She was panicking as the visions morphed and solidified in her mind; some showing her paths that would lead to her death and others helping her lead herself toward relative safety. She ran, terror buzzing through every fiber of her being, fueling her forward. It wasn't until she was nearly ten miles away, choking back sobs, that she realized she was having a panic attack.
Home. That's what she wanted. But she didn't know if she wanted Biloxi or Ricketts. She could've been aching for a home she may never remember. One where she grew up as a human child, with a family who was worn thin over the years by her deteriorating mind.
In her mind, she saw Jasper make it to the battlefield, and knew it was only a matter of seconds before he disappeared off her radar, the proximity to the wolves taking him from her sight.
And soon, Maria would have him.
In her body, she pushed her legs forward faster and let go of a sob, the noise ricocheting through the trees and her emotions threatening to immobilize her.
But she couldn't stop. If she stopped that meant the fourteen vampires that had slipped through, and the additional seven that would join in with their pursuit of her, would catch up to her. She could not stop for a moment and she could not let them gain any ground on her. Any hesitation in her route would doom her and any moments of weakness would ensure her capture.
Clenching her teeth together, trying to hold herself together as she ran, she couldn't keep the panic at bay. She did the one thing she could think to do and used all of that horrible, nervous energy toward her escape.
Escape was something she did often and did well. When she panicked, she ran. Her brain had picked an appropriate time to panic, and Alice was forcing her body to use every ounce of this awful stamina to focus, keeping her mind shuffling through visions, keeping her legs and body moving forward.
Edward wouldn't get there in time to save him, and Carlisle would only show up after the remaining radicals that hadn't retreated were killed and tossed to the fires. He'd help containers reattach limbs while Edward cursed and swore with language and anger Alice had never witnessed in him before. But they would know that she was safe, and they wouldn't linger on the scene for long.
Alice knew that she would be a hundred miles away before they turned to come looking for her, and she also knew that she wasn't supposed to stop—it wouldn't be safe—until she ran into the container caravan travelling from Great Falls to Calgary.
She did not see Jasper fight, his future disappearing the moment he was amongst the wolves, which meant she did not see Jasper fall. Alice did not witness the way in which he was subdued—or maybe he surrendered, her mind supplied her with the possibility—so she was merely left with her imagination.
And as Alice was someone prone to witnessing every potential outcome of a single decision before it's fully made, her mind went to terrible, horrible places.
The memory of his lips on hers did nothing to soothe the pain she felt spreading throughout her chest and body. It was an absolutely dreadful thing. She felt like she was living in a nightmare.
Stephanie's screams, as she watched the love of her life burn before her eyes, made so much sense to her now. A nearly-controlled reaction, Alice knew now.
Before she'd met her own fate at the hands of radicals and a fire lit by allies, Alice wished she'd asked Stephanie how she'd continued moving, or even simply why. But she'd never asked, instead keeping a wide berth and feeling pity for her.
Alice should've wasted that energy on pride and admiration instead, because she didn't know how she was supposed to have the strength to continue when the worst case scenario was now her reality.
She checked their future then, hers and Jaspers, and allowed another cry to escape her when she realized there was only one vision left.
Alice had listened to Maria instruct Jasper to kill her thousands of times at this point. She'd become nearly desensitized to the scene over the years.
This was the time that felt like it would truly destroy her.
I'm sorry, she found herself thinking over and over again, as if Jasper would be able to hear the thoughts, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I love you, Jasper. God, I'm so sorry.
After two hundred miles, the group of seven that had joined broke off, seeing a lost cause when they knew one and heading back to complete their original mission. The original fourteen kept in hot pursuit, and Alice knew that if she didn't stumble across this travelling group of containers soon, she would be in trouble.
Sure, she was fast, but some of them were faster. It would only be a matter of time before a handful of them caught up to her.
Forty-one miles later a pack of wolves stumbled upon their path and their futures disappeared off of her vision for almost twenty minutes. Alice knew better than to slow down or stop though, and when only eight emerged back out of the encounter, not stopping to fight but instead still running, now with a renewed sense of urgency, Alice felt a small twinge of relief bloom inside of her aching chest.
After nearly five-hundred miles of running—the sun was finally beginning to lighten the sky above her—Alice flew into the largest group of containers she'd ever seen outside of a center gym.
The almost eighty vampires had collectively heard her approach, but as she shouted ahead of herself, alerting them of her identity, she wasn't met with any hostility, instead being met with open arms and concerned looks.
"Group of eight on their way here now," she told the first lieutenant that approached. "They'll be here within fifteen minutes. I can stick around to help if you'd like. I know you're heading to Calgary but I need at least ten to escort me to Helena. I can't go alone."
They asked her very few questions, eyeing the fresh scars on her body and taking note of the fact that she was entirely by herself. Despite her initial insistence she remain when the group in pursuit were to arrive, they quickly assured her that it would be dealt with easily, and she saw in her mind that enough was true. Disposing of the eight radicals would be a cinch for them.
Within ten minutes she had ten containers under her command and they were heading straight south.
"Why Helena?" An older woman asked her before their departure.
"That's where they'll find me," Alice spoke simply, knowing that in under two hours both Edward and Carlisle would end up in Helena. Of course they wouldn't be expecting to find her there. They'd simply be regrouping in order to send out more people to track her down. She could catch them right before they left to travel further east.
