Fic Recs: If you are enjoying my little voyage with Jasper and Alice, you might consider also checking out some other canon Jasper/Alice fics. First and foremost, You've Kept Me Waiting by Mandi1, may be considered the main fic in this category, followed by Cowboys and Indians by Minisinoo, for which there is also a sequel, The Star Quilt. I'd also recommend Mary, Full of Grace by Elise Montgomery, which tells about the making of Alice Brandon. So dark—and the writing is eeek—amazing!
This is my story for the FandomGivesBack, kudos to Bunnyslippersrok.
A million thank yous to ElleCC for beta'ing. :-)
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Cowboys Have Fangs, Too
Part 3.
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He couldn't be around humans at first.
Not that any newborn could. Not even Alice. Her first—she killed a milkman wearing a cream collared shirt with blue pin stripes, a Pet Milk badge a pinkie finger above the breast pocket. She said that even with the knowledge of what she would do, she couldn't have stopped, not that first time.
She told him. "I woke by the stink of the river, only to hear the clinking roll of his wagon and to feel the swamp smell replaced by the something thick like molasses and stinging in my nostrils and throat. It was... well, I charged the wagon down. Got him.
"When I stepped back, full and mad and still wanting more, I realized... I screamed, clutching at the sodden rag I was wearing. Before me, there was the body and the broken wagon axle, and blood was dripping from the creamy shards of cracked milk bottles. Candy cane stripes and pin stripes," she finished in a whisper.
She killed the horses, next, she told him. "Because they weren't human, at least, and because they were screaming, too."
Newborns were vampires first—monsters first. The first time Jasper was around a human without needing to kill him was after one of the battles. At some point during the siege of Vicksburg. Jasper only knew which battle it was because of what Maria told him and because he later looked it up in old newspapers. He'd been a vampire for a good few months by then.
Maria led him to the edge of the river valley, where she had to grip his arm to keep him from rushing forward. "You once were a part of this." She threw her arm to the sky, as much as act of dismissal as an act of theater. "But now you are beyond it."
"War?" Jasper asked with a glare. He hated these lectures. He wanted to move. The screams of the wounded tormented while their leaking bodies beckoned.
"No, life. La muerte. The war never ends." She smiled, even as her eyes blackened. The ripe smells of the battlefield had begun to affect her at last. "Go," she said, and she released his arm."Just don't be seen," she called after him.
Jasper ran.
The dead and dying were everywhere. The first two whom he found were a deuce entangled in each other. One had managed to get his rifle off and blast the other in the thigh—a nasty mess at such close range—while his opponent had still managed to catch him with a pig sticker between the ribs, a slash on the arm, too. Both of them were bleeding to death. Jasper quickened their end.
The third was a man rocking in a ditch, cold with sweat and rocking while singing words that weren't words with a melody like a spiritual. Jasper continued to rock him as he drank him. Then the man rocked no more, and Jasper, for the first time since the dawn of his new life, found himself to be full.
Full enough to feel like taking his steps like a stroll, instead of skulking through the shadows.
He came upon the man just as he leaped over a derailed pasture fence. The man was ducked low and lying flat on his belly. Even still, Jasper could see the grey cloth tied about his shoulder and his hazel eyes through the thick mask of uneven stubble hiding his face.
Seeing Jasper's profile dark before the moonlight, the man cursed. He lifted his rifle, and Jasper almost wanted to laugh that he would even try... but then the man slammed it back down. "I might as well give 'er up. Cartridge empty," the man muttered, almost by way of apology.
Jasper grinned, watching the man in the darkness, but then he frowned, for he smelled no blood on the man, no injuries. "You aren't hurt, so why're you hugging the mud?"
"If ya ain't gonna pop a slug in my brain, then go boil yer shirt," the man growled back.
"This voice does not belong to a Yank."
There was a pause. "I suggest you duck, then, friend, because standing around like a corn post ain't particularly advisable on a battlefield."
Jasper laughed. "I'm safe."
"Well then, likely is that you're either AWOL, a crazy fuck, a bummer or a..." The man frowned. "Or a scout?" His voice tinged with hope on the last word, and Jasper felt it—his hope.
Jasper cocked his head to the side, thinking on it. "You need to get back?"
"Fuck, yes."
