AN So heres chapter 1. Hope it doesn't disappoint. As you can see I'm not following everything to the T with the twilight series. Alice isn't going to have visions while she is human, maybe some deja vu once and a while but thats about it. There's also a lack of the main Cullen family members right now, but they will be presented in time. If you have any questions or concerns let me know. But hopefully this will satisfy you all for now.
Shout out to my reviewers! I love you! Thanks for the love =]
Disclaimer I do not own Twilight nor the characters... This story idea belongs to me.. thats about it.
Music MuteMath - OK
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OK
Standing outside, her body facing the tall cherry wood door that led to the massive house that impressed her at first sight, Alice watched and waited, rather impatiently, as the social worker, Ms. Smith, rapped her knuckles against the thick door frame. For the past ten years Alice had spent her time between homes and therapy sessions. She'd been diagnosed as mentally unstable by multiple doctors by age ten and had lived in over four different "homes" in the past seven years.
When the old social worker came to her months ago explaining how a family with the last name Cullen would be officially adopting her, she had brushed it off as just another home she'd play 'house' with for the next three months before they decided she wasn't the perfect child they thought they would be getting. Like so many times before, Alice just accepted the news with a shrug of her shoulders. But as she stood outside the massive home, she had an eerie feeling in the pit of her stomach that things wouldn't be the same this time around.
Alice had done her research on the Cullen family the night before her flight to Forks, her new hometown. She was surprised by the vague information she had found on the family, most topics discussing Mr. Cullen's medical practice and how he and his wife were advocates of adoption, having two adopted children of their own and housing a pair of siblings. The truth was, they seemed peachy enough for Alice to not worry about living with them so much, but still, as she stood in front of her new home, she couldn't help the way her heart seemed to get increasingly louder in her ears.
Within a moment, the door was opened and a soft motherly face greeted both Alice and Ms. Smith. She had long light brown hair with warm topaz eyes, her smile nearly as blinding as her perfect complexion. The woman automatically pulled Alice into a loving hug and squeezed her gently. "Welcome to your new home Alice! My name is Esme! Oh you're just as beautiful as your picture! Please, come in, come in." She pulled Alice to her side and wrapped an arm comfortingly around her back so that a dainty hand lay on top of Alice's shoulder.
Alice looked back over her shoulder to the social worker and gave the woman a pleading look. Her gut was telling her that this wasn't right, that something bad was about to happen, and a sense of déjà vu over came her.
"You'll be fine Alice, I'll check up with you next week. And please, behave yourself!" The social worker gave Alice a pointed look before giving her goodbye to Esme and shutting the door behind her.
Esme squeezed Alice's shoulder and led her into a large living room where a man in his late thirties stood up from his position on an overly stuffed couch. "It's been a long time Alice. My name is Carlisle." Carlisle's handsome face stretched into a heart-warming smile. The way he had greeted her, as if they were familiar with each other in the past, did nothing to ease Alice's frantic mind as she plucked at her brain for reasons as to why she felt the uneasiness that she did, in fact, know him from somewhere. "I have some things I need to discuss with you, and I think you should sit down for it."
"Here sit next to Jasper," Esme offered, her arm leading Alice over to the tall blonde boy sitting on the only love seat in the whole room.
Alice let her eyes soak in the features of Jasper's face, from his unruly blond hair to the strong jaw that seemed to tense up as she neared him. His eyes were large and round, giving him a frightened look. Strangely, they were topaz like the other family members eyes, which seemed fairly strange sense there was no blood relation between anyone in the house.
His posture stiffened as she finally made it in front of him, turning to sit as far from him as the couch would allow. Alice felt her heart rate quicken and she uneasily gripped at the sleeves of her black shirt. She roamed her eyes between the multiple faces, noticing that their beauty surpassed anything she had ever seen.
"I think I'm confused Mr. Cullen… You said it's been a long time since you last saw me, but from what I can remember, this is the first time I'm meeting you." Alice's voice came out strong, no evidence of her uneasiness leaking through. It was hard not to feel nervous when Jaspers unwavering gaze was burning wholes in the side of her face.
Carlisle looked between his wife and Jasper, hesitating before he answered. "I know what caused the scar on your left wrist Alice."
"Excuse me…?" Alice's voice lost its brave front. It was impossible for him to know about the scar, she thought to herself. She unconsciously rubbed at her wrist and shuddered at the feeling of the slightly raised soft skin, its shape mimicking a pair of teeth.