They ran into one small group of radicals. They were mainly newborns. Five of them and one older vampire, in charge of the group.
The last one that was killed begged for mercy, the boy's red eyes wide as two vampires restrained him. Alice hated how she knew he had to die. They couldn't afford to take a newborn into custody. Besides, she could see that Helena's newborn center was almost at double capacity due to failed attacks and other radical surrenders.
When she waved a hand toward the two restraining him, a wordless order to kill, she felt sick with herself as this innocent young man was reduced to pieces, and then eventually, to ash.
Thankfully, Edward heard her thoughts as Alice and her group of containers made their approach to Helena's containment center.
He met her half a mile outside the building, and when he opened his arms wordlessly, Alice crashed into his embrace, finally letting herself break down into sobs, knowing that he understood what she couldn't say, and that he felt her pain.
"He's gone," is all she could bring herself to verbalize as Edward held her tightly against him, "She has him. She has him!"
"I know," Edward replied sadly, because he'd been there. He'd shown up too late, and Alice knew that he blamed himself as much as she blamed herself. "I tried to get there in time."
Carlisle was there quickly, commanding Alice's group of containers to go and wait for a new assignment in the center. Alice knew he was simply trying to give her more privacy to have her breakdown, but the knowledge that Jasper was now with Maria was something that she was sure they needed to keep under a tight wrap.
"Can you see him now?" Carlisle asked from where he stood behind the pair.
Alice shook her head. She hadn't seen him since he disappeared off of her radar upon him entering the wolves' territory on the coast. Despite her original vision and assurance that he would be fine, she found herself beginning to wonder, and her wonder was quickly morphing into worse panic.
"He's not dead." Edward assured her. "I saw it in Peter's mind. He went unharmed and willingly. He made a trade with her and saved countless lives."
"What do we do?" She cried, pulling her face back out of Edward's chest to look up at him, and over to Carlisle. "What the hell are we supposed to do now?"
"Jasper just gave us everything we need," Carlisle supplied, his composure shocking Alice.
"I don't understand," she looked back up at Edward, who squeezed her tightly before releasing her.
"Who is the one person you can see better than anyone?"
"Jasper, but…" and now she understood. She hadn't been able to see Maria before, but that hadn't stopped her from trying day in and day out. Jasper's future she could always see without even trying. He was with Maria. She would finally be able to see her. "I still can't see him though," she realized after another quick glimpse forward. "What if she's still hiding out in the area?"
"It's doubtful," Carlisle crossed his arms, "they apparently escaped into the ocean. Even if they were close to the coast our people would've found them."
"They could be hiding out nearby, biding their time." She stepped away from Edward and fixed him with a look, "she had a literal army of people. Even if our containers took to the waters to look for them, they'd be slaughtered."
"What if she's playing with the holes in your visions?"
That possibility took Alice by surprise. "I—that's impossible. She couldn't—"
"You leaked the information. I know that was your idea."
"But I didn't say that the wolves were a blind spot! Alden's report wasn't exactly specific! Or accurate!" She found herself growing desperate with her words. Sure, purposefully leaking rumors of her own gifts had turned out to be something that was performed with too much haste and too little consideration of the potential consequences, but… "Are you really going to lecture me on fucking up right now?"
"No, because at least you're aware." His words were harsh, but Alice knew they were deserved.
"The vision is still there," she confessed, "it's the only one I see now." Suddenly, she felt like she was going to start crying again. "She's going to hurt him," she spoke through nearly clenched teeth, "she's going to do something to him, I—"
"Jasper is smart," Edward spoke, pulling her into another embrace, despite his outward frustration at her and her decisions over the past week. "He knows what he's doing."
"But even Jasper can't predict her every move."
"If you still can't see him, it's possible that she could have some sort of shield. One that can block your ability." Carlisle observed, the gears already turning in his mind.
"It would be a lucky break," Edward agreed, "but we'll have to wait and see."
"I know we don't have much time but you need to train me more," Alice pulled back again, attempting to reign in her hysteria so she could think properly. She had to prepare. She had to ready herself for the inevitable encounter she was going to have with Jasper and Maria.
"You said it's the only one left?"
"The only one I see of him anymore."
"For now," Edward fixed her with a serious look, "Whatever blind spot she's playing behind now won't last forever."
"You can't go off on your own anymore," Carlisle shook his head, "It's too dangerous."
"It's dangerous out here," Edward amended.
Alice could see the plan he was concocting currently and simply sighed. "New York?"
Carlisle didn't seem surprised that she already knew what the idea was. "It's probably the safest place for you for now. Going back east would be best."
"I'll take her," Edward nodded to the blond man, and Carlisle nodded right back.
"Doesn't Seattle need you? I thought there were moles." How were they supposed to rid their centers of Maria's double-agents if Edward wasn't around to sniff them out?
"There are. But they don't know that we know, and even spies have to play by the rules to some extent."
Carlisle glanced toward the building in the near distance and kept his voice low. "Two are being 'reassigned' to other centers, where they'll be intercepted and taken into custody upon arrival."
"One disappeared a couple of days ago." Edward frowned at that. "She didn't have access to much so it isn't as if she'll be able to feed Maria any vital information, but still."
"Why not just take them out?"