Jasper delayed before responding. He wasn't thirsty. He was a mite bored, really, and this man was—well, Jasper couldn't pick out anything extraordinary about the fellow, except that he was likable, and not a Yankee—and then his excitement—his hope when Jasper said he was a scout, it was pleasant, relaxing.
"I can take you," Jasper found himself promising, surprising even himself.
"You're a genuine scout?" the man asked again, still in disbelief.
"Top rail." Jasper laughed low.
"The Lord's smilin' upon me on this night, then, because I thought I was..." his smiled faltered but then recovered, and he pushed off the ground and onto his knees."Where ye lead, I shall follow."
Simple enough. "Come," Jasper called, and then he turned to lead the man into the night and toward safety.
^v^v^v^
When Maria found him later, dawn was nigh, and Jasper was leaning against the rubble of a farmstead well, laying back and doing nothing but watching the distant flicker of campfires.
"Why, Jasper..." She crouched in front of him. "Your first night as a free creature, I'd expected you to still be terrorizing the locals."
"Had better things to do," Jasper replied, "though I am full, be assured." He patted his belly, and then he stood, starting their journey before Maria could ask him to follow her.
Behind him, her emotions were a mix. Curiosity, a touch of sexual interest, and oddly enough—fear.
^v^v^v^
Jasper had never been close to Rosalie. He'd never been interested in cars like Edward, he was not fucking her like Emmett, and then her interest in history was minimal, so he'd never made much of an effort to affect a change in their dynamic.
He sometimes wondered if it had to do with the way she died. Jasper's own death involved a cold kiss on the lips followed by a cold sting on the neck, and then a whole shitload of hot pain. Nevertheless, Jasper had died surrounded by the patient, if unsettling, smiles of the three most beautiful women he'd ever seen, like angels bidding him unto the night. Rosalie's death was so opposite.
Maria told him that it was always important to create newborns with care. Back then, they liked to stalk the ones they targeted. They would follow them for a week at least, looking for any talents or particular advantages. Maria always preferred that he do the kills, to numb the human with a rhythmic lullaby of sleep, and then nip at the corner of the neck above the heart, pushing venom into the gap with gentle sucks and licks. If Maria did it, sometimes the victim would wake up, and then they'd have to slice the vocal chords until they got the new recruit back to the caverns. The venom would heal everything, but Maria always said it made the newborn a predetermined whiner. That's why it was better if Jasper used his power.
Maria, herself, had died in a horrible way. She wouldn't talk about it. She said she didn't remember—which was possible, but then there was the rage that boiled for days later after a mere mention of her birth into this non-life. Jasper never believed that she'd forgotten.
Jasper liked Rosalie best when she was around Emmett. She was herself—logical, brassy—but she seemed happy about it, then. Still wielding a sword, but without the armor. Fierce but warm.
He liked her the least around Alice.
When they'd first joined the Cullens, he didn't pay much attention to Rosalie. He'd been much more focused on Edward—hearing his every thought—which was disturbing. Alice, however, focused on the other two female vampires.
Esme, well, Jasper decided that Esme had given herself to God before the last click of her heel left that bluff. She'd said a final prayer and then fallen from the precipice only to be raised by Carlisle, her haloed savior. Jasper was pretty sure that Carlisle more than just a little enjoyed the quiet worship his wife held for him. He, himself, would have been annoyed by the sweetness, except it felt too nice—tickling like a fresh zephyr across the face—so he settled for reminding himself that Carlisle and Esme were run-of-the-mill cute.
Esme, therefore, was kind to everyone, with a special spot for Edward. Rosalie, on the other hand... Rosalie was not so inviting. She grabbed Esme's hand the second day after they arrived. "Time to hunt! The boys already went!" and when Esme's eyes stopped her, with a glance directed over at Alice, Rosalie stopped, smiled long and slow, and said, "Alice, have you not hunted?"
"Not yet."
"You should come then." Another smile. Fake. The girl was territorial. Esme was her mother.
"Do you want to go to the shops afterward," Alice offered.
"If we have time..." Rosalie trailed off, buttoning up her jacket and spinning the door knob. "I had been hoping to do something with my hair."
Alice opened up her mouth to offer, but then her teeth clicked as she slammed it shut. She'd seen Rosalie's response. It was not... whatever it was supposed to be.
The three women left, Alice leaking a trail of hurt.
