A/N: So I haven't written an actual chapter for this story in two years. I'm a little rusty. Read and review. I'm histrionic so praise is like food and oxygen to me. ;] Plus, the more reviews I get… the more energized I am to write. Anyway… ENJOY. I dedicate this chapter to Jecai, because she's super mega foxy awesome hot and she's the one who kept demanding for this chapter. xD :D
CHAPTER FIVE: REASSURANCE
The storm eventually passed by but Alice and Jasper remained on the beach, both of them dripping wet from the rain and playing by the high tide. They lay next to each other, their backs against the biggest rock. Jasper's eyes remained on Alice and he never looked away, nor did he want to. He could stare at her for the rest of eternity and he wouldn't get tired. Alice, however, had her head rested on his shoulders as she stared into the sunrise that was peeping through the clouds. Her face was calm, serene and blissful. But the most picturesque thing about the couple was the fact that their fingers were intertwined.
The rays of sunlight found its way to them soon enough, their skin sparkling like diamonds where the light touched them. Jasper sighed as he saw his own skin, the skin on his hand that was wrapped around her, sparkle. Alice's expression changed from bliss to concern within a millisecond.
"Something wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing," he said, trying to hide his slightly ill feelings. It was hard to have any ill feelings, especially when someone as happy and hopeful as Alice was around.
"Jasper," she said as she looked at him with her eyes stern and demanding. She knew he was hiding something, she could see it in his eyes. "Something's bothering you."
"Not-" he broke off when his eyes met hers. He couldn't lie to her, ever. How could he? Not with those eyes of hers. "The light."
"What about it?" she asked, curious yet concerned all the same.
"For years I had to be some intimidating vampiric war major… do you have any idea how hard it is to be intimidating when you sparkle like a princess's tiara whenever the sunlight touches you? Mind you, the wars were in the South and the sun was everywhere almost every single day."
Alice bit her lip, nodding, trying her hardest not to laugh. She tried to cover her mouth and her entire face with her hands but it didn't work. After a few muffled giggles and Jasper's eyebrows raised at her, she couldn't keep it in. She laughed such a loud and high-pitched laugh that he couldn't help but smile. Soon, he tried to bite his lip as well. A few muffled chuckles and then his laughter coincided with hers.
"What's so funny?" he asked, still chuckling and his smile still plastered on his lips. It seemed like sheer impossibility for him to frown, when the epitome of all things good in the world was right there in his arms.
"Princess's tiara?" she said, giggling in between her words.
"It was the first analogy that came to mind," he replied.
"So can I just melt you and fashion you into one so I can play princess for a day?"
"No… because you'll never be a princess, not even in your wildest fantasies."
Alice actually pouted at his words. What, was she not pretty enough? Or maybe he was stooping to some form of low and say that she wasn't tall enough. He didn't look like the kind of person who would joke. Alice thought that, with almost a century of war, he had forgotten how.
"And what, exactly, is that supposed to mean?" Jasper chuckled at her expression.
"You're too good for royalty, too heavenly, too… angelic," he explained. "You're an angel, darling… my angel."
And she smiled the smile that he adored so much. The sparkling skin on her just made her even more dazzling than she was before, as if such a feat was possible. Her brilliant smile was just captivating, her radiant honey gold eyes… he could get lost in those eyes and never look back, her laugh that tinkled like silver bells and when she moved, she really was an angel… his angel.
All was good and perfect in the world when, all of a sudden, Alice's eyes became distant and focused.
"Something wrong?" he asked her, distraught with the thought that there could be something in the world that was troubling her.
"Kentucky," she said as though she pulled the word right out of thin air.
"Fried Chicken?" To be completely honest, that was all Jasper knew about Kentucky. Alice giggled at his words. He was actually funny once one got past all the war scars and the serious expression in his eyes.
"No, silly. I saw them. They've relocated in Kentucky but they're only there for a few days. The weather will be too nice for the next few weeks after they've moved in but they don't know that. Then," she had another focused look in her eyes and paused. "Somewhere in Mississippi, I think. It's undecided. Maybe we can still catch up to them."
"Who?" he asked, completely dumbfounded to what she was talking about.
"The Cullens, who else? They're the family I was telling you about, remember?"
"Oh. Right. Should we get going, then?"
"Not dressed like this."
"What did you have in mind?"
And with that, Alice had a wicked gleam in her eyes and a smirk formed on her lips. Mischievous, as though she was planning some kind of attack or raid on enemies. At least that's what Jasper thought, he had been in war for so long, war-like expressions were all that he knew of. Alice was a completely different persona that he wasn't used to. She got up and dusted the sand off from her dress. She held out her hand for him to take, which he did, and she led the way. It was very early in the morning; the sun was only beginning to rise from the east, most humans would still be asleep.