Edward shot her a humorless look. "And do what you did in Toronto?"
Alice frowned at that, looking away as she recalled the absolute mess that transpired when she outed Roger Harrison. She still couldn't get the scent of all that blood in the air out of her mind after the collapse of the building.
Maria's voice in her head still taunted her.
"Do remind your little mate that I will always be two steps ahead of her."
"She's going to hurt him," she hated how certain her voice was. How she somehow knew, deep in the core of her bones, that Maria was going to put the man she loved through absolute hell for as long as she had him. "We have to get him back."
She hated the pause and the look that the two men exchanged over their heads.
"We can't just let her have him," she spoke, her voice getting louder as she took note of their apparent hesitance in having this conversation with her.
"And we aren't. But we can't go after her. Not yet," Carlisle assured, hands in his pockets as his frown intensified. "We have to stabilize our centers first."
"Track down the radicals terrorizing our cities and protect the people," Edward added on. "Running off to find her now would be a suicide mission. She had at least fifty people with her when Jasper left. I saw it in the wolves' minds. If that is what she's travelling with currently, anyone going after her would be slaughtered."
"Can't we just rival her numbers with large ones of our own?!" The idea of just waiting around while Maria did unspeakable things to Jasper made her want to scream. She had to do something. She had to figure out a way to save him.
"Alice," Carlisle put a hand on her arm which she quickly shrugged off, taking a few steps backward.
"No!" She yelled, not caring if anyone back in Helena's center heard her. "We can't just abandon him; he needs us! We're all he has. If we don't try and get him back then that's it! I—I need him back," as her words broke off on a sob, she could see that if she allowed the crying to start, it wouldn't stop. "I need him back," she repeated, her arms wrapping around herself as she started to grow hysterical. "I can't abandon him. I have to save him."
She didn't pull away when Edward embraced her once more. She quickly buried her face in his shirt and began to fall apart.
"I'm sorry Alice," he held her tightly and despite the comfort he was providing her with, she wished more than anything in the world that it was Jasper who was holding her. "I'm so sorry."
"I love him," she whimpered pitifully, "I have to save him. I have—I need to save him."
"We will," Edward soothed, running his hands over her back, "I promise we'll find him eventually."
But eventually wasn't soon, and promises meant little in the face of the reality that she knew awaited them.
Despite his empty promises, Alice let her friend hold her as she cried over the man she loved.
The group they were traveling with was the largest she'd been with since the start of the war, weeks prior. But Carlisle insisted that they move across the country with no less than a dozen containers in their group. It's seemed a little bit excessive but they'd so far taken out three groups of radicals on their journey east without suffering a single fatality.
It made her wonder whether taking a larger group with them could have helped change the outcome during her and Jasper's trip out west. In her memory Elias smiled and her chest pulsed with pain.
Another thing she continued noticing was how each group they found seemed smaller than the last. The group they'd disposed of last could hardly even be considered a group. The pair of vampires, one older another a newborn, had hardly been given an adequate moment to fight back before they were in pieces.
It made her wonder if that meant that numbers were dwindling all across the continent.
Edward had been filling her in periodically. Now that Mexico's containers knew that Maria wasn't hiding out on their lands they were able to protect their centers and their cities with more confidence. Mexico, despite their early losses prior to the start of this war, was faring far better than either the US or Canada was.
If they could flush out the moles hidden in their own divisions, Edward explained, he was confident that Gerardo would be assisting them swiftly.
Undeserved aid, if you asked Alice. Especially considering the fact that they'd left the country to their own devices for several months while they struggled with Maria's early terror.
"Gerardo is selfless," Edward agreed with her sentiment. "Likely why Carlisle picked him for the job back in the day. You'll like him."
It made her wonder what Jasper thought about the man. Or what Jasper thought about any of the Mexican protectors. Technically they were all colleagues in this odd, important little job.
"You can ask him next time you see him," Edward mentioned casually, ignoring the dull look Alice shot him then. He met her gaze with a calmness she wished she possessed. "You will see him again. And not just in that vision."
Alice didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything.
It would be so easy for anyone else to dismiss her fears, but they didn't understand. They didn't know what it felt like to see the person, who ended up being the love of your life, the very person you would give your soul up for, in death's hands, being forced to hurt you under circumstances you didn't quite understand.
Edward left that thought alone.
After almost a full day of running, they made a pit stop in Chicago, dropping off a couple containers and picking up a few more. It had been a strangely uneventful leg of their trek—they'd only been attacked by one group. A set of six newborns, no older vampire in sight.
Disposing of the group only left them with more questions.
They, of course, wouldn't be staying in Chicago for long, but Edward, unlike Jasper and herself, had been dealing with this entire war so much more intimately than they had been. Instead of travelling from city to city, fighting and picking up volunteers, Edward had actually been dealing with the logistical aspects. Organizing teams and devising strategies. Sending aid to cities en masse, not just storming into compromised centers and joining the fray.
He and Carlisle hadn't been too focused on secrecy and hiding, so they'd been able to actually adequately help. Alice felt lousy at that, at the idea that there was so much more she could have been doing during this, but Edward was quick to point out that Maria wasn't specifically after the rest of them.
