I was in love. Yes, it was only four months on since our first date, but if Auntie Lilly has taught me anything, it is that love doesn't know time. You can lock eyes with someone and know that you will spend the rest of your life with them, or you can spend years dating somebody who you know isn't the one. Auntie Lilly met Uncle Cedric when she was working in her family's shop. When she saw this young man, who flirted with her over the counter, she knew he was the one. Twenty-two years later, and she is still happily married to him, though he's away in the Navy a lot these days.

In those three months leading up to my realization, nothing interesting happened. Three months, in terms of events, is often a very short time, and in this case, it was short. Rosalie slowly began to accept me, and her guard was slowly lowered as Jasper let me into his life. At school, we saw each other in class and in the hallways, but I always sat with my friends at lunch. Whenever I looked at Jasper, Elle would squeal and Angela would give me that smile, and Jessica would roll her eyes and mutter something about me not being good enough. That hurt, but I soon learned to ignore it as Jasper smiled at me from across the cafeteria.

While we spent many weekends together, my favorite part of the day was always the night, where Jasper would visit me in my bedroom. The first time my window opened in the dead of the night, I was surprised, to say the least.

"Alice?" A voice whispered into the darkness. A voice that I recognised in an instant. I climbed out of bed, throwing my book to the side, and stared to the window. "Can I come up?"

Frowning, I walked to the window and looked out of the window. "Jasper?"

"Can I come up?" He repeated, his eyes imploring and desperate. I knew something was wrong as soon as I looked into his eyes. They were dark, almost black. There were two reasons I knew that something was wrong. For one, he never saw me when he was thirsty, and this morning his eyes were the golden hue I had come to love. And two, he was biting his lip, a habit I had been a witness to many times when he thought his team was losing in family baseball.

With a finger to my lips to remind him to be quiet, I nodded, silently inviting him into the warmth of my room. Jasper stealthily climbs the trellis that leans against the side of the house, and I step aside as he climbs into the room. "I need to tell you something." He informs me, quickly turning to face me. "And I need you to be okay with it."

I sighed deeply, raising my eyes so that I'm looking him in the eye. "What's wrong?"

"Tell me that you'll accept it, Alice, and not try to fight it." He tries to take my hand, but I let my hands drop to my sides, feeling my heart rate picking up. Something is wrong, something terrible.

"Jasper, you're scaring me." I tell him in a hushed voice. "Just tell me."

"Alice, we have to leave."

"Who is we?" I ask evenly, trying to keep my voice steady. Again, Jasper tries to take my hand. This time, I let him.

"Me," he begins, "And my family."

"No." I say angrily. "You don't get to just say that and disappear."

"Please." Jasper pleads. "Alice, don't make me explain. I don't think I can." I shake my head at him, and glace to the dark street outside.

"If you didn't want to explain why you were leaving, you wouldn't be here. You wouldn't have come here, just to tell me that. You owe me an explanation, Jasper!"

"I know." Jasper, too, looks to the street outside. "And I want to tell you. I just don't want to hurt you. I don't want to put you in danger because I have no self control. Because I'm twisted, and what I am is evil...Alice, I just can't."

"You don't have a choice." I tell him, glaring. I'm not really angry. I don't think I ever can be, at him. I just need to know. "You have to tell me, Jasper. Or I will find out some other way, I promise you."

Jasper nods, and sits, and begins to explain everything.

"So..I'm being threatened by a group of angry vampires that want me dead?" I ask, open mouthed. "Because I know about you? How do they know?"

"Yes." Jasper sighs. "But they're very powerful. Don't underestimate them. Do you remember the first baseball game?" I nod. "The male vampire that ran away went to the Volturi. They are the vampire police, if you will."

"You aren't leaving because of them."

"You're in danger. Cynthia's in danger."

"And I know you'll look after us." I say. Jasper looks into my eyes, his own eyes a few shades lighter.

"I promise, Alice, I will look after you with everything I have. And I promise that Cynthia will never get hurt." He shakes his head at me. "Now we just have to worry about you falling over your own feet."

And it was in that moment, as I laughed even though I was terrified inside, that I knew. That I knew I was in love. I smiled at him. "I love you, you know." I tell him quietly, looking to the ground. Jasper takes my hand.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear that. I love you too, darlin." He pulls me closer to him and I rest my head on his shoulder for a few moments, letting the news sink in. I wondered how long Jasper had known about this, how long I had been in the dark. Something inside of me, though, told me not to get angry. Jasper's motives had only one thing in mind - my safety.

Jasper quietly sat with me, and I felt my eyes growing heavy. "Go to sleep, Alice."

"Don't go."

"I won't. Go to sleep. I'll be here when you wake up. I promise."

My eyes grew heavy and I was half asleep when I heard Jasper's voice. "That isn't the only option." He whispered harshly into his phone. "I am not changing her. That isn't even an option."

I didn't know it then, but those were the words that would shape the following months of my life in ways I couldn't have even began to imagine.

A/N:

I hope you like the chapter. Personally, it isn't my favourite. But that's just me, and I hope you liked it regardless. I apologize for the shortness - I'm jet lagged. A lot of this was written in a 2am haze, and yeah, I just really wanted it updated on time. I only got back on Friday, after like 22 hours of airports and flying, so please bear with me! Lol.

I know this is Monday, and it isn't on time, but I like to make it the best it can be. xP

If all goes well, the next chapter should be up on the 12th. And as normal once again, review for a sneak peek!

~ Caitlin