Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
A/N: Hello! Once again, I'm sorry I took so long to update. Since I wrote a chapter in Alice's P.O.V. awhile ago, I figured I'd write this one in Jasper's P.O.V. to even it out. I hope ya like it!
Jasper P.O.V.
My heart clenched in panic as Alice's small form hit the water with a sharp smack.
I dove off the ledge, free falling before entering the cool embrace of liquid. My scarred hands spread the water, bringing me deeper at a desperate speed. My bare feet touched the bottom. The cool stones that I had begun to think of as a calming brought me no comfort. I flayed my arms wildly, praying to feel a hint of anything solid.
My hands were empty. I pushed off of the river floor, floating upward with my arms still flailing.
I felt the cool fabric of a bathing suit. Pulling my Alice close to me, I thrashed upward to the surface. I made it to the rocky shore, laying Alice carefully onto the pebbles. Her eyes were open a fraction, and I could see and feel the exhaustion radiating from her.
I gathered her in my arms again, stroking her soaked hair. She shivered. I faintly registered the panicked voices of Edward, Bella, Rosalie, and Emmett, but they were just a background buzz. I could only concentrate on Alice. Her gray-blue eyes fluttered open fully.
"Are you alright, sweet pea?" I murmured. She nodded, coughing delicately.
"Sore." she rasped. I smiled. She was okay.
"Well, you hit the water hard sweet pea." I reminded her softly. She nodded.
"Stupid visions." she muttered, running a trembling hand through her short locks. I opened my mouth to tell her how sorry I was for not getting there in time, but she just shook her head.
"Don't bother Jasper, I can tell what you were going to say." she rasped. I rolled my eyes. Edward realized Alice was okay and I heard him whisper to everyone else to give us some privacy. They walked away reluctantly with anxious looks over their shoulders. Edward followed after them.
"What was your vision about?" I asked gently. She furrowed her eyebrows.
"I think…I think I saw my mother. I saw myself hugging her, and she was crying." Alice whispered. Then she nodded firmly.
"Yes, I'm sure it was my mother."
"Alice…." I trailed off, telling her the rest with my eyes. She'd told me what her family had done to her. Sending her off to a mental institution. Not even coming to visit her. Convincing my Alice there was something horribly wrong with her. My lip curled in hatred and disgust. And, after all of that, their picture was the only thing that brought her comfort through her childhood years at the hospital. I growled.
"I want to see her." Alice stated firmly. My eyes widened.
"What? That's crazy Alice, don't you remember what she did to you? What they both did to you?" I snarled.
Her eyes became dark.
"Don't call me crazy Jasper." she warned. My face crumpled. I hugged her tighter to me.
"I'm sorry Alice, you're not crazy. You're not crazy." I whispered frantically. The stormy look didn't leave her eyes.
"And yes, I do remember. But part of life is forgiveness. If they want to see me, then I want to see them. I'm not going to let a bad decision ruin my chance of being able to love my family again."
I took a deep breath.
"Okay." I whispered. "Just don't be angry with me. Don't leave me." I pleaded, hugging her even closer. I felt tears running down my face. I didn't bother wiping them away.
She slid off my lap and turned so she was kneeling on the rocks, facing me. She took my face in her soft hands.
"Shhh, Jasper it's alright." she murmured. "I'm not leaving. I'm not angry with you. I'm right here." she assured me, her eyes pained. I took a shaky breath. She wrapped her arms around my neck, burying her face in my shoulder.
"I'm sorry. I overreacted. I know you didn't mean that kind of crazy. Its just…I was told there was something wrong with me for so long…"
I kissed her lips softly.
"Don't worry about it. I overreacted too. You told me you wouldn't leave me. I should trust you. I do trust you. If you want to see your parents, that's fine with me."
She grinned a tired grin.
"Thank you Jasper."
"Anytime sweet pea, anytime." We sat in silence for awhile, watching the soft glow of the sun fade behind the thick forest of trees.
"We can go tomorrow if you want. Rose and Emmett are leaving in the morning, we can go after that." I whispered, She nodded. A few minutes later I heard her breathing even out, and the calm and love that had been radiating from her lulled into the dim emotions of sleep.
I lifted her gently, walking slowly back to the truck. Rosalie ran out to meet us holding a blanket. She laid it carefully over Alice, tucking it around her, an almost maternal look in her eyes. She gave me a timid smile before sauntering back to Emmett's open arms. We drove home in silence. I carried Alice upstairs when we got home and laid down next to her, falling asleep quickly.
I woke to a soft humming. Alice was back to her old self, prancing around the room with a feather duster. She caught my eye and smiled at me with a sheepish look. She set down the duster and jumped on the bed, pulling me up into a sitting position.
"Hello sleepyhead. Rose and Emmett just finished saying goodbye to everyone else, so they're just waiting for us." she told me, her voice sweet as sugar in my ears. I rolled out of bed, grabbing her hand and pulling her into my side. We ambled down stairs and out the door where Rose and Emmett were leaning against the grungy bricks a few feet down the road. I noticed the rusted bus stop sign.
We exchanged hugs and goodbyes. Rosalie told us that when they found a place to stay they would call Carlisle and give him the number, and that Alice and I can do the same. Emmett made sure to get in a few jokes at the last minute, and Alice made him promise to keep up his sense of humor no matter where life would take him.
And then the bus pulled up and they were gone.
One lone tear slid down Alice's cheek. She smiled at me.