He was right, but she still felt a heavy guilt as one Lieutenant showed them the first summarized casualty reports for the region. They were early numbers, nearly estimates at this point, so Alice knew they would climb as the weeks passed. In the Chicago metropolitan area there was two-thousand four hundred and eight confirmed dead.
That was only so far, and only regional estimates.
Alice decided, as she felt the pain rip through her, that she didn't want to know how many were humans and how many were vampires. They were people, and now they were dead. It all hurt the same.
After a meeting, both she and Edward politely passed up an opportunity to feed. She had fed so much in the past week, trying to keep up the strength and energy she thought she would need to face Maria. Only now that she knew it had been pointless did she feel entirely unapetized. She'd feed when she needed it next.
It didn't help that her stomach did flips thinking about when Jasper may feed—or be fed, as he was a hostage at this point—next, and how she had a sinking feeling Maria wouldn't entertain her captive by humoring his legal dietary choices.
Edward kept busy in the few hours they were there, making calls of his own, checking up on the status of centers Alice had never even heard of, and spending nearly an hour devising a potential route toward the gulf to send blood to the vampires on the front lines.
Alice only halfway paid attention to each call and meeting, still keeping her mind focused on things of a different place and time. It was a strange way to exist, Alice caught herself wondering, as she watched outcomes of plans that were only halfway formulated by the desperate, frenzied vampires around her, but whether it was a gift or a curse at this point, she didn't know.
Jasper's absence was still an aching, jagged hole in her head and her chest.
Knowing that they couldn't spend more than a couple of days in Chicago, they prepared to leave late that night, but set aside some time to make a couple more phone calls.
"Please tell me you're all okay," Rosalie spoke in lieu of a greeting. Alice was afraid she would begin crying immediately at the sound of the worry in her friend's voice. "Please tell me you have good news."
"If you've seen the reports from Seattle, you know I don't." Edward's voice was even, his words spoken slowly.
"Where are they?!"
"Alice is right here," he spoke up after Alice kept quiet.
There was a pause across the line. "Where is Jasper?" When neither Edward nor Alice spoke up, Rosalie's voice turned to panic. "No, no. Where is he? Edward—!"
"She has him," Alice finally spoke quietly, the sound of her soft voice silencing the blonde's hysteria. "Maria got him."
"No…"
"I'm bringing Alice to you," Edward continued, his frown darkening his young, handsome features. "We can fill you in more when we get there. We'll be there within the next day or two."
"But he's not dead?" That seemed to be all the assurance Rosalie needed, as she asked firmly. "Tell me he's not dead."
"Jasper went with her willingly," Edward confirmed. "Saved Seattle from inevitable destruction in doing so." He eyed Alice quickly before directing his attention back toward the phone. "She won't kill him. She needs him too much."
"Okay," Rosalie sighed with a heartbroken sort of relief. "Two days?"
"Hopefully sooner."
"Emmett might be back by then."
Edward was surprised by that. "And Boston?"
"Nearly ours. The worst of the fighting actually took place this morning. Harder than they thought it would be. We lost a lot of people, but we almost have control of our campus. Flushing the city of radicals is what will take longer, but Em is going to regroup here in the city before heading toward Philly."
"How is New Orleans?"
That question got Alice's attention. And with a pang of guilt she realized she hadn't been looking to see how her friends down south were faring. For all she knew they could be dead.
But with a quick check she could see that both Esme and Bella were fine. And Josie was still at the neighbor's house, safe and sound.
"Haven't heard from Esme yet, but I got off the phone with Hattie Shreve hardly an hour ago. She's in Lafayette now—they succeeded in taking back everything from Beaumont to Baton Rouge."
Alice knew her good news started and ended there.
"It's worse than they thought in New Orleans. They don't know how they'll be able to penetrate the city with their numbers, so they may have to wait."
"The longer they wait the worse it'll get," Edward's words were almost spoken to himself, but Rosalie did something uncharacteristic and agreed.
"They still are holding most of the humans in place. The radicals who are willing to talk to our people are claiming it isn't a hostage situation, but several have died from lack of proper medical care and hospitals are running low on supplies."
"People are too scared to leave their houses." Edward's voice was low, angry. "They're choosing to die from treatable ailments rather than leave their homes."
"They aren't choosing death as much as they are choosing the way they want to die. If they think they'll be slaughtered by a vampire if they so much as travel down the street, of course they'd rather die at home."
Edward frowned. "It doesn't help that a lot of medical personnel are being worn thin. Low numbers, lower morale. It was like that even in Seattle, where things are relatively stable. It's been rough."
"Once Pensacola and Panama City are stabilized Florida will be able to fight but until they can clear everything within thirty miles of Route 98 they won't be confident enough to lend aide."
Alice knew the road well. During her early years it was the one she travelled alongside most frequently, letting her visions take her to places she could steal and drink inconspicuously.
Edward sighed softly, the noise apparently carrying over the line.
"We'll talk more when you get here," Rosalie seemed to know what he was going to say, and dismissed the entire conversation. "I have some calls to make. Travel quick, stay safe. I'll see you soon."
"Bye."
And then there was silence.
"Bella is okay, by the way," Alice eventually spoke up, hating how she felt guilty for not checking up on her friend sooner. Edward turned and looked at her with an indecipherable expression. "She and Esme are at some type of checkpoint right now. The tall fighter, Dean isn't there, but they're currently strategizing with a pretty large group."