Edward had entered the living room not a minute after the door clicked shut. He stood in the center of it, staring at the door, almost as if he could see through it, though Jasper knew what he really was doing was listening to the fading thoughts of the women.
It was unsettling. "I thought you weren't supposed to be playing peek-a-boo in our heads. Wasn't that part of the deal?" Jasper asked.
Edward turned, expression unchanged as he sat down on the couch. "It will get better. Alice knows that. Rose's just being Rosalie, right now."
"Jealous and cold, you mean," Jasper muttered.
"She is jealous that Alice has a talent." Edward nodded. "But also, she's never friendly with newcomers—and Alice can be rather effusive, so..."
"She's like Wonder Woman!" Emmett pronounced, coming down the stairs. Jasper groaned internally—just what he needed—to piss off Emmett. But then, he realized that Emmett wasn't angry, more like... understanding, patient, and perhaps a drop or two annoyed, but not to the extent of being offended.
Jasper's assessment was interrupted by Emmett's asking him, "You're doing that creepy probe thing, aren't you?"
"Probing thing?"
"Yes, probing my emotional temperature—just like Edward snoops in my brain."
"Hey, I don't snoop," Edward argued.
"Do so. You were snooping on the ladies just now."
"Well, it was... important."
"So you only snoop when it's important. I see." Emmett gave an exaggerated cock of the brow. "Well, but how do you know if it's important—unless— you were already snooping TO BEGIN WITH!?!" Emmett smacked his fist on the table, probably doing his best impression of courtroom judge.
Except the table cracked.
Emmett gave the table a blank stare. "Oh, that'll get me in trouble." But then he grinned up at them. "Unless no one tells..."
"We don't need to 'tell.' Who else would do that?" Edward groaned.
"I'll blame Carlisle," Emmett quipped, but then his face grew serious again, and he turned to Jasper. "Rosie can be cold, but give her a chance. She's an ice cube that's better melted than cracked."
"Nice analogy." Edward smirked.
"I can make analogies..." Emmett defended with arms crossed.
"Normally, they involve tits and bears. This one was about physical states. Color me impressed."
"I am impressive." Emmett flexed a bicep.
"Not bad," Jasper nodded.
"Wanna arm wrestle?"
Edward was shaking his head, mouthing, "say 'no.'"
Jasper laughed. "Sure. Best out of three?"
Emmett whooped and sped to the back door.
Jasper followed. He was pretty sure he liked his new brothers.
^v^v^v^
Alice had a variety of caps and various logo-clad jerseys spread across their bed. Her eyes kept flicking from Jasper to the outfits, assessing her options.
"Just pick," Jasper insisted.
"I wonder what Bella will wear?" Alice murmured, and then he felt her looking, eyes out of focus. "She'll wear grey and blue—so, we will, too."
"And just why are we coordinating with Edward's little human?"
Alice spun on her heel, frowning at him. "I told you that I was going to love her."
"Well, I assumed as much since you said she was joining the family."
"But it's more than that." Alice went back to the bed and picked up the navy cap, fingering the edges. "She's going to be my best friend."
"Thought I was your best friend..." Jasper faked a whine, resting his hands on his fists as he gave Alice a sad look.
She snorted, ignoring him. "I like Charlotte when she's around, but you know... I've never been close to Rosalie—or Esme, even, and I'm closer to Edward and Carlisle than them, and yet... I can't drag you shopping all the time, and well, having Bella around will be good. It'll make a difference." She smiled up at him then, and the smile was asking for reassurance as much as it was showing her tentative optimism.
Jasper smiled back, and then crossed the room to pick up her hand. He folded it into his and then brought her palm to his lips. He kissed it while he watched her eyes. "She'll love you, too," he promised.
^v^v^v^
He ran toward her.
When Alice froze in the middle of the field, Jasper felt the sting of guilt's dagger bite her chest at the same time that he felt her cool slip of fear chasing Bella.
"They were traveling much quicker than I thought. I can see I had the perspective wrong before," she said.
He wanted to pull her against him, but that would make her feel worse, he knew. "What changed?"
"They heard us playing, and it changed their path."
Which meant that Bella was in deep shit... because there was no tactic that would resolve this. Running her out of there would be like leaving a trail of bacon fry for a fox to follow. Sure, they had numbers on their side, but hiding her in plain sight would be idiotic, too, but then Jasper wasn't making the decisions on this charade...