It was Jaspers turn to shift uncomfortably now, drawing Alice's eyes to the movement. Her gaze wavered between all three faces, tears threatening to spill down her face. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, the silence in the room made her want to stand up and scream. "Well are you going to explain what you mean to me?! Or are we all going to sit here and stare at each other??" Her voice rose to a pitchy note, her panic dripping off of every word.
Carlisle cleared his throat uncomfortably. "You see Alice, we were the ones who, how do I put this, ended things that night."
"We?" Alice repeated. She slowly turned her face to the boy sitting next to her, who's eyes uncomfortably avoided her gaze and was now burning wholes into his own hands that laid awkwardly atop his thighs.
"You see, we were out hunting that night in Washington when Jasper, more or less, caught wind of what was taking place in the park. We were in the woods about a mile off. We're terribly sorry we didn't make it in time to save your mother. We ran as fast as we could. I'm just glad that Jasper managed to pull Laurent off in time."
Alice's eyes allowed the tears to escape as she stood up from her seat next to Jasper. Her head was swimming with the news she was just informed of. Vampires. She had just been adopted into a family of Vampires. And not only that, but they were THERE. They had seen what had become of her mother, what had been done to herself. They had spared her life and now they were going to ask her to repay her debt to them. The unreal feeling of the whole situation did nothing to calm the panic running wild in Alice's eyes.
"So what? You're going to kill me now? After ten years. I didn't ask you to do anything. I DIDN'T ASK TO BE SAVED!" She was backing herself away from them, stopping only when she fell backwards onto the short set of steps that led to the next level of the house.
Jasper flew into a standing position, Alice's fear and panic getting the best of him. His body was stiff as stone as he stood there not knowing whether to go and comfort her or not. It was Carlisle's hand that made the decision for him, his elegant fingers held up in a 'stop' gesture. The gesture did nothing to calm Jasper's obvious state of distress, for he was still standing there, staring between Carlisle's hand and Alice's shaking body on the floor.
Carlisle took it upon himself to stand up and walk over to Alice's fallen body. He gently rested a hand on her shoulder, knowing that Jasper was already sending out comforting waves to soothe her. "Please Alice, do not fear us. We are not like the vampire you encountered that night. We are, in our own way, vegetarians. We feed on animal blood, not human blood. I did not bring you into this home to kill you. For the past ten years my family and I have been watching over you from a distance. We had to take responsibility for your life after that night. If we didn't the Volturi would have sought you out themselves and killed you already. You see no humans are allowed to know the truth about our identity for risk of our kind being hunted. It is critical that our secret never be revealed. So I made a compromise with the Volturi. I would make sure you were changed by your eighteenth birthday. It's not a decision I am proud of, but it was vital in order to let you live." Carlisle watched Alice drink in his words. He knew it would be hard for her mind to comprehend what he was explaining to her, but he knew in time she would come to understand his important decision.
"I don't understand… Who are the Volturi? And why would they want me killed? I was seven at the time; even if I did say something no one would believe me. And what are you talking about when you say you promised to 'change' me by my eighteenth birthday?" Her questions came out toppling over one another. She was trying to grasp the situation but she had no idea what he had been talking about.
"The Volturi are the ruling coven over our kind. They enforce the rules and act as head figures during a crisis. And the only reason they would see it necessary to kill you is if they decided you posed a threat to the coven. You were too young to change at the time, and by change I mean… Well I think you know what I mean Alice. And as far as why we chose eighteen is part of the payment plan we've decided on." Carlisle walked back over to Esme and took his previous seat next to her. He gripped his wife's hand and nodded to her, allowing her to continue where he left off.
"Alice dear, we decided to keep you as a mate for Jasper. After you're changed, you'll spend the rest of your days with him." Esme smiled over at her son, who, like Alice, was hearing this information for the first time.
Alice sat there, her face contorted into a look of disbelief. "You're all sick! I can't believe you just expect me to be okay with this! Did you stop to think that maybe I don't want to be anyone's "mate"?! That maybe I just want to be left alone? And you! Sitting there like you had no idea this was about to happen. Don't you have a voice?! Don't you want a say in your own future??" She stood up and stalked over to the gaping Jasper, shoving her index finger into his chest.
Her temper was drastically affecting him at her close proximity and he had to walk around her to the other side of the room to just think. Between the smell of her blood and the raging emotional flares she was having, Jasper was on the verge of a break down.
He shoved his hands in his jean pockets and stared down at his feet.