As she spoke, she found herself realizing that she didn't quite need to verbalize this. Edward had likely seen the flash of a vision she'd gotten the moment it had materialized in her head. But it felt right to say it out loud, as if that would further confirm that the two women were alright, and make it harder for the opposite to become true.
Her voice quieted as her thoughts caught up with her. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."
He simply nodded, turning back toward the phone and pressing a couple of buttons. He then straightened up and gestured for her to follow, she knew they were about to leave. He didn't need to verbalize it, and he didn't.
They left minutes later, a group of thirteen containers right along with them.
Alice didn't speak for nearly eleven hours after that, her mind always open, waiting for visions of Jasper, but no matter how hard she focused none came to her. After she started getting a headache, she stopped trying. Still, every several minutes she'd turn to the tiny black hole in her mind and poke at it, to see if anything would fill the space.
Nothing did.
She spent hours focusing on anyone she could see. Edward's presence was helpful as she focused on the centers she'd been to, keeping her mind looking out for any more potential attacks or suspicious activity among the people she'd met. Anytime she witnessed something suspicious, she knew Edward saw it too and was filing the information away for when they got to Manhattan.
Also, in her mind Edward comforted her, insisting that just because it was impossible for her to see him now didn't mean she wouldn't see him again. Alice didn't care to have these conversations with him, so she avoided being directly near him during their travels as best as she could. Thankfully since it was a large enough group, it was easy to stay out of conversation's reach.
Of course, since he was paying attention to every flicker that flashed through her mind she knew Edward was on the same page as her, and that he likely wouldn't say anything as long as they were moving. He'd been giving her a wide berth, and she was thankful. But she knew the silence between them would end soon enough.
They travelled quickly, their route direct, a straight-shot east toward the coast.
It was upsetting when she learned they would quite literally be passing right through their own property in Ricketts in order to head straight on to New York. She'd been visibly upset upon seeing that little detail in her mind, and even knowing that they didn't have the time to spare nor did they have the need to stop at their house didn't make her feel any better. Granted the property was huge, and they'd only be crossing the southernmost tip of their land but still, it was home to her now.
And Alice wanted more than anything to be able to go home.
But, as she ran onward east, she also knew that she wouldn't even want to go back home until Jasper was with her, safe and sound.
The journey forward was eerily quiet. Between Chicago and their second-to-last stop in Morristown, New Jersey, they didn't run into a single radical. It could have been viewed as a testament to how effectively the containers were working to rid their jurisdictions of enemies, or proof that Emmett and Rosalie were really just that good at their jobs, but something about the quietness did not sit well with Alice.
No visions came to her to validate these feelings of unease, but she was sure to hold them close. She couldn't afford to let her guard down now. She couldn't begin to imagine how Jasper would feel if she got herself captured, too. Sure, she wanted to help him more than anything, but she didn't think getting herself caught, too, would do either of them any good.
Besides, for all she knew—and she had the vision to back this thought up—the next time they met could very well be in that field, surrounded by fire and smoke and death and pines.
Still, she kept looking.
They only stayed in Morristown's center—a surprisingly large one for a town Alice had never even heard of—long enough to drink a bit, drop off most of their containers, and pick up a handful of new ones.
The center itself was fairly big, but Alice was also stunned by how quiet it seemed. Where she would have never described the hallways of containment centers as 'bustling' they certainly hadn't been so deathly silent when Alice and Jasper had been working together over the spring. She wondered if the people that usually stocked these halls were just out on assignments or assisting other cities.
Imagining the alternative was too nauseating for her, so instead she imagined them—these strangers she'd never met—as people who were out and about and busy and helping.
Ignoring the memory of the taste of ash in her mouth was hard to do.
Twenty-five miles away from the Hudson River, hardly ten minutes after they'd left their last center, she nearly stumbled to a stop, Edward catching and steadying her before she could run headlong off of a highway overpass.
As she felt her reality grind to a halt, a vision came over her.
"I know this isn't going to be easy."
Jasper didn't glare at her. In fact, he didn't even so much as glance toward where Maria stood across the room from him. Anyone who didn't know any better would have sworn he hadn't even heard her.
His eyes were a dark gold, meaning they hadn't fed him since he fell into Maria's hands several days before. Whether this was a good or bad thing, Alice didn't know yet.
She counted three different people restraining him. Jasper was on his knees, each arm in the grip of two newborns she'd seen in previous visions before. She knew their faces and their names at this point; Cole Alcon and Matthew Travis. Each had gone missing over the winter, and Alice had found out their fates back in Ricketts.
It was the third vampire, the one who had a handful of Jasper's hair, the other hand braced against the front of his throat, that Alice didn't recognize. His hair was dark and short, and his red eyes were like fire in contrast to his dark brows. He was large though, and the bulging muscles in his arms, paired with the knowledge that it would likely be effortless to rip Jasper's head from his body, made witnessing this scene suddenly unbearable for her.
"And I know that you're going to make this as hard as possible or me." Maria laughed. "You haven't changed at all, Major. You're just as stubborn as always."
She didn't saunter forward like Alice expected her to. She was propped up on some type of crate, leaning back against her hands casually—they were in a dark room, entirely unrecognizable. It was small, but long. There were no windows, no lighting fixtures, and one doorway where Alice could see nothing but stairs through it. A basement, by the looks of it.