^v^v^v^
When their "guests" arrived, it was in geese-v with one in the front and two in the back, while for their part, Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper formed the Maginot line at the edge of the field, with Carlisle doing his benevolent Zeus thing, Emmett looking huge, and Jasper sending out his "chill out" vibe.
"We thought we heard a game," the front-runner spoke first. "I'm Laurent, these are Victoria and James." He gestured to the vampires beside him.
Carlisle continued on with the play at etiquette, which was all fine and good until the weather decided to play the jester.
The wind.
Which sent Bella's smell straight at them.
Which caused the sinewy male to challenge Edward for her.
And yep, la paz se fue.
What followed was Carlisle and Laurent playing pretend with manners as a guise for white flags, while Edward and James had a silent, claws-drawn-but-not-extended cockfight on the baseball diamond.
All Jasper could do was keep an eye on Alice and radiate enough calm to turn a boulder into a marshmallow.
Publius Cornelius Tacitus had it right, Jasper concluded. A bad peace is even worse than war.
Then he, Carlisle, and company got charged with taking the Acadian, the shifty red head, and James, the vampire who wanted to eat Bella, on home to the ranch. Their charge didn't last long, though, because no sooner had Edward, Alice, and Emmett disappeared with Bella, when James informed them, "I left our maps at our last camp. I need them. Laurent, you stay." And then he was off.
Hunting.
The red head frowned and made a show of looking put-out; however, she felt... excited. Enthralled, even.
Then she was off too.
He and Carlisle exchanged a look, but really, there was nothing they could do, except to get home as soon as possible and keep an eye on this Laurent.
^v^v^v^
"He's tracking us." Edward was at the edge, forcing himself not to lash out at Laurent.
Laurent gritted his teeth. "I was afraid of that."
Jasper's eyes were on Alice, her tense expression as she watched the exchange. Her golden eyes were almost quivering, as lost as she was to the mix of current and future turmoil, but then her face turned to his. Anxiety and need for... for him—comfort, love, and balance. She came to his side in a breath, her lips finding his ear. "It's worse than you think. There's no sure path. Meet me upstairs, okay?"
When her toes touched the first step, he was right behind her.
When their bedroom door clicked shut, Alice turned to him. She wrapped her arms tight about his waist, still looking up at him. "I can't lose her," she mouthed, silent so the house wouldn't hear. "Edward can't either."
"You're not going to lose her. We're big, bad vampires, and there are seven of us and two of them."
"There's more than one way to lose her. Her father must be protected—and he can't find out about us." Her eyes blurred again. Fear spiked in her chest. Alice clenched her hands in fists, eyes clenched shut. "We have to get her out of here," she breathed.
"There's a plan?"
She nodded. "You and I are taking her to Phoenix."
Interesting. "Why Phoenix?"
"Well, we ran into James at her house—"
Jasper hissed.
"It was fine. Bella announced to her dad that she was going to see her mom in Phoenix."
"And why are we taking her to Phoenix again...?"
"Because it's a false decoy. The last place he'd expect her to go is where she says she's going. Also, we'll be able to watch her mom that way."
"Not bad—and I get to stay with you. Although..." Jasper's brow furrowed. "Edward's not worried about me being around Bella?"
"Are you worried?"
Jasper paused, looking down at the confident glow of Alice. "Not with you around. Just keep your eyes open for me, all right?"
She smiled back. "Will do."
"Now what?"
"We pack," she declared, and then the drawers began to fly open.
^v^v^v^
It was an odd moment when Jasper found himself alone in a room with Bella.
Alone with a human... It almost never happened.
When it did, the other student—or whatever brand of human—would become overwhelmed by his or her body's reaction to him. He could calm the human, which he often did, but just as often, he let the sweaty idiot leave. It was easier that way.
Everyone else had left. Alice was out starting up the Mercedes. This was how he found himself alone with Bella. He made sure to put a few meters in between them and to monitor her movements in a clinical fashion. He didn't want to be taken by surprise. That would be bad.
He expected Bella to back away from him, too, but as before, she didn't notice his otherness, the way other humans did. Instead, she felt guilty, and more... there was a lack of confidence, a sense of inadequacy—of longing and shame, as if she wanted to touch something but couldn't. Like she shouldn't dare. She wasn't worth it.
It was suffocating.