"You should have discussed this decision with me first Carlisle. I don't see how she needs to have her fate written before she's even changed." His voice was hoarse and light, speaking respectfully.
"I understand your both uncomfortable with this decision, but my word is final. It's been too many years since Maria, Jasper. It's time for you to live again and stop floating through existence. We're only doing this because we love you. Your happiness is important to us, as is Alice's. And your mother and I agree that it will be the right choice. We're giving you both a year to make this work on your own before it's permanent." Jasper's fathers voice was strong and unwavering, no room for any more discussion or argument.
Alice just huffed, folding her arms over her small chest and glaring daggers at the blonde at the opposite end of the room. She was not having it. No matter what they said, she'd find a way out of it. A year was plenty of time. Alice Brandon would NOT go down without a fight.
"We'll leave you two alone for now. Alice darling, dinner will be in an hour or so." Esme stood up from the couch and walked around the coffee table to place her hand on either side of Alice's face, cradling her cheeks in her cold palms. "You'll be happy with us. I just know it. And Jasper is a kind soul. You'll grow to understand this in time."
Alice's strength to fight back dissipated. She no longer had the energy to deal with her life at that moment, so instead of arguing with the kind looking woman, she just nodded her head and allowed fat tears to fall down her cheeks for the hundredth time that evening.
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With Carlisle and Esme off at some other end of the house, it was only Jasper and Alice.
Jasper watched the petite girl move over to sit on the couch, her face falling miserably into her hands. She was so depressed and it only furthered in bringing his own mood down. His full lips turned down into a frown and his eyebrows drew together. He felt the need to comfort her; she seemed so fragile, just as she had that night so many years ago. So with bold steps, Jasper made his way over to her. He heard her sniffle into her hands and felt his dead heart break. He didn't want to be the cause of her distress, but there was no way around it. What his parents said was final.
He heavily sighed, making his presence known, before he slowly, trying not to startle her, sat down beside her, their knees touching lightly. He awkwardly lifted his left hand to rub at her back, hoping the motion would ease her and stop her tears. "You'll be ok Alice. We'll take good care of you. I promise." His voice tried soothing her, but to no avail.
"Just leave me alone. It's your entire fault. I was seven. I had dreams about being a princess when I grew up, not a monster. Then your kind came and ruined everything. I just wish you didn't exist."
Her voice reached his ears, sounding soft and defeated. Her words made him cringe. It hurt, whether she knew it or not. But he understood what she was saying. When he had first been changed he perceived himself as a monster as well. He still did. But Maria had helped alleviate the pain. He hoped he could do the same for Alice when she was changed.
"I'm sorry." He whispered.
Alice lifted her face to look at him, rubbing the wetness off from under her nose with her sleeve. He had sounded so honest, and she suddenly felt guilty for snapping at him earlier. He was just as lost as she was. And at least he was friendly enough. His concern was slightly touching and it made her second guess her circumstances for the briefest moment.
She felt him pull his hand away from her back, bringing it to rest at his knee. His jaw was still tensed she noticed, and his body stance was stiff. She could tell that he was uncomfortable sitting beside her, like he was afraid of her, which was confusing. She wasn't the one with the instinct to kill.
"How old are you Jasper?" She rubbed at her swollen eyes and wiped her cheeks with her fingertips. Might as well get to know him if I'll be living under the same roof as him, she thought to herself.
"Twenty." He sated simply. Her question was innocent, and it made him feel a little more relaxed sitting near her. At least she's not attempting to push me away.
Alice nodded at his response. She even offered him a small smile. Her smile grew slightly as she watched him smile back, his embarrassment clear when he turned to look away from her. She liked the way his lips had pulled up slightly more on one side than the other, reminding her of an awkward child.
Everything about him seemed awkward though. As if he wasn't entirely comfortable with himself. It was refreshing to know she wasn't the only one who felt awkward with who they were.
"Thank you Jasper," she randomly replied. She was glad that he wasn't pushing for information from her. He was a comfortable silence Alice didn't mind being in the presence of, which scared her but at the same time eased her mind. Maybe being his friend wouldn't suck.
Jaspers eyes widened more the usual at her remark. She felt… happy, in the smallest way, and it completely helped to lift Jasper's spirits. He couldn't even help the lazy smile that pulled at his lips. He liked feeling her happiness, even in it's smallest form, because it felt like an explosion inside his own body.