At her side was the boy, Kyle. She assumed Maria kept him and the other large vampire close for protection, most likely. Another three vampires hung out along the wall, as if simply there to watch, their red eyes constantly flickering between Maria and Jasper.
"You can't pretend like you enjoyed being under for the past few days," Maria smiled as she spoke. "I've made her put me under before. It's absolutely dreadful." She laughed. "The girl is a real prize."
Jasper's reaction was almost imperceptible. A slight twitch of the eye. Maria laughed and Alice knew she'd caught it.
"You know me, I'm not looking to collect every talent I stumble across. You remember that sensory depriver? The one that could make you deaf? We hardly used him for two years before I had you get rid of him. He wasn't useful then and I doubt he would be very useful now. Besides, he couldn't hold his own in a fight so even if we'd spared him he would've gotten himself killed some way." That was when she hopped off of the crate and began to move toward him. "I'm not some boring old collector, but I wonder… has Aro ever met the girl?"
Still no reaction. At this point it seemed Jasper was very pointedly looking away from her. The newborn gripping his throat adjusted his grip, holding onto Jasper's scarred jaw and forcing him to look up at Maria.
"I'm sure he hasn't. In fact, I know he hasn't, because she's still with you all. The old coot hasn't left his gaudy throne in nearly a hundred years. Not even when we stormed this country in the sixties did he lift a finger to help. But," she shrugged, "things went much better than expected back then."
Jasper's golden eyes locked on hers then and after a moment of silence she laughed.
"Oh, don't act like you don't know."
There was silence for two more seconds. "You didn't plan this," he growled lowly, his analytical mind racing to catch up with what she meant. Maria just laughed again, the sound chilling.
"I plan every move I make. Please," she rolled her eyes, "like I didn't know I was heading for a minefield. I'm disappointed that you thought I was dead so quickly. Nearly a hundred years together and it takes you, what? Capture? Before suddenly you're licking their boots and doing everything they ask of you?"
She spat on him then, hitting him square in the face. "Always such a loyal dog." She straightened up and closed her eyes, stepping back and waiting. If she was disappointed by his lack of reaction, it didn't show. "You never did have the mind for leadership. I still can't fathom what made Esme's brain decide on you. She always was such a stupid thing." Maria sighed. "It doesn't matter anyways." She leaned forward, and even with Jasper on his knees she was still only barely taller than he was. "Has the girl met Aro or not?"
Despite the hold the newborn had him in, Jasper managed something similar to a smirk and the smile fell off her face immediately.
"Tell me," her eyes were suddenly ice. "What is she capable of?"
"Who?"
She continued as if he hadn't spoken altogether. "I know your people made those calls and left those messages for me to find. That was a plan destined to fail the moment it was concocted, so I know you weren't behind it. But the girl tracked me down on an untraceable line prior to that regardless."
"Untraceable," Jasper repeated the word and coughed out a laugh.
"I know she isn't a mind reader—my Captains are better trained against that sort of thing—and I dearly hope my people are giving Edward hell," her grin was saccharine, "but she's gifted. I know this. Do not treat me like a fool."
"Wouldn't dream of it," his words were mocking.
Maria took one step back and gave the two newborns behind him a single look. In synch, the two twisted their grips and a grinding sound could be heard.
His arms were still attached, but only barely. He growled low, a noise escaping him that was just barely muffled by a cough and his own clenched teeth; reluctant to show any sort of weakness. The larger of the newborns adjusted his grip and suddenly Jasper was against the ground, a loud smack echoing through the small room, the noise nearly deafening.
It was hardly a second later that the newborns restraining him flinched in unison, and even Maria's hardened glare faltered. Two of the vampires on the perimeter of the scene stumbled back, both taking defensive positions and hissing toward where Jasper lay, neatly incapacitated on the ground. One of the newborns gripping his arm whimpered and then just as quickly as if had begun, it seemed to stop.
Jasper let out a low groan, turning his head so that his forehead was directly against the hard concrete.
"Ah," Maria inhaled deeply, as if relishing in the aftermath of whatever emotion it was that Jasper had just expelled forth. "It's been a while since I've felt fear like that. I missed it."
"Rip me apart," Jasper gasped then, still collecting his composure through the pain, shooting Maria a challenging look from where he was now, cheek against concrete. "See if I care."
She made a thoughtful noise. "Yes, you seem to not care for your own safety at all." She turned around and spoke to one of the people who stood on the edge of the room. "Any word?"
"Still in pursuit, they should catch up with her at any point now."
She smiled politely, "Thank you."
"You're a liar," Jasper grumbled, dark eyes dull as he picked a point in the lightless room and began to stare once more.
"Disbelieve me all you want. I already told you I don't have to involve her yet. Some compliance is all I ask for in exchange of her safety."
"Go to hell."
She clicked her tongue. "And so disrespectful he's become. I know you don't talk to Carlisle like that," she laughed, "although now that I entertain that thought, you probably do." She turned back toward the vampire who had updated her. "Tell them to continue pursuit and attack when ready. And please bring her to me in one piece. Or at least put her back together before you get her to me. I don't know what this gift implies but if you kill her I will be very upset." She began to walk away, her stride, confident.
