Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
"Love is a deep well from which you may drink often, but into which you may fall but once."
-Ellye Howell Glover
"You held out your hand, and I took it without stopping to make sense of what I was doing. For the first time in almost a century, I felt hope."
Stephenie Meyer- Eclipse
Alice was once again enclosed in the back of the pickup truck. She laid on her side, scowling at the particles of dirt and dust. She was trying to keep her mind wheeling and planning to keep the looming sense of panic from taking over her senses.
She was planning an escape.
She thought through endless scenarios and circumstances, attempting to make everything infallible. But she had no idea where they were heading, not remembering a single detail of the agonizing hours after the vision.
However, she did remember the vision itself. And what she had seen scared her. Was Edward planning on hurting this poor woman? Was he planning on kidnapping her too? Who were the other people there?
Alice didn't have any answers.
And that was unsettling.
Despite detesting the painful visions, she had always enjoyed the side effects of them. The almost flawless sense of certainty about things she'd had her whole life.
In fact, one of her favorite pastimes at the hospital had been gambling with the other patients. But in this instance, she couldn't feel that extra sense.
The truck came to a stop. She flinched as the tailgate dropped open and she heard Emmett's booming, nerve-racking voice permeate the air. She knew what was coming. She reluctantly rolled out of the truck bed, dropping gracefully onto the ground.
Emmett nodded at her, untying her wrists. She flexed her hands gratefully, trying to get the blood rushing back.
"Thank you." Alice murmured.
"No problem." Emmett muttered. But then he prodded her in the back with his elbow.
"Get going. Edward wants to see you." Alice sighed, nodding sullenly.
She glanced around her surroundings, noting that they were once again in the middle of the woods. A jagged dirt path led out of the large clearing they were in. Alice wondered idly how they managed to drive the truck down the trail without bouncing Alice into a milkshake in the truck bed. It had actually been a fairly smooth ride.
The clearing they were in looked as if it had been used as a campsite for some stray hikers. There were scattered patches of wildflowers that Alice would have loved to wander through, if not for the circumstances. Instead she just plopped down in the tall grass, leaning back and preparing for the oncoming torture.
She stared at the clouds for a few minutes before she heard Edwards velvet voice slice through the natural silence of the meadow.
"Hello Alice, this is Jasper. He might be able to help you."
She glanced up, expecting to meet Edward's eyes, but instead seeing someone else.
Behind Edward, stood another man.
He was tall and lean, with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. She had caught his eye.
Alice felt her world shift.
It wasn't one of those classic romantic movie moments, it wasn't sappy or picture perfect.
It just….was.
Before it was Alice.
Now it was Alice and Jasper.
Simple.
Pure.
Breathtaking.
She saw the shocked look of untainted conviction wash across his features.
She was home.
Alice raised the corners of her mouth almost imperceptibly. Jasper mirrored the motion.
They shared a secret smile, just the two of them.
But their private bubble burst as Edward continued his sentence, oblivious to the phenomenon that had just occurred right in front of him.
"Jasper has a special ability. He might be able to cure some of the pain that comes with your visions. Although you should know, it was his idea, not mine. He's always the sentimental one." Edward finished with a sneer.
But Alice could tell his malicious behavior was covering up a much deeper emotion. But she wasn't sure what emotion it was.
"Jasper, go find Rosalie, she off in the woods somewhere. I want everyone here for our next step in the plan." Alice swallowed thickly, aware that the next step most likely included another vision. Edward started to turn around, but then he paused.
"And take the girl with you, I don't want to baby-sit her. Don't let her get away." Jasper nodded, calm and collected on the exterior.
But Alice perceived the waves of anticipation roaring behind his ocean blue eyes. Alice trudged over to Jasper, having to work hard to make her movements look reluctant. When all she really wanted to do was run into his arms and never leave. Jasper turned and started to stride in the wood line, Alice following close on his heels.
When they were safely away from Edwards's watchful eyes, Jasper turned to Alice and gently took her hand, a rare smile forming on his lips.
"You felt that too right?" Alice breathed, her voice a sigh. Jasper just nodded. Then Alice furrowed her eyebrows.
"Why are you with them? Who are they?" All of the panic Alice had worked to put to the back of her mind came flooding back.
Her heart fully accepted Jasper already, but her mind was having trouble catching up.
"I'll explain while we search for Rosalie." Jasper promised.
"Ok."
Alice took in the sound of Jasper's deep, warm voice. It reminded her of the wilderness. Jasper took in the sound of Alice's musical, melodic voice, the way it was almost like singing. He thought it sounded like an instrument so beautiful it was not yet discovered on this planet.
They began a brisk pace through the shadowy forest, the birds chirping through the canopy of leaves.
"Now, where should I start?" Jasper asked quietly, his muted voice blending seamlessly into the encroaching forest.
"How did they know about me?" Alice asked, her voice just as quiet.
She could sense Jasper would catch every word. Their ears were meant to hear the other's voice. And their voices were made to blend and twist around each others.
Perfectly balanced.
"Edward is aware of the talents of some people. The talents that most of the world mistakes for mental illnesses. I'm not saying there aren't mental illnesses, just that there are a few special cases. Edward needed to find something. Desperately. So he searched through the records and found you, knowing you could help him." Jasper's muted voice went steely towards the end.
Alice heard the infinitesimal change.
"Jasper, if Edward didn't kidnap me, I wouldn't have met you today." Alice reminded him softly.
He didn't have an answer for that.
"So, what was Edward saying about you?" she asked. Jasper switched his gaze from Alice's face to his threadbare shoelaces.
"I have an talent too. I can manipulate emotions. And feel them." Jasper murmured.
Alice reached out and gently put her finger under Jasper's chin, bringing his anxious face level with her concerned one. Their blue eyes met and Jasper's angst disappeared in the wake of Alice's emotions.
"Jasper, you can't chase me away. I promise." Alice stated. Jasper grinned, nodding.
He was mystified that he already wholly trusted this bizarre, physic young woman. But he wouldn't change it for the world. Alice started to ask another question, but Jasper cut her off my placing his calloused finger to her soft lips.
"I'll explain more later, but I hear Rosalie." he whispered.
Alice nodded, reading the distrust in his eyes as Rosalie's name rolled off his tongue. Even though she hadn't even seen Rosalie yet, Alice couldn't wait to once again be alone with Jasper.
She tried to convince herself that every thing would get better now that she had him.
But that fluttering feeling in the back of her mind warned her that the trouble had only just begun.
A/N: Hello! Thank you to everyone that added this story to their alerts. I would love to hear what you think about it, so if you get a chance, leave a review! :)