He stared at her through the corner of his eye, her face content for the time being. She was truly beautiful. Maybe not someone he would have first chosen at a quick glance, but when he really stopped to look at her, he could see the obvious beauty in her. Her hair was extremely dark and thick, cut short in the back, maybe just reaching the bottom of her neck when straight, and styled spiky. Her bangs came to her chin and were held back by two small green clips. Her eyes were hazel, not quite green and not quite brown. A pretty blend of them both but with a hint of yellow at the pupil. Her nose was small and came to a slight upward point and her mouth was small, her bottom lip slightly larger than her upper one. She was probably no taller than his shoulder, but her height was nice, fitting her appearance as a whole.
Yes, she was definitely beautiful in her own way, and Jasper found himself lucky enough to have her as his.
"Can you show me to my room? I think I could use a nap before I eat." She yawned as she spoke. She had been through a lot in the past hour; a nap would help clear her mind some.
Jasper nodded and stood up, holding his hand out for her to take. He watched as she stared at it for a moment. He could tell she was unsure of whether or not to take it. When she stood up on her own, she bowed her head in slight guilt.
"Sorry," she offered. She didn't mean to be disrespectful to him, but physical contact such as handholding was pushing it at the moment.
Jasper closed his fingers around air and let his fist fall to his side. He let his shoulders drop in rejection pulling at the edge of his dark blue t-shirt.
."It's okay Alice. I understand…"She could tell he was just saying it to reassure her.
She nodded in acceptance anyway and followed him up the stairs and into another section of the house.
They came to a halt outside of a door. Alice felt slight anxiety suddenly. She was unsure if taking a nap in a house full of vampires was really as good of an idea as she thought is was a moment ago. But when the door opened up and exposed a large room with two of its walls dedicated to just overly large floor to ceiling windows with a view of the mountains and forest just outside, she felt all of her fears become erased by admiration. There was a large four-post bed facing the windows. Its wood was dark, probably close to black, while its sheets were thick and soft looking, covering the bed in cream cotton and lace. There was matching dressers and vanity aligning the other walls, which were painted a soft French vanilla and a small chandelier with dangling crystals hung in the center of the slight dome like ceiling.
"Are all the rooms this beautiful? She asked in a happy shocked voice.
"They're all different. Esme loves interior designing. Although personally I think the chandelier is a bit much…" His voice faded out towards the end realizing he was probably offending her with his comment. He looked embarrassingly down at his black jeans that were slightly covering his blue and black checkered Vans sneakers. He noticed a whole starting to tear at the side of the shoe near his left big toe and used his right foot to rub at it slightly.
Alice just chuckled at his remark. "I guess… But hey, I'm not complaining. I've never had such a beautiful room before. I'm flattered she cared enough to do anything with it." She turned and patted Jasper's right arm gently. He was so easily embarrassed for no reason.
He grinned down at his feet at the slight show of affection, the warmth of her hand igniting his flesh. He cocked his head to the side and watched her face scan the room, his hand coming up to run through his hair. The action caught Alice's attention and she spun on her heels to face him fully, she looked like she was about to say something until her eyes suddenly became glued to the mop of hair onto of Jaspers head. Without even thinking about, she moved her hand forward and combed her own fingers through it, surprised by the soft texture of the curls.
Jasper's mind was reeling at the touch. His scalp burned under the light pressure and he shivered as her nails slightly dragged down to the nape of his neck. He could hear her pulse beating rapidly in his ears and the smell of her blood was agonizingly difficult to ignore suddenly, making venom fill his mouth. He blinked rapidly and attempted to control the moan that threatened to spill from his lips.
Alice felt her face heat up when finally she realized what she had been doing and quickly ripped her hand back. "I am such a twit, I'm sorry… I daze out and do these stupid things sometimes without thinking… Sorry…"
She couldn't believe she had allowed herself to get so carried away. It was her turn to now turn away embarrassed, her face bright with a blush. "You should go… I need to lay down."
Her dismissal made Jasper frown. One minute she had been practically petting him and now she was ready to throw him out the door. Her lack of control over her emotions was driving him mad.
Jasper muttered in reply, "Sure… Whatever." He could take a hint when someone didn't want him around anymore, so he left, her rejection following him out the door.
Just before he reached the bottom of the stairs he felt a wave of regret come from Alice's bedroom. He stopped his descent down the stair case in hopes that she was changing her mind and about to call out for him to stay.
Anger filled him though when she didn't show and he stomped past Esme in the kitchen shouting out, "I'm going out for a hunt. I'll be back later. Don't wait up."
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Thanks for reading. Don't forget to review please!! I love the feedback. Love to all - LL