"Maria," Jasper growled, his unmoving arms still being restrained tightly.
"If you don't want to comply, then don't." She shrugged, as if his willingness wasn't an important factor. "I prefer you when you're under anyways." Then, to the vampire across the room, "Fetch Skye. I want to move again. I don't care if she's fed yet or not." Then, she looked back toward Jasper. "Don't fix him until he's under again. I don't want you idiots beheaded, too."
"Maria," he snapped, his voice furious, "stop."
"No," she said cheerily. "You don't comply, then I'll find her. You want me to leave her out of it? I'll take those access codes at any point."
The trio of vampires pulled him back up onto his knees. Jasper merely fell backward, falling against his own feet, arms useless, glaring daggers at her, but remained silent. The sound of a several figures approaching caused Maria to glance from the staircase then back to him, her eyes bright.
"You don't have to help me. Alice will."
Alice came back to the present, pushed away from Edward, leaned over the highway overpass and vomited. The contents of her last meal—eaten less than an hour before—falling to the freeway below.
Her only coherent thought as Edward approached, a hand wrapping firmly around her shoulders, was that she'd never been physically sick before. She'd never seen anyone get sick before either besides the few times Josie had caught the flu.
She also found herself wondering what the group of containers travelling with them thought about the scene before them.
Visions flickered through her mind quickly, ones she hadn't seen while she'd been trapped by the long one she'd just witnessed of Jasper.
Jasper, her mind repeated his name again and again. Relief flooding through her the same time a unique sort of terror gripped her bones. He was alive, but he was in danger.
She blinked twice before meeting Edward's gaze, seeing his hard, angry eyes. And then, a few more visions of the comforting words Edward was preparing to offer her flickered through her. Words that wouldn't provide any comfort to her now, no matter how logically he phrased everything.
But Edward had been there, and Edward had seen everything right along with her, so Edward knew everything that she now knew.
They knew they were doing something to Jasper. Whatever putting him 'under' meant was likely nothing good. A potential gift of another vampire, possibly; the way they spoke about it made it seem so. The more horrid of the options—long-term temporary decapitation—was something she didn't even want to consider.
They knew that for some reason, Alice couldn't see him when he was under.
They knew that they weren't really on Alice's trail anymore—that group had fallen victim to wolves and vampires alike.
They knew that Maria didn't exactly know what Alice's gift was, but that was maybe the only good thing they knew.
They knew Jasper would be safe as long as he was necessary.
And they knew that just like before, Maria was still after Alice. And as long as she had Jasper, she knew she'd end up with Alice eventually.
So Edward remained silent, watching the visions come and go, and Alice simply stared, letting her fear root itself in her gut, and her misery entirely wrap itself around her ribs.
They remained like that for almost a full minute—Edward's almost-words would cause a vision and Alice would reply to them in her mind. Half a dozen conversations transpired without either of them ever speaking.
When he pulled her into a hug she didn't cry. She didn't yell or pull away or even embrace him back, really. She just let him hold her, knowing that she couldn't react yet. She couldn't let this vision—this vivid piece of evidence of the horrors Jasper was now going through—break her down. He was alive, Maria was on the prowl, he was in danger, and Alice was the key.
Everything had fallen out of her control, so before Edward even suggested they get a move on, she pulled back and nodded.
The six vampires that had been travelling with them seemed too scared to even ask what had just transpired. Alice didn't miss how they each looked over the edge of the overpass before they turned and moved on, likely looking down at her bubbling, pink vomit.
They all seemed to be aware that Edward was an odd one—Alice wouldn't be surprised if a few of them were aware he held some type of gift—but with every move they made and every step they took closer to the city, she could feel their eyes burning holes in the back of her head.
She knew that when they arrived Edward would deal with anything they were thinking about that could potentially be compromising, so Alice didn't worry too much. They could think she was absolutely insane for all she cared, it didn't matter.
They wouldn't be the first to think that, either.
She tried hard to ignore the vision as it played and replayed through her mind in stunning clarity. Alice had never found herself cursing her perfect memory like this before, and every time she thought back to any particular moment in the vision she felt like she would collapse. All she could do was push the awful feeling down more and more as she tried hard not to acknowledge her almost incapacitating emotions.
He was gone.
He was with Maria.
He was hurt.
Who knew how many more times he'd suffer with her?
He was thirsty.
Alice felt sick again, and despite the fact that they were literally crossing over the Hudson in that moment, he stopped the group and was at her side instantly.
"Alice—"
"No." She batted his hand away and shook her head. "We're almost there."
"Go on ahead," Edward instructed to the group. "We'll be right behind you and you'll be dismissed to your next assignment once we catch up."
Again, not a single person spoke up. In seconds, they were alone on the bridge.
Alice couldn't even bring herself to look to the sun rising over the horizon, casting the skyline of the city in an eerie glow.
How many people had died in this city in the past couple of weeks? Thousands? Tens of thousands? Alice knew that someone in Manhattan's center likely had the estimates, and she didn't want to know them.
"Alice, we have to talk about this."
"No we don't," she yelled, shocked at how the first emotion to present itself wasn't misery but anger. "We don't and we can't. It's a waste of time; time that we don't have, Edward!"
"If we don't talk about this you are going to drive yourself down into a hole that we won't be able to pull you out of."
