A/N: Here we go, kiddies!

"Jasper." Carlisle's voice was sharp-a tone Jaser hadn't heard since he'd been a teenager. "Don't snap at your mother. All we know about the years you spent away from us is that you came home scarred to high hell. We're worried for you."

Jasper slumped over the table, burying his head in his folded arms with a growl of frustration. He took calming breaths and counted to twenty before he straightened up. He stared at his folded hands on the tabletop. "Alice wasn't a part of that. She was the one who found me bleeding to death in an alley in Philadelphia."

"Oh," Esme said with a soft gasp. "I… I didn't realize you knew who called the paramedics."

A small smile tugged at Jasper's lips. "If it was anyone but Alice, I probably never would have known." He clenched his fingers together as the ever-present shame that marked him like a brand on his soul turned the taste in his mouth to bile. "To tell you the truth, if it wasn't for Alice, I wouldn't be here in more ways than one."

"When I woke up, after they told me everything wrong with me, they said the woman who saved my life was out in the waiting room. That was a revelation seeing as they'd just told me I'd been out for five days. The nurse said she came every day after work. Since I was in the ICU-family only-she just sat out there. The doctors and nurses couldn't tell her anything. Technically they couldn't even tell her if I was alive or dead, but she stayed anyway. I asked the nurse why, and he said they'd asked her the same question. She said she couldn't stand the idea that no one was thinking of me, waiting for me to pull through.

"I, um…" Jasper began to run his thumb over his tense knuckles. His throat was tight as he considered his next words. Was he really about to tell his parents this?

But his therapist had encouraged him to be honest. He took a deep breath. "I was angry at her at first because I didn't… I didn't want to wake up." He heard his mother's breath catch, and he had to swallow hard to continue. "But good news. Some of the manners you taught me stuck. I figured she'd been waiting so long, the least I could do was let her come see for herself that I was still alive."

He remembered he felt sorry for her. Not everyone got to say they'd saved someone's life. She would be disappointed when she figured out just how worthless that life was.

"It's hard to explain Alice," he said. "I don't really know how it happened. She came in and talked to me. She was so kind. It had been so long since someone had been nice to me. I think I'd forgotten what it was like." For the first time, he raised his head to look across the table at his parents. "She made me miss you. Worse than usual, I mean."

"We would have been there. Any time. It would have taken one phone call," Esme said not for the first time.

Jasper bowed his head again. "I know, Mom." He cleared his throat. "So she asked if she could come back. It seemed impolite to tell her no. I mean, she knew I was a junkie. If she wanted to spend her time babbling at me, who was I to say no? I've made much worse choices about what to do with my time."

He closed his eyes, hating that he had to tell this part of the story. "Anyway, she ended up being there when they came in to talk to me about rehab. I wasn't even paying attention. I… All I was thinking about was getting out of there so I could get high. I had no intention of going to rehab, but before I knew it, Alice was talking with the counselors about facilities and amenities."

He shook his head. "Like I said, Alice is hard to explain. To this day I'm not really sure how she did it, but before I knew it, she had kind of bullied me into a rehab center. A good one." His brow furrowed. "A spendy one she paid for."

"She paid for your to go to rehab?" Carlisle asked.

"I told her more than once she was crazy. I told her everything. Everything I'd done. She told me…" Jasper touched a hand to his chest and pressed down hard. He remembered exactly how her words had felt, how they'd made him ache and want, just want what he had long before convinced himself he couldn't have. "She said I could go home. She said it was going to suck, but I could earn it."

"You always could come home. You never had to earn it," Esme said.

Jasper raised his head. "Yes I did," he said, his voice quiet. "I still do."

Esme reached across the table to take his hands. Carlisle leaned forward and put his hands over both of theirs. "It sounds like we owe this woman much more than our thanks. You should invite her to stay here."

Jasper was already shaking his head. "No. She's fine. She already booked a room."

"But there's no need," Esme said. "We have more than enough room, and-"

"Mom, please. Just go with me on this one." He didn't want to have to step around that mine-field. He loved his parents, and he owed them honesty, but it would only hurt them if they knew just how desperate he was for a little space.

They seemed dubious, but they dropped the subject. "At least bring her to meet us," Esme said. "Or we can all go out. Whatever makes her more comfortable."

"Yeah. That's fine. She wants to meet you."

~0~

After work the day Alice's flight was to come in, Jasper took the bus to the airport. He dozed in the arrival area until his nerves got the better of him. Then he began to tug at his hair and run his fingers over the stubble on his chin. He tugged at the clean shirt he'd changed into after work. It was a button down shirt, and Jasper wondered how stupid it was that he wanted to look good for this woman.

Alice had seen him at his worst, at his lowest. She'd visited him in the clinic. Of course she did because she was a crazy person. In those early days, he'd been a monster: moody and angry and not overly concerned with hygiene. He'd been nothing but sallow, scarred skin and a shitty disposition. And of course, she'd seen him covered in blood, in clothes he hadn't changed in who even knew how long.