They ran from the beach and went to the store that Alice had gone to previously. She remembered that, in her haste after meeting him, she left the bag of the clothing she had 'borrowed' from a store. She needed new clothes and so did he. The store was still closed, as usual. She observed that it didn't open until late morning. Breaking in was easy for her, it came naturally and he followed her. The store wasn't that much different from when Alice first went in. It seemed as though no one noticed the sudden depletion from her last visit or no one seemed to care that various articles of clothing were now missing from the racks. They wouldn't mind one more visit if they didn't mind the first.
Alice ransacked the racks of clothes and Jasper just watched. She was in her element amongst the clothes, her hands moved so swiftly and delicately through all of the fabric. She took some from the hangers and she hung the hooks on her arm, as though she were some kind of coat rack. She took some of everything: dresses, skirts, shirts and lots of other articles of clothing. Of course, she also got some for Jasper, although how she knew his size, he'll never figure out. Maybe she was just that good with clothes or she foresaw it and just knew. She took the clothes that she had gotten to a nearby table with some sewing materials. She worked in silence, her hands expertly moving through the fabric. A long tape measure was draped around her shoulders, although she only used it for small measurements. She just put it on for some kind of dramatic effect.
Jasper watched her as she worked. She looked like she knew exactly what she was doing. The store was completely silent except for the sound of scissors snipping through fabric and thread, the sound of thread interconnecting various pieces of cloth; neither of them were breathing, they didn't need to. It took her about five minutes to finish everything but when one had senses as keen as they had, it seemed a lot longer than that. Not that Jasper minded; he enjoyed watching her work. She seemed happy, like she was in a little world all her own.
"You're awfully quiet," she murmured, a smile on her face still, as she looked for bags that could accommodate the clothes she had taken and improved. He merely shrugged and grinned at her.
"What are you looking for? Maybe I can--" Alice cut him off. She had that same distant look in her eyes again, another vision. Jasper stiffened at the thought. What if she saw something terrible? But he was just being pessimistic; for Alice smiled the moment she shook her ahead, as if to regain vision of the real world again.
"There are a bunch of bags inside the storage closet over there," she pointed to a door a few meters from where he was standing. "Could you…?"
She did not need to continue for he had already gone to the door which she pointed at. She was right, of course. There were lots of bags in the storage room. It was kind of given. It was a storage room. But there were so many, he didn't know which ones to take.
"The two brown ones with the floral pattern on your immediate right and the black one with the silver handle right above it," she said, folding the clothes she improved neatly into one pile. He chuckled to himself. "You'll get used to it, major. You'll get used to it," he thought to himself. He picked up the bags, according to her instructions and brought them to her.
The clothes were all neatly pressed and folded when he brought her the bags. She worked mercurially, even by his standards. She must have really liked what she was doing and he could feel that. The contentment that emanated from her being made him almost just as giddy as her, as if her happiness was contagious, not that he minded: he hadn't been happy in the longest time, he was sure he had forgotten what happiness felt like. She changed all that.
She beamed at him when he brought the bags and proceeded to pack. Part of him wanted to help her out in one way or another but another part just told him to leave her with her own devices, she seemed to know what she was doing and he didn't have the slightest clue on how to pack anything neatly… or do anything neatly for that matter. He chose the latter and merely stood there, watching her as she worked.
When she was finished, he noticed that there were a few select garments still on the table even after she zipped all the bags. He chose not to ask about that, she would tell him anyway.
"Your clothes are really dirty," she explained, handing him a brown suit.
His eyes narrowed. He hadn't worn a suit in… he didn't know how long. He took them and went to change in one of the dressing rooms. It was a formal brown men's jacket, a long sleeved, white, cotton, button-down shirt and dark brown pants. The change of clothes was oddly refreshing, the only times that he changed was if he was feeding and some of the blood got on his clothes and he would have to change. That reminded him, for the first time since he was with her… he remembered his thirst. The burn in his throat was evident now, somehow being with her made the fire diminish somewhat. Feeding was unimportant for him, he would feed and when she did.
When he finished, she was already changed into a beautiful black dress with a long, lavender colored trench coat. It was a very simple black dress; it balanced with her hair quite nicely. It cinched her waist and it just complemented her petite frame. It was a little ruffled beneath her waistline and reached her knees. The coat was about a quarter inch longer than her dress and for her feet, she wore, what looked like, ballerina shoes with almost the exact same color as her coat. She looked adorable.
"You clean up quite nicely," she said, grinning at him. He did. He looked quite dapper in his suit, as she knew he would. Everything fit him just right. He left the coat open and the shirt accentuated everything that needed emphasis… which was everything. The color brought out the gold in his messy hair and he just looked amazing. She looked away from him for only a moment to put on a thin headband, the same shade of lavender as her coat, on her head. She combed her hair straight and it framed her small face.
She tilted her head and brushed off her dress and coat as she looked in the mirror. He was standing behind her now and he wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. She leaned her head onto his, held his hands and smiled.
"Perfect," she whispered. He kissed her cheek and she closed her eyes. After a few seconds of their sheer bliss, she went into another trance. "The owner will be here in a few minutes, we'd better get going."