"We'll see them soon. I have a feeling in the back of my mind." I nodded. If Alice said so it must be true.
"Come on sweet pea. Bella is letting us borrow her truck to go to your parents house." I couldn't help but have the word "parents" come out acidic on my tongue. Alice ignored it, pulling me along to the truck. We started on our way, Alice murmuring directions down the winding roads.
We pulled up to a huge house. It was painted a soft blue with white trim, a swing on the front porch and a clear cut yard.
Picture perfect.
I didn't trust it.
I had a lot of experience of having things not be as they appear. I felt the waves of familiarity and nervousness rolling off Alice. I squeezed her hand lightly. We climbed out of the truck and Alice smoothed down her dress anxiously, combing through her hair with nervous fingers.
A middle aged woman came out onto the porch. She had dark brown hair tied back in a bun, and the same stormy gray-blue eyes as Alice. She was wearing a flowered dress and a confused expression. Then she caught Alice's eye. She flew down the steps, her dress swirling in the wind and embraced Alice in a teary hug.
"Oh baby, is it really you? I could tell from those pretty eyes of yours. Come on sweetie, come have some tea!" she babbled, walking toward the house. Alice followed, a overwhelmed look blooming across her face. We entered the house. There was a cool breeze flowing through the open windows.
I sent Alice a glance, asking her if she wanted me to use my gift to calm her. She shook her head.
"I need to do this by myself." she whispered. I kissed her knuckles and the top of her head.
"I understand." I whispered back. Her mother came fluttering out of the kitchen followed by a man who had to be Alice's father. He had black hair that was balding in spots and a stern look on his face.
"Go on Alice dear, sit down. We have a lot to catch up on." her mother murmured. Alice nodded, sitting down on the loveseat and crossing her legs carefully. I'd never seen her do that before. I plopped down next to her. Her mother sat across from us, while her father sat over in the corner.
There was a moment of very awkward silence. Alice elbowed me in the ribs.
"Uhhh…I'm Jasper. Nice to meet you." I introduced myself artlessly. Her mother smiled a snide smile.
"I'm Eileen." she said dismissively.
Okay then.
Then her face became animated.
"Oh honey, I'm so happy you're finally better!" she exclaimed.
"Better?" Alice asked.
"Oh yes! Now we can spend so much time together…" Eileen continued to ramble on, but I concentrated on Alice's face. She was upset, I could tell that much, but she wasn't upset enough to leave. She really wanted to make this work. I prayed it would, for Alice's sake.
The day continued on with awkward small talk between Alice and her mother. Her father ignored everyone. Her mother just ignored me, but I could see her shooting disgusted glances toward the trails of scars leading down my arms all the way to my hands. I wouldn't want to see her reaction to the ones on my chest and stomach.
Besides Eileen's eyes, I couldn't find one aspect of her that reminded me of Alice in anyway.
I was dozing off against the arm of the couch when I felt Alice go still beside me. My stomach flipped nervously. I looked over to find Alice's face blank. Another vision.
Eileen's chatter faded out and she gasped in horror. She jumped out of her seat like an electric shock had hit her.
"I know that look!" she shrieked, her eyes bulging. I felt Alice shudder as she came back to the present. She opened her hazy eyes and I pulled her into my lap so the headache would fade faster.
"You little liar!" Eileen screamed at Alice. "You're not better at all! You're still crazy just like you've always been, get out of my house!" she screamed. Alice cowered into my chest, tears escaping her eyes.
"I'm…I'm not crazy. I'm fine." she whispered.
"No you're not! Get out of my house, you're not welcome here!" Eileen screamed, her eyes crazed. I snarled.
"Why are you doing this to your daughter?" I shouted back. "Can't you see that she loves you? You hurt her so many times, you can make it up to her now!" I screamed.
"She's not right in the head, she sees things. And who are you to talk to me like that? You're scum. That's what you are. You both are." she sneered.
My fists clenched, but I held my anger back. I couldn't hit her. It would scare Alice, and I was taught it was wrong to hit a lady. Although I didn't classify Eileen as a lady.
"Alice is an amazing young woman." I said calmly, keeping my face blank. "She is caring and sweet and ten times the person you will ever be. If you don't see that, then it's your loss. But if you say one more word to hurt my Alice, you will pay." She backed away.
"Don't you threaten me." she muttered, but I could tell she wouldn't test my threat. I must've not been controlling my expression as good as I thought I'd been.
"Just get out of my house." she said coldly.
Alice leaped off the couch and took off running. I took off after her.
By the time I got out the door she was already in the driver's seat, her face pained and defeated. I jumped in the passenger side just as she spun the wheels, taking off down the dirt driveway. I knew she didn't have a license, and probably had never driven a vehicle before this, but I couldn't bring myself to care. If this is how she wanted to cope, then I would let her.
She pushed the truck's speed limit to the max, her eyes dead ahead. We flew past the trees. Alice's stiff posture never relaxed. Just as I was about to use my gift to calm her she slammed on the brakes, violent shivers wracking her tiny body.
She crawled across the truck and into my lap, burying her face in my shirt. Her shivers slowly faded until there was absolute silence. She finally looked up at me, her eyes red and still filmed with tears.
But there was hope in them also.
A/N: So, there it is. I really hope you guys liked it ;) I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be the ending of this story, but I have no idea when I'm going to have it written by. Anyways, thank you for reading, and please review! It makes my day ;)