Who did he think he was kidding? "Polishing a turd," he muttered to himself, fingering the buttons of his shirt. He ran a hand through his hair, laughing at himself inwardly so as not to scare the people around him.

He knew damn well he liked Alice.

Lying half dead in the hospital, his every thought focused on when and how he could get his next hit, Jasper still wasn't oblivious to how attractive Alice was when she walked into his room. Then she opened her mouth, and everything about her had only enticed him more. She was beautiful and far too kind and funny and fiery.

Was it any wonder his general attraction had turned into a full blown crush?

For the most part, Jasper had done his best to ignore the quiet voice that whispered to him, spinning tall tales about what it might be like to hold her, to kiss her, to have her. They were sweet daydreams, but he knew the difference between fantasy and reality. Alice was so far out of his league, he'd need the Hubble telescope just to see her.

At this point in his recovery, a relationship should have been the last thing on his mind. Dealing with his own life was stressful enough without adding the complications of romance to the mix. And even if it was possible, it wasn't fair. He had nothing to offer. He was a thirty-one-year-old recovering drug addict who lived with his parents and worked at a convenience store.

Jasper shook that thought off before the heaviness could settle on his shoulders. Today was supposed to be a good day. He didn't need to ruin it feeling sorry for himself.

Besides, more than likely his advanced attraction was based on appreciation more than anything. That and the fact it had been a long time since he'd been with anyone he was attracted to. Sex and drugs went together naturally. It was almost perfunctory-expected depending on the set up. But sex with someone he wanted-that was a whole different universe.

Jasper glanced up at the arrival/departure board to distract himself. He started when he saw Alice's flight was no longer listed as "On Time." It had flipped to "At Gate." He sat up straight and again tugged at his hair.

Another ten minutes passed. Jasper kept his eyes trained on the escalator. He saw a myriad of people, but none of them were Alice. He even craned his neck to see behind some of the larger, broader folks-Alice was a tiny thing-but no, she wasn't there. Still, as each person passed his eagerness mounted. His heart pounded an excited rhythm, and his lips kept curling up at one corner.

Five more minutes passed like hours, but finally she was there. They spotted each other when she was still toward the top of the escalator. She grinned, and the whole airport seemed to light up. Jasper was drawn to his feet like a puppet on a string. He stepped forward, fighting the urge to sweep her off her feet.

He shouldn't have bothered. As soon as she was at the bottom of the escalator, she darted and leapt at him, over-sized handbag and all.

Jasper wanted to swing her around, but he settled on swaying them, lingering a few seconds more than was probably appropriate. Finally, he set her down and stepped back, grinning at her. "I'm glad you're here."

"I'm glad I'm here too." Her smile was soft, and she reached over to thread her arm through his. She'd never had a problem touching him. "Come on. Let's get my luggage and blow this popsicle stand."

~0~

Alice rented a car, and then she insisted Jasper take her to do all the touristy things Seattle had to offer. She got distracted almost immediately at Pike's Place Market. Once she set foot in there, the whole morning was lost as she scoured each and every eclectic jewelry and clothing store. Seattle in general and Pike's Place in particular was a creative heart's paradise, and Alice was a sucker for a unique look.

Once, when she got wrapped up in an intensely boring conversation about fabrics and patterns, Jasper wandered away on his own. When he came back, she had another new bag and the designer she'd been talking to was on cloud nine. Jasper had to smile. Alice had that effect on people.

"There you are," she said, threading their arms together again. "I have to tell you, you are a lousy host."

"Oh?"

"I am starving. I have been really, really hungry for at least an hour."

"Well, goodness gracious." Jasper took a look around them as they strolled past vendor after vendor of various fragrant foods. "I don't think there's a good place to eat in miles."

She laughed. "You think they can cook up some of that chocolate pasta here and now?"

"Where's your sense of adventure? We should eat it raw. Or you can take my advice and try what is, without a doubt, the best fish sandwich on the planet."

"Now that's quite a claim." She pretended to consider. "Well, since I can't have the chocolate pasta, I might as well try this best fish sandwich."

He led her over to the right stand. They sat at the bar and she let him order for her, since he was the expert, she said.

When they were served, he watched her take the first bite, and when she moaned in bliss, he grinned. "What'd I tell you?"

"This is good."

"No, this is the best."

"Well, in order to bestow that title, I'd have to try every fish sandwich in existence." She reckoned on her fingers. "So far, I've had McDonald's and now this." She took another big bite of her sandwich and considered it. "It's going to be a long, fishy life."

Jasper chuckled, dragging a fry through ketchup. "Ah, well. I might be biased. There's a lot of nostalgia that goes into my feelings here."

She arched an eyebrow. "You get nostalgic over a fish sandwich."