She cracked open the store's cash register and took some of the bills and coins and put them in her coat pocket. Jasper had the three bags that were packed with their new clothes in both hands. Alice disapproved with him carrying everything and he didn't want her to carry anything, afraid that the slightest weight would cause her discomfort. After a few seconds of arguing, he simply couldn't refuse her. One look and one raised eyebrow: he was putty in her hands. They compromised. He would carry the black bag and one of hers and she would roll the smallest one.
They left the store swiftly and went to the nearest train station. They purchased two tickets to Bath County, Kentucky, Alice hoping they would still catch them in the few short days that the Cullens were staying in that state. It was a few hundred miles from Philadelphia to Kentucky and with the luggage they had, they couldn't afford to run.
They had a small train cabin, they needed to be inconspicuous and a luxury sleeper car would attract too much attention. There were two seats in the cabin. Jasper preferred privacy and so they locked the doors, merely put their bags on the opposite chair. He was seated in the vacant chair, a little diagonally, with him leaning slightly on the windows and slightly on the seat cushion as well and Alice was seated on his lap, her head leaning on his chest as he wrapped one arm around her to cushion her. And in the silence, while the train set forth, Alice found herself staring at him again.
His untidy yet highly alluring honey blond hair, his battle scars evident everywhere on his skin, his coal black eyes... his coal black eyes. The smile disappeared from her lips and the shimmer from her eyes diminished.
"You didn't get to hunt. Oh my goodness, I'm sorry," she said quickly, raising a hand to touch his face. He closed his eyes and swallowed the venom that started to build up deep inside his throat. He took her hand away and kissed each finger slowly.
"Don't worry about it. I'd rather be with you than do anything else."
She smiled again, as he intended with his words and brushed his cheek with her thumb.
"There's Olympia State Forest in Bath County. We can go there right after the train stops."
"What about the Cullens?"
"Your thirst and your strength are more important."
The train moved along and they were quiet once again. Slow deep breaths made them aware of everything and everyone on the train. Jasper tried not to breath as much, the temptation was very strong, but he figured that he might as well get used to the idea. She closed her eyes and ducked her head in his chest. She tried to imagine some of the stories that he told her, about the human wars and the vampiric wars, while he was hummed in her ear, like he was trying to lull some small child to sleep. How could a man capable of such peace have lived a life filled with such hate and war?
"Jazzy?" she whispered, her head unmoving. He grinned and nuzzled her hair. He liked the sound of that name.
"Yes?" he crooned softly into her ear.
"Tell me more about Maria," she said so softly, a regular human would not have been able to comprehend what she said. Jasper chuckled. He could almost taste the emotion she was giving off: sincere curiosity with just a hint of jealousy.
"What do you want to know about her?"
"You said you wanted to leave her long ago, but you stayed with her for almost a century. Why did you stay with her? Because… well… you know, y-you could always go back," she hoped that she imagined her stutter. He shook his head and cupped her face in his free hand. He tilted her chin up and kissed her with such a passion, it was difficult to break away, but he had to if he wanted to explain.
"No. I'm not going back to her. Why would I, when I have you?"
"You didn't answer my question," she said, although she half smiled at his words.
"Maria had a… talent. She could make you do things she wanted you to do. It depends on how strong your will is. It was… difficult to leave. She didn't want me to, but I managed. She's not part of my existence anymore, darling. Don't worry about it."
"Did it hurt? To… to say no to her?"
"At times. Why the sudden curiosity about Maria, anyway?" he asked her, no anger in his tone but he was intrigued as to how she thought Maria could ever compare to her.
"It's just… well… I don't think I can handle it if you leave me. And… with h-her… if she found you… y-you could leave me, she could make you leave me."
"I won't, she's not that strong or convincing," he promised.
"You can't be sure of that," she didn't dare reveal her face.
She was right, of course. There was no way his words would be enough to convince her. Alice had the gift of premonition. She could see various possibilities and there was still the slim chance that Maria could get to him, if she found him weak or endangered Alice somehow… very slim chance. But there was still the chance. He held her tightly and silence enveloped the train once more. The silence was eerie. He could stay in silence for a long time but Alice couldn't stand it. She was a restless little thing and she couldn't simply sit there in stillness. She stirred in his arms, for some sort of noise, some sort of movement.
He couldn't stand not being able to comfort her. Someone who had given him so much hope and made him feel happy and almost human again and here she was, asking for reassurance, yet he could not give it to her. Unless…
"There is one way I can be sure. That you'd be mine and I'd be yours," he said as he broke the silence. He was still thinking about it, still contemplating. She couldn't have seen it, it was last minute. It would take her at least another minute before she spaced out into space and saw what was going to happen.
"How?" she asked.
A few more seconds of silence, a few more last minute thoughts as Jasper thought of every possibility that could occur to him. But there was no other conclusion. He wanted to kick himself for his blindness. It was right there. Her reassurance was right there.
He cupped her face in his hand again and gazed into her beautiful golden eyes. Right then and there, he knew exactly what to say. He knew that what he was doing was right.
"Marry me."