He followed her as she led him out of the bar. She said that he would not hurt the girl whose precious lifeline smelled so enticing to him now. How did she know? But then he remembered her power. It would take some getting used to, being around someone who knew everything about the future. As they got closer to the woman, who was the same woman from the apartment building earlier, coincidentally, he stopped breathing. Then, for extra reassurance, he clamped his palm over his mouth in such a way that it looked like he was actually holding his mouth shut. The woman paid no attention to this strange gesture. He watched as her eyes went from him, to Alice, and back to him. The longing was still there, but there was something else this time too. He felt it radiate from her like a stab to his stomach. He knew these feelings well. People felt them more often than they were aware. Jealousy. Envy. It was directed at Alice, who walked closely with Jasper, though still in front of him. They could have merely been leaving at the same time. But no, that would be impossibly coincidental. Two unearthly beautiful, ivory pale people leaving at the same time from the same bar, and not leaving together – the chances were slim to none. They had to be leaving together. They were too much alike for it to be coincidence, but too different to be related. He felt the woman's emotions as his own. Jealous because the one that had caught her eye was leaving with a much younger, much more beautiful woman. Envy because the woman was in fact so much younger and impossibly beautiful – how could he not be leaving with her.

And yet, even feeling these emotions, the woman's heartbeat sped faster as he approached. He would like to think that it was because of a fear that she did not understand. So few humans knew that they had a "fight or flight" response biologically engraved in their subconscious. He'd witnessed it. When feeling deeply threatened, the veins in a human's arm, the visible ones right at the inner elbow, would actually recede away from the skin, and the muscle of the bicep would move over it. Protecting it. His kind usually emitted an aura that made humans avoid them, instinctually. He wished it worked solely that way, and that humans would avoid him. But many people ignored their better instincts when faced with the lure of a vampire. Genetically, he was designed to kill. Everything about him, despite that aura, drew people, especially women, closer to him, inviting them in. To them, he looked too beautiful to be real, as if he were from some fairy tale. It made them want to get to know him. His voice sounded smooth as velvet to their ears. It soothed them. Even his smell toyed with their weak noses. Humans were naturally drawn to sweet smelling and sweet tasting things, and he smelled the sweetest of them all. Add all of that to an impossibly fast, impossibly strong body, and his prey were sitting ducks. It was too easy for him. All he would have to do would be to smile at her, and she would follow him outside, daze-like, and he could end her life then and there. That peculiar aura was all he had to rely on to keep people away from him, and therefore keep the temptation away from him. Back in the mid 1800's, people paid attention to that instinct. Not so much anymore.

Her heartbeat thudded at a musical rhythm as he approached, calling to him. Even through her jealousy and envy, he felt her hope. Hope that he was walking towards her. Hope that he would turn from Alice and choose her. She wanted him, deep down. She wanted him badly. Her heart sang to him.

He moved closer to Alice and glared ahead of him.

Why couldn't they ever make it easy for him?

He passed her and followed Alice out of the door with every bit of self-restraint he had. Her disappointment was the last thing he felt before the door closed behind him and his attention was drawn once again to the peculiar and beautiful woman he was with. He watched with a grin on his face as she danced down the street. She sent water droplets flying out in circles as she twirled, and her happiness was infectious. He saw people watching them from other parts of the sidewalk and from inside buildings, and his heart soared with what, pride? He was happy that people saw them together. He wanted them to know that she had chosen him. She wanted him to stay with her for, what, years? She had said years, right? He felt superior to the rest of the humans watching them, not because of his ability or power over them, but because of the woman he was with, who had chosen to be with him.

He looked up to the sky. The atmosphere seemed warmer somehow. The day was no longer as dreary and depressing as he remembered it just a short time ago. There was so much brightness in it now, so much hope. He wondered briefly, if life would always be like this as long as he was with Alice. He would not soon get tired of her ever-present natural high. How did he live without this much happiness in his life before? The depression seemed so far away from him now. As long as she was around, would he always feed off her happiness? Her laughter was contagious. Her hope was addicting. She was like a drug to him.

They made it to the woods, and suddenly she was off.

Following her was never a problem. Her scent was imprinted into his memory. No matter how fast she moved, he could follow it through the trees. Then there was the aura that radiated off her. It was a unique blend that he was quickly beginning to associate hand in hand with her. Something like infinite happiness, hopefulness, and fascination, and then some other feelings that he couldn't quite put into words, and could only describe by certain memories, mostly from when he was a carefree boy, unburdened by the troubles and immensity that the war brought to his life. It was like following the warmth and gleam of the sun in this relatively grim looking forest. No. Following her was certainly not a problem. He was sure that if he so wished, he could follow her to the ends of the earth and back. Following was easy. It seemed right.

It was catching her that was the problem. Every time he thought he surely had her, she always slipped away, as if she anticipated exactly the move he was going to make. But then, of course, she did. No matter how much he invested himself into thinking of a move, and then changing at the last second, she would always discover his ploy and change course just at the last second. He was glad that he had never encountered a newborn with her power. All of his decades of training were of no use. Every trick and technique he had learned in roughly seventy years of fighting meant little more than garbage when up against an opponent who could foresee every move he would make. It was entirely…frustrating. She evaded his grasp and flashes away to some hidden part of the forest. He stopped and stood still, giving up on trying to capture her. Realization dawned on him that she could leave him right now, and not have to worry about him or his problems ever again. For he had no hope of ever catching her if she had no will to be caught. He could only hope that she would come back to him. "Okay, okay. I give up." He marveled at this for a moment. He was certainly no tracker, but he had never before been evaded in a battle. He had always caught his mark. He realized that if he were to stay with Alice for any length of time, he would have to get used to losing in situations like this. Some may have seen her ability as an invasion of privacy, but not he. Jasper was fascinated by her power, and, honestly, a little relieved. It was nice to know that she had seen him, seen who he was, and still decided to come be with him. It was nice to know that he could communicate to her without actually having to speak out loud. She would always know how he truly felt, because she could foresee it. He would always know how she truly felt, because he could feel it himself. It was like they were meant for each other. "Cheater." He added. He stopped walking and stood near a huge tree. The thing had probably been growing there for hundreds of years. It had seen thousands of sunsets and sunrises. He put a hand out, extending his arm, and leaned partially on the tree. "I keep asking about the Cullens, and you keep avoiding my question." He stated gently. If she were going to leave him, now was her perfect opportunity. He would never be able to catch her.