His next words, "Jasper isn't here to help you," were decided against the second they almost left his lips, but Alice saw them before he could change his mind.
"I'm not going to argue that I'm okay because I'm not," her words were quiet, and she felt her anger ebb slightly, but it did not disappear. "But trying to comfort me is not what's going to bring back Jasper."
Even saying his name out loud hurt.
"I can't stay with you, Alice," Edward was trying to speak calmly, but Alice could see his patience already wearing thin with her. "I have to head down south; there are places that need me." This, Alice had already seen. He would be reunited with Bella at some point this week. "I can't pluck everything you see out of your mind for you while you just sit there, trapped in your head, with every vision making you more miserable. You can't do that anymore."
"Sorry I've witnessed thousands of people die this past week," she seethed, "I'll try to keep my sadness to a minimum."
"You need to be aware, Alice." He snapped, his voice quiet. "You can stay on the lookout for visions but you can't just sit there and let them fester. You need to communicate with Rosalie. She can't read your mind. She needs you to tell her things, not to sit quietly for twelve hours at a time, keeping every little thing to yourself."
"I can't prevent every death I see!" Alice cried, more anger leaving her body as more agony took its place. "I don't know most of these people, I don't know specifics, okay? You know this!"
"I also know you see things that you know are vital. You're not an idiot Alice. You're good at this job, you know what to look for, and your intuition serves you well." He stepped back, glancing toward the sunset before sighing. "Alice, if we're going to get him back, you need to help. And I don't mean just with your visions," he clarified before she could snap at him any further. "Let Rosalie assign you tasks. We'll explain to her the situation about you and seeing Jasper. Who knows? Maybe you'll only be able to see him once a week. You can't just sit around and wait for that vision though."
"She's hurting him," Alice's voice choked on a sob. "I hate her. I hate her!"
"Hate her all you want, but the only thing that will get him back is time. This isn't going to be a quick thing, Alice." He hesitated with his decision, but when Alice didn't immediately step away or tell him to stop, he moved forward, wrapping her up in another hug. "I'm sorry, Alice. I'm not trying to be insensitive. I understand. I get it."
"I wasted so much time," she cried, clinging to him as she let herself let go for a quick minute, "Time I'll never get back. Time spent arguing and being thick-headed and making each other miserable."
"You'll have an eternity when Maria is gone," Edward assured, despite knowing that his words wouldn't soothe Alice's anguish at all. "He is also going to kill me for telling you this, but," there was a hint of humor in his voice and Alice clung to his words, "he's loved you for a long time, Alice. He would've been willing to wait a lifetime for you to come around. He'll also kill me if I don't keep you safe and sane." He pulled her back from him and bent down to look her in the eyes. "Work with Rosalie. Don't shut her out. Don't shut the world out, no matter how painful it gets. Your help is invaluable, so let's get Jasper out of there the smart way. Not the quick way."
"I hate this," she sobbed, running her hands through her cropped hair, "I hate this so much."
"I do, too. But this is war, and we knew from the start it was going to be hard."
"Yeah, well," Alice shook her head, pulling herself back together and she stared down the end of the bridge, "I'm going to end it."
"In time," Edward nodded, pleased enough with her relent, "I'll hold you to that."
Then they were off toward Manhattan.
Alice didn't feel better about their situation, but she certainly felt a bit calmer, her head clearer now that she had some type of vague plan set forth. The visions helped to calm her further, too, as she saw herself helping around the center, making calls, talking with Rosalie. The fuzzier visions included Emmett, and she sorely hoped she'd be able to see him soon, too.
She couldn't cave to her emotions now. Jasper's life depended on her.
A/N: Thanks for the reviews and support. Sorry about handing Jasper over to Maria.
I'll try to update again this week, but working has kept me busy! Also my new daily routines give me a teensy bit less free time in exchange for like, taking care of myself or whatever. It's this new, mind-blowing concept to me, but it's like, totally making my life easier overall. Who knew?
Love u all—some reviews would be appreciated.
Oh, and COTN will officially end at chapter 42. Let the countdown commence.
~*~review replies~*~
guests: thanks for the reviews and love! remember to log in or insert a name so I can reply to your review or question directly!
deltagirl74: glad you liked all the action and are enjoying Alice's development! and yes! hooray! they've finally kissed! too bad it was under such rotten circumstances :~(
Meagan: I'm so pleased people aren't bored by the action—I know sometimes it takes up time but it's a war! time 4 ppl 2 die! :\ also woo! we're definitely team Let Alice Knock Maria's Head Off!
Beth: thanks! happy you're enjoying yourself!
reinbeau: lmaooo sorry! I meant to update a few days ago, I swear! I'll update again this week though. I'd really like to wrap this story up before the end of the month. I mean, it's practically finished on my end. so it's exciting but also sad! either way, I'm so glad you're still enjoying this monster of a story. thanks!
Clarinetgoddess62: SORRY I KNEW IT HAD TO BE DRAMATIC THOUGH! also their first kiss has been planned to be that exact scene for ten years now. it was destiny or something, I guess. :o)
Worldtraveller78: hey, cut Alice some slack! the poor kid exists in a constant state of what I'd like to call Struggle City. I'd offer you a tissue, but I'll do better and just offer you another promised chapter this week! hope you can learn to forgive!