Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
Alice groaned, rolling over and pulling the thick comforter over her head. She curled into a tight ball, bringing her knees up to her stomach and sinking farther into the soft bed.
Then she froze.
Bed?
Her eyes flew open and she leapt up, looking around in a daze. For a split second she almost believed it was all a dream, that she was still safe in the hospital, not yet eighteen years old. Then she realized it wasn't the hospital, it was a hotel room.
She sighed, her moment of optimism crushed out like an old cigar. But she was surprised to find she wasn't actually disappointed, she was…pleased. The mental facility may hold safety within its walls, but it didn't hold Jasper. And that was almost absurd to think about, a place with Alice should always include Jasper. It was just…fitting.
Accurate.
Alice stretched her back, noting that most of the spasms that came along with sleeping on the rough ridges of the pickup's back were muted from the soft bed. She glanced around, taking in her surroundings.
She was always more comfortable when she knew the facts.
Who, where, why, when, and how.
It was another side affect of her "gift", she felt trapped and insecure when she wasn't aware of all the details and technicalities. She'd realized one of the things she hated most about this situation was that she wasn't in control, and she definitely wasn't in the loop of information. She was just a instrument to Edward.
She sighed, looking around once more. The walls were painted a pale green and the carpet was a pale yellow. As her eyes adjusted better to the low lights she registered that everything in the room was pale, like the color had drained out of it, leaving a ghost of it behind. She rubbed at her eyes and meandered into the bathroom, leaning up against the tiled counter, frowning as she noticed that even her reflection in the mirror was colorless and dull, weary even.
Her eyes were dark with bags under them that gave the impression of being permanently etched onto her fair skin. Her dark hair was matted, sticking up in some places and plastered down in others. She sighed again. Her looks had always been important to Alice even though she'd had no one to dress up for. She just loved the feeling of it, the routine.
She wandered back out to the other room, trying to turn the doorknob, it was locked.
She already knew it would be.
Someone was probably sitting outside it right now. She hoped it was Jasper. Taking one last longing look at the closed door, she went to take a shower. The warm water relaxed her slightly, clearing her drowsy mind. She relished the smell of the hotel shampoo, giving her hope that maybe things were still normal in some ways.
They sure didn't seem normal.
Stepping out of the shower she dried off, slipping on her old green dress. The material was scratchy, but she didn't need to worry about it tearing easily. Then she sat on the bed and waited.
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Jasper slunk down the hallway, praying that everyone else was still sleeping. He undid the makeshift lock on the outside of Alice's door, and entered quietly. He turned to close it, but a sharp intake of breath startled him. He felt slender arms wrap around his waist. He smiled, turning back and hugging his Alice close to his chest. Her eyes were teary but resigned. He sat down on the bed, pulling her onto his lap.
"Let's go." he whispered.
"What? Now?" Alice stammered. He nodded.
"If you want to."
"I want to." she whispered in a small voice. "But do you?"
"That doesn't matter Alice, I can't see you in pain, see you kept here against you're will." he murmured. Alice bit her lip.
"Tell me one thing." she mumbled.
"Anything, Alice."
"Why is Edward looking for that woman? Isabella? Was he going to hurt her?" Jasper's face dropped, leaving an expression of ancient sadness.
"No, she's his wife. His love. Pretty much his everything."
"They…kidnapped his wife?" Alice asked, her musical voice cracking. Jasper nodded. Alice buried her face in her hands.
"Dammit." she snarled.
"What?" he asked, alarmed at her hostility.
"Now I can't leave. We need to find her."
"Alice…."
"Don't bother Jasper, I can't leave now, I know how it feels to be held against your will. But I don't know how it feels to be away from your true love." she trailed her fingers lightly down Jasper's arm.
"And I don't want to find out." she whispered.
"Alice…I don't think you understand how…unstable…Edward is right now. Since the moment Bella went missing I've been sending low doses of composure at him all day, everyday. I'm fairly sure it's the only thing keeping him from going completely ballistic on himself and us. " Alice pursed her lips.
"Jasper, believe me, I understand. I lived in a mental hospital for twelve years, I know when someone isn't thinking clearly." she stated, her voice firm. She wished he would have a little faith in her, she'd been through a lot already without him. But as that thought slithered through her mind she subconsciously tightened her solid grip on his arm.