He parted his lips to speak, but then hesitated. It wasn't his business... but then her longing was so thick, so he told her as gently as he could, "You're wrong, you know."
She hadn't expected him to speak. Her head shot up. Her eyes went big. "What?" she asked.
"I can feel what you're feeling now—and you are worth it."
She shook her head. With too much force, he thought. "I'm not. If anything happens to them, it will be for nothing," she argued.
"You're wrong," he repeated. He mustered a smile.
Outside the door, he heard Alice. She had stopped and was listening to them from the step. He could feel the slow breaks of her happiness against his skin. It hugged across his chest.
The comfort of it was still there even after they were rolling out of the drive.
^v^v^v^
He and Alice followed the Bow river north of Calgary until it curled to the northwest. There, they'd stopped, because as the sky was slowly darkening and the city lights were fading into a halo on their backs, the theater in the sky was just beginning.
It began with the sense of the sky shifting, clouds engaging in shadow play—but the sky was clear, the stars evident, and then the color entered the canvas. At his side, Alice released a low gasp. Jasper laughed because it was the third time they had come to the see the Aurora Borealis since arriving in Alberta, and that didn't even count the times Alice had seen it through her visions—and yet Alice still gasped.
The colors were green tonight, twisting helices that went from thick ribbons to watery, twisting reeds. At his side, Alice was swaying, leaning with the to and fro of the lights, eyes transfixed and a mix of starlight, snake green, and the base gold of her irises. Then he realized that he'd spent more time watching Alice than the sky... so he turned back, content in crossing his arms and leaning back into the grass.
"It's peaking now," Alice whispered some minutes later. The sky was moving fast, seeming to dip, touch the earth, and lift the soul of it away and into its dark potion.
Watching it with Alice by his side felt right in more ways than he could say. It made him feel normal, because this was bigger than they were. It was as fantastical as vampires—and yet not hidden. It was open and elemental, and it was as if he was seeing a visual manifestation of the planet's emotions. It made him feel small, and he liked that. With a smile, he kissed the top of Alice's head.
^v^v^v^
The sky was still active when they started back.
They slowed to a walk when they entered the city outskirts, strolling down the lamp lit streets. Despite the late hour, the neighborhood porches in this part of town were still awash with summertime activity. There were more young people than usual, especially the fucking hippies who'd burned their draft cards and fled across the border, and then local university girls home for the summer and all intent on shucking their Albertan conservatism and lifting their skirts for some Yankee free love. A bunch of—
Alice poked him in the side as he rolled his eyes. She knew his thoughts. She'd heard it all before, and he wasn't holding his irritation in all that well, so... But then, at his side, he felt her stiffen, and he made to ask—but then her fingers shot up to his lips. "Shhh," she hushed.
At the corner ahead. They listened. There was the distant sound of near-silent footfalls. Familiar footfalls. Footfalls he'd memorized in a different life. Footfalls that he could never forget.
Maria.
Jasper had Alice behind him in the next instant. He wanted to run. To avoid this confrontation. For Alice. Alice didn't need to deal with his past. He knew Maria'd leave him be if he was firm. She'd go after Alice, though. He could run. However, that would encourage a chase. They could take the river. But with her so close... "Alice," he whispered, "talk, fight, or flight?"
Alice was silent for too long, he thought. The footsteps were coming closer and closer. There were three sets of them. A fleet, heavy set in addition to a human set. "We stay," Alice finally answered.
...which didn't exactly answer his question, but nevertheless, Jasper gave a single, short nod even as he closed his eyes, wishing he could wish this all away, while overhead, the neon sweeps of the sky across his lids warned him that such fantasy was impossible.
He saw them when they emerged from the tree-lined yard at the far intersection. It was her, a male vampire and a human—a drunk man with an unbuttoned collar and a loosed tie. He was slurring out a song as he tripped along beside Maria. Jasper didn't recognize the male vampire, although by the cut of his hair and the dark angle of his eyes, Jasper thought he must be one of the recruits from Monterrey.
Their eyes met. Maria gave a single, bold look at Jasper, and then her eyes fixed on Alice. Alice glared back, and Jasper felt the twin flares of hate spike between the two. It lasted for only a second before Maria's stance relaxed, albeit because she was focusing on her new tactic. He watched as weight shifted to her left hip, her arms crossing across her chest. "Jasper! It has been ages and ages," she called. "And for us to meet on such a lovely night," she gestured at the sky, "it must be fortune." She winked as she smiled.