"This fish sandwich… well, not this particular one, but you get the idea… got me laid on more than one occasion."

She tilted her head, giving him a look, and he backtracked quickly. "I'm not… That's not what I'm trying to do now. Uh. I'm just saying. I had some good times that started right here."

"Are we not having a good time?"

"We are. I mean, I am, I mean-"

Alice laughed. "You're too easy." She bumped his side with hers. "It's just me, Jasper."

He laughed nervously and ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry. I, um…" It was just Alice. He could say anything to Alice. "I'm just so used to defending myself, you know? For everything. Like when I wandered away from you earlier? I kept track of exactly where I'd been so I could tell you in detail if you asked. And if you were my parents, you would have."

She squeezed his hand, and he felt better in an instant. "So," she said, seguing into another topic easily. "I have to ask you how you got around the very obvious flaw in your plan."

"What's that?"

"This is a fish sandwich."

"You're very observant."

"I'm just saying. You're giving yourself and your date fish breath. Who kisses with fish breath? I mean, even if you went for it, you'd be thinking about it instead of the kiss throughout the whole thing."

He shook his head. "Ah, but see, that's what got me the killer line."

"There's a killer line that overcomes fish breath?"

"Mmhmm. See, I'd go in for the kiss, and she would pull away, right? Say exactly what you said, all shy and adorable." He turned in his seat and looked her right in the eyes, put on his sexiest grin. "And I'd say, baby, you had that sandwich, and it was delicious, wasn't it?" He leaned closer out of old habit. "But that's nothing compared to how it'll taste from your sweet lips."

He heard her soft intake of breath, and then he realized how close they were to each other. There was no way he should be this close to her, and he was going to move. He was going to move right-

Alice surged forward, closing the last scant inch between them, and pressed her lips to his.

Jasper gasped. For two seconds that lasted lifetimes, he froze, unable to make himself believe this was his life. Then he cupped her cheek and kissed her back.

Ten seconds. If every hardship in his life, every struggle he'd been going through since he'd stopped using drugs to cover up the emotions that made him feel like dying, led up those ten seconds, it was worth it. For ten seconds, his life was perfect.

They parted and Jasper's heart was beating so fast, he could hardly breathe. He licked his lips, already missing the taste of her. His thoughts were scrambled. "Uh, I uh… I got you something. When I was gone. I got you something." He looked down at his lap, fumbling in his pocket. "It's… It kind of makes it look like I planned all this, but I swear I didn't. I saw it, and I wanted you to have it."

He was being the antithesis of smooth, but he couldn't seem to make himself shut the fuck up. He huffed and pressed the small bag into her hand. He looked up, nervous. "I swear I didn't plan it."

She smiled and reached up to brush his cheek gently. "I know you didn't. I didn't either." Her eyes lingered on his for another moment before she looked down at the bag he'd given her.

Jasper pressed his lips together tightly to make himself stop spewing nonsense as she pulled out the necklace he'd bought. It was made from old typewriter parts, the largest being the round, brass A key. Her eyes lit up as she looked up at him with a grin. "This is amazing. I don't know how to thank you."

He huffed and rolled his eyes. "Alice, give me a break. I could do something for you once an hour every hour every day for the rest of my life and I'd never come close to repaying you for what you've done for me."

She cocked her head, studying him for a moment. "Is that why you bought this?"

"No. I got it because it reminded me of you, and I wanted you to have it." He reached out to cradle his soda to quell the urge he had to touch her again, to kiss her again. He had no idea what they were doing now. "I'm just saying, you never have to thank me. Not you."

She pressed a hand to the back of his neck, pulling him down for another kiss. She smiled when she pulled back. "Thank you."

His lips quirked up.

Alice clapped her hands together to brush the crumbs off. "Well, on to the next adventure." She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a book. "One of the vendors here sells this. It's written by his daughter." She waved it excitedly.

"Ghosts of the Pike Place Market," he read.

"Yes." She slid off her stool and took his hand instead of his arm. "Let's go find them."

He had to be smiling like a complete moron. He had no idea what was happening, and there was some tiny part of him that was screaming this was a bad, bad, bad idea. No way could he have this. No way. He tightened his fingers around her. "Ghost hunters Seattle. let's do this."

Really, he'd made much worse decisions. This one wasn't even illegal.

And, at least for now, it felt better than any high ever had.

A/N: So that's Alice. We're back in Edward's head next chappy! Many thanks to jessypt, barburella, and my lovely jfka06.

Annnnd on a personal note… I've just released the first two chapters of my original fiction book, One To Tell The Grandkids, on my website, KristinaMSanchez dot com. You can find a link in my profile if you're interested.

Oh, and on another note. If you guys aren't reading What She Deserves by geekchick12, you're missing out. Gorgeous, gorgeous angsty story.

Thanks for everything, guys. See you on the flipside.