Jasper swallowed thickly.
"So there's no possible way I could talk you out of it?" he stated, downcast and feeling like he failed her. She took his face in her hands, searching his deep blue eyes for their special link that had enveloped her the first time their eyes met. She found it easily, sitting back with a satisfied smile.
"You could effortlessly talk me out of it, or even just use your gift, but I know you won't. And I don't even need my sense of premonition for that." she stated, not a hint of uncertainty to be found. Jasper smiled slightly, knowing she was right. He would never try to sway her reasoning, he trusted her.
They heard a rough knock on the door.
"Can I come in?" a gruff voice asked uneasily.
"Yeah Emmett." Jasper called, shifting Alice so they were sitting next to each other. The door creaked open and Emmett's huge frame filled the doorway.
"We're leaving. Five miles till Biloxi." he informed us. Jasper saw Alice go pale and stiffen beside him, anticipating another vision soon. He leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"I'll be right there with you Alice. Tell me if you changed your mind." Alice just shook her head.
"Jasper?" Emmett asked curiously. He cleared his throat.
"Nothing Emmett." Emmett began to make his way over to Alice, rope in hand.
"That won't be necessary." she stated in her melodic voice. "I'm a willing participant now." Emmett looked dumbfounded.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I won't run away. I want to help." she said patiently. He shot Jasper a questioning look.
"You heard her Emmett." Jasper stated, not patient. Emmett just raised his eyebrows.
"What's up with you two?" he asked suspiciously. They both shrugged. Only in a situation as weird as theirs would no one have noticed before. Emmett just shook his head.
"Whatever. Come on." They all headed out to the pickup truck. Edward was in the passenger seat, features stormy but with a hint of hope underneath the anguish. They were close to finding Bella. Rosalie was in the middle, her beautiful face stoic. Emmett hopped in the drivers seat, starting up the engine. Alice scampered in the back seat with Jasper, happy to not be cooped up in the truck bed with the tarp over it.
She sent a smile toward Edward. He glowered back, his expression suspicious.
They drove for a half an hour, then Alice spotted a sign on the side of the road. A potent wave of déjà vu washed over her. It was the same sign as in her vision. No matter how much she expected it and understood it, she always felt a creepy sensation as she relived something from a vision.
They pulled off onto a trail and once again found themselves in the soothing confines of the forest. They got out of the truck, and Edward turned to Alice, nodding once.
She nodded back and closed her eyes, building up her courage. And then she fell into the vision, landing in the midst of another portion of woods, similar to the one she had just occupied. The one her body was still in. She sprinted down a empty road, aware that she only had a limited amount of time in this uncanny vision-world. A few seconds later she spotted a road sign. She quickly memorized the name and kept running, and soon she glimpsed the outline of a small cabin.
She jogged toward the door, but something blocked her, keeping her from getting within five feet of it. It was almost like an invisible shield, preventing her from entering the cabin. She only had a second to ponder it before the dials turned and she was crashing back into the present.
Through the blinding pain, she felt Jasper's strong arms wrap around her tenderly and the pounding in her head receded a little, allowing her to open her tired eyes. He helped her slowly to the ground, her knees were too weak for her to handle it by herself. Jasper dropped down next to her, keeping them connected by their hands desperately gripping each others. Edward sent them a guarded glance before striding forward.
"Alice?" he asked darkly.
"I know the road they're on, I used to ride my bike there when I was little. They're on a turn off that goes pretty far in the woods, in a cabin." Alice informed him dutifully. Edward nodded swiftly, taking off toward the truck.
"Come on." he stated quietly, but it was as much a command as screaming it would have been. They all filed into the truck, and Alice obediently told him the directions to the cabin.
They parked a mile away and started assembling a hasty plan, while Alice slept off the exhaustion of her vision.
The night began to encroach on them, making the already ominous forest a shadowy playing field for their plot to save Bella. Whether they made all of the right moves or all of the wrong ones, it was a dangerous situation. Jasper said a silent prayer, willing everything to turn out okay.
A/N: Hello, I hope you liked this chapter! The next chapter I'm going to attempt to crank up the action, I think it's lacking it. Hopefully I will succeed! Anyways, please review!!! ;)