"How did you find us?" Alice asked. "We were careful."
"Jasper!" Maria exclaimed with too much affection to be believable. "And just who is your friend?"
"Alice," Alice answered for herself.
"Alice," Maria hissed back, her smile becoming a line. "As you see I've brought some friends, too. Rico, to my right." She patted the male vampire. "Oh, and then this is..." She trailed off, and then she smiled at the wide-eyed human, who smiled right back.
"I'm Paul."
"Yes, of course. Paul!" She shook her head as if to correct herself.
Jasper's waves of calm were doing little, except to make Paul sway more. "Maria, say what you came to say."
"I missed you. I know we parted on bad terms, but I thought that after a bit of time to clear your mind, you'd be ready to return to us." She was walking up the hill with the male edging along behind her. They were in range to lunge.
"My feelings haven't changed." Then he glanced at Alice. "Well, at least not in your favor," he finished.
Maria paused, and he felt the irritation prickle across her skin. "It's not like I didn't do some basic research before following your bread crumb trail. I heard all about Alice here. It seems she's useful, talented like you. I thought I might invite you both to come back with me." She gave him a familiar glare. "Don't think I would give you a second chance in that way—I have a better man for that job." She smirked at the vampire at her side.
The male hardly acknowledged her words. His focus was on Jasper's movements. Jasper could sense his readiness. He was waiting...
The human broke the awkward moment. "She's pretty, too," he announced, gazing with disbelief at Alice. "So's he..." He pointed at Jasper, looking somewhat confused at his own words, before blinking and turning to look at Rico, only to flit his eyes away, looking apologetic at best.
"Come here, Paul." Alice smiled at him, extending her hand by way of invitation.
But Maria grabbed his shoulder. "No, Paul. Don't." When Paul rounded his head to give her a confused look, she ran her hand across his cheek. Jasper saw the man tremble at the act, both from apprehension and desire. Despite the cold, the sweet fragrance of her breath would be drawing him in at such close range. "Paul, before you go off to play with Alice and Jasper, I need them to answer some questions, okay?"
Paul shrugged, looking ready to follow whatever order Maria would give.
Maria gave him another pat on the shoulder. "So back to what I was saying before... I did some research before coming to look you up, and I heard about your new lifestyle..."
"Lifestyle?" Paul asked in confusion.
"We're vegetarians," Alice cut in.
Paul looked much put out.
"From the color of your eyes," Maria continued, "I can only conclude that the rumors I happened across were true. That you really have played at being a vegetarian."
"I am one. There's no playing at it," Jasper corrected her.
"Oh, please, Jasper. There's no one who relished it as much as you did."
"Some things are more important than diet, Maria."
"Not for you."
"You want to think so."
"We lost Monterrey last year. For the first time."
"So, that's why you 'missed' me."
"It's a good enough reason."
"It's a cold one."
"You forget it's the South. That's where the fire burns, donde la sangre canta con el calor del sol."
"I don't know. It might be cold in Alberta, but it's peaceful. Also, the night sky is something to behold." Jasper gave a flip of the hand.
"You can't be satisfied here. I've known you longer than anyone. I know you better than she does," Maria growled, ignoring Alice's hiss.
"That's a joke—" Jasper began, but he didn't finish his words because Maria attacked.
Not him, though.
The human.
The white crescent of her nail slit across Paul's throat at the same time that she launched his frail body toward Jasper.
But Rico moved. As did Alice.
There was Rico, the charging bull. There was Paul, the spinning top, drops of blood flying from his neck as he twirled, and then there was Alice—Alice who moved faster than all of them, a dagger in the air, the streak of her dress's white sash slicing through the scene. She caught Paul's hand, rolling him out of the way and into the bushes to the left at the time that she yelled out, "Jasper!", and managed a roundhouse at the lunging Rico.
Rico absorbed the kick, only faltering with two crunching footprints into the pavement before leaping at Jasper again.
He feigned for Jasper's left before ducking low and swinging a kick—which Jasper deflected with his own kick—and then avoided Rico's uppercut and managed a punch that caught him across the jaw. The punch sent him flying back, and Jasper chased his opponent's fall, his knee slamming Rico into the curb while his other fist pinned his jaw. Jasper got his arm with a ripping screech.
In his periphery, Maria lunged for Alice.
Rico's free arm snatched at Jasper's leg. But Jasper flipped him, pushed his face into the boulevard grass, and then he ripped, and the head flew and cracked against the iron fence like a canon ball.
Then Jasper was turning, but even as his head whipped around—he felt Alice's confidence, her concentration—while Maria... Maria was all rage. Alice, however... By the time he pivoted and made to leap, Alice had caught Maria by the wrist. Maria had snapped at her neck then, teeth grazing the spiked edge of Alice's hair—but the move had cost her, because Alice twisted mid-air, cutting Maria's legs out from beneath her, and then with preternatural grace, the flat of her palm slammed down between the taller woman's shoulder blades.
Which sent Maria plummeting forward, almost half-crawling in her scramble to get away.
Until Alice's teeth were at her neck.
Then everything stopped.
The only sounds were the brush of the nighttime wind through the trees, the murmur of voices from farther down the street, and then the pained gasping from the bushes.
"He trained you," Maria blurted, her tone a mix of resentment, envy, and grudging respect.
"After a time," Alice agreed, and then her eyes darted to meet Jasper's. There was a smile in them, before she refocused on Maria. "You're going to leave. You're never going to come back. If you try to find him again, I will know, and I will stop you, and you won't be walking free."
Incredulous relief colored Maria's tone. "You're setting me free?"
"It's better that way," Alice muttered, not looking at Jasper.
Jasper let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, only to hold it all over again—the blood from the bushes—it was coming faster now. "Alice, we need to..."
"One second," Alice said, and then she put her lips close to Maria's ear. "Remember what I said. I'll be watching," and then she pushed on Maria's back, shoving her six feet forward across the grass.
Maria turned and stood, making a show of brushing the grass off her skirt. "Well, so long then," she spat. "So nice to see you again, Jasper." And then she spun on her heel, turning the corner of the building and out of sight.
Jasper listened, focusing himself on monitoring her departure, while Alice ran toward the bushes.
He heard her whisper, "Everything was clear except..." She lifted the pale, bleeding man onto her lap, and then she grabbed at the hem of her dress. There was the sharp sound of ripping fabric as she tore a white strip. She looped it about his neck, tying with perfect pressure, but...
Jasper shook his head. "The jugular, plus the alcohol—he's lost too much."
Before him, Alice didn't respond, but instead lifted Paul from her small lap onto the grass, and then, in a small voice she asked, "Can he feel the pain?"
"No, he's unconscious."
"We should go then."
She nodded and stood.
They were almost home when she stopped, gripping his hand and looking up at him.
"What?" he asked. She felt panicked.
"Thank you."
"For?"
"For choosing me."
"Of course I chose you. You'd have known that."
"I didn't look."
"Why not?"
"I would have stopped you, but if you had wanted to go, you should have had that. I knew that, so I didn't look."
"Alice..."
She looked up at him.
"You can always look. Always. Probably better that way, actually..." he joked, smiling and kissing her nose.
She smiled back then, eyes blurry with the gold tints of the sunrise.
^v^v^v^
Bella smelled... like a human.
She slept like a human.
She also needed to eat and drink and breathe and use the ladies room like a human. She got upset like a human, too—so he had to calm her a lot. It was a lot to keep in mind and handle, especially she smelled especially good for a human.
The fact that Alice was getting zero on James and Victoria was also not helping.
The only good thing was that Edward was finally coming to collect her, and that way Jasper could relax and go for a hunt as nice and as long as his leisure willed, and he could call his current mission successful. They would figure out the James situation in good time.
This was what he thinking about as he played sentinel for Bella outside the ladies' room at the airport.
Three and a half minutes had passed when he first made himself check. There were sounds of gurgling sinks and flushing u-bends, and the smells... Jasper wrinkled his nose—and yet, he didn't hear the now familiar breath. He should feel her—she was so flustered, tense, she should be easy to... except he didn't feel her.
His phone was flipped open and at his ear by the time he reached the other exit.
He hissed "shit" into the phone at the same time that he heard Alice's gasped reply on the receiver.
"She left us..."
^v^v^v^
The finale for this one goes up on Sunday.
Otherwise, I amuse you with a cowboy thought:
"If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen are defrocked, shouldn't it follow that cowboys would be deranged?"