OMG! I updated within days of my last update? It must be Armageddon! Hehe, don't get used to this. I already had half of this done when I added Chapter 6 and finished this in record time. And yes, you can take the credit for my success if you reviewed it last time. If not, support the cause of a teenage girl's fragile ego by reviewing! And if you're reading this, datingthewerewolffromtwilight, this is a sort of bonus b'day present.
Jasper's POV
I was out of the water in what felt like seconds. I then realised that I had no idea where Alice and her relatives were. Damn it, I should've asked Edward!
As if by magic, Edward's bronze hair seemed to appear in the murky water like the top fin of a shark. The Jaws theme played in my head as he made his way to me. I could see Emmett behind him and Carlisle trailing after him. Edward leapt out from the water and landed near me.
"The house is over there," Edward stated.
He pointed to the big white house over the hill and I nodded. Edward grabbed my shoulder so I could stay and hear something from him.
"Nessie told me to tell you to remember what she said," Edward informed.
I sighed and nodded. I was about to run again when I heard a distant gunshot. My face was a mask of horror as I realised it came from the house Edward just pointed toward.
"G-Go, go Jasper. Hurry!" Edward urged.
He pushed me and I ran as fast as I could toward the house. It was pretty late at night so most of the humans were asleep or in their houses watching TV for which I was thankful. I ran through the streets and prayed that Alice didn't get shot. I was almost there when I heard another gunshot. I cursed and ran faster. When I got there, I jumped up without a second thought and landed on a balcony. I opened the door and crept around the house until I caught the faint smell of blood. I opened the door without hesitation and looked at the sight in front of me in horror. Victor was lying on the floor, dead. His wife, Jamie, was next to him with a bullet through her heart. It was faintly Romeo and Juliet-esque but I ignored it for now. Alice was who I needed to see. I scanned the dimly lit hallway and found her. She was shaking with sobs on the ground.
"Alice," I whispered.
I had already stopped breathing and was trying very hard to not waste all of the clean air in my lungs. She didn't hear me so I crept closer.
"Alice," I called softly, my voice was loud enough for her to hear this time.
She saw me and ran up and hugged me. I wrapped my arms around her as she cried.
Alice's POV
"Shh, it's okay, everything's going to be okay Alice," he murmured.
"N-No! I-I'm the reas-son that-t the-they're dead," I spluttered.
He hugged me tighter. "It's okay Alice, just calm down,"
"They're d-dead bec-c-cause of me!"
He didn't respond and merely stroked my hair soothingly. The past seconds replayed in my head over and over again.
I breathed in for the last time and heard a gunshot. When a white light or a darkness didn't consume me, I opened one eye slowly and gasped.
"No! Jamie!" I cried.
Jamie lay next to Victor, her eyes were shut with a tiny tear on the edge of her right eye. The gun was in her hand and a bullet had pierced her heart. I started shaking.
This can't be happening...This can't be happening...This can't be happening…
I sank to the ground and started sobbing.
They died and it was my fault. I never wanted this to happen!
"Alice," a voice whispered.
Oh god! I've finally gone insane. I'm now imagining voices!
"Alice," the voice said louder.
I tilted my head up, I was already sure that I was being set up for disappointment. Then I saw him: Jasper.
He looked at me with a mixture of relief and regret. Before I could stop myself, I ran up to him. A little part of me needed to know he was really in front of me while another part just needed a comforting hug.
My sobbing stopped slowly.
"Are you okay, darlin'?" Jasper asked.
I sniffed. "I-I'm ok-okay," I answered. "Just...why are you wet? I mean...my tears didn't drench your clothes that badly...did they?"
He let go of me and bent his head. His eyes seemed to search my face and my breathing hitched. His eyes were a strange dark golden brown.
"I...Did you um...get contacts or something? Your eyes are...darker than usual," I mumbled.
Shockingly, he cracked a smile.
"I think it's time to go," he informed.
Edward appeared behind him like a ghost.
"The police and ambulance are on their way. You can't leave now, Alice. Jasper, do you want to stay here?" Edward asked.
Jasper nodded.
"You shouldn't. They'll need a good explanation as to why you're here...Why are you here? I mean, you got here so fast and you didn't even know how to find me and you just seemed to get here exactly when I needed you," I rambled.
I flushed at the last part. "I mean...exactly when I needed help," I corrected.
"Alice...I-" Jasper started.
"There's time for answers later. Jasper, this is your last chance to leave, we could come back for Alice later," Edward stated.
Jasper gave him a look and Edward left after giving him a short nod.
"How'd you get here, anyway? I didn't hear you open the front door or come up the stairs. It was like you jumped in through a window or something," I muttered.
"...Edward's right, there's time for answers later," he replied.
I scowled. The sounds of sirens was loud and I heard the front door bust open. Men and women in police uniforms came in with guns. I let out a squeak of surprise and put my hands up. Two policewomen had their guns pointed at me and Jasper while other policemen were inspecting Jamie and Victor.
"They're dead," one of them called.
"Are you Alice?" one of the policewomen with a gun pointed at me demanded.
"Y-Yes, I m-made the call to the am-ambulance," I stuttered.
"I'm Sergeant Mackerel, can you tell us what happened?"
I gulped and Jasper squeezed my hand comfortingly.
"My name is Officer Henley. How do you know these people? What happened to them?" the other policewoman asked in a kinder tone.
"Th-they sort of...I dunno, I guess you could kind of call it kidnapped me...and they made me work for them. The man is my uncle and the woman is his wife. They were involved in some twisted open marriage and umm...the woman that my uncle was also...with...shot my aunt and then m-my aunt shot herself," I stated.
The policewomen lowered their weapons.
"And how are you involved in this case...Mr…?" Sergeant Mackerel asked.
"Mr Jasper Whitlock," Jasper stated. "I was coming to visit Alice and heard the gunshots so I came here as fast as I could,"
"Okay, we're going to need to see some ID and need you to fill out some sheets at our downtown office. You'll have to stay the night and then we'll do some further investigation in the morning. Unless you two have some sort of parental guardian?"
"My dad's staying at a nearby hotel,"
The policewoman nodded. "Follow me out of the house and we'll try to sort this out quickly.
We followed the officers and were greeted with a large crowd outside the house.
"Are they dead?" they called.
"I knew they'd end up killing each other," others muttered.
"What's happened to the girl?" some boys shouted.
I cringed and I felt Jasper's arm around me.
"Ignore them, they're just too bored with their own lives that they need to annoy other people," Jasper muttered.
I smiled weakly and nodded.
"There's nothing to see here! Go back to your houses, people!" Officer Henley shouted.
"Mackerel, Police Commissioner Marsh wants them to be kept in a cell overnight," a policeman stated.
"Not without food first," Officer Henley stated.
The policeman looked at her with irritation and left shortly.
"Henley, he's a Lieutenant, he outranks you and you have to show him respect," Sergeant Mackerel reprimanded.
"Look at these poor kids, they must be starving. Food helps the traumatised," Officer Henley argued.
Sergeant Mackerel became aware of our eavesdropping and nodded.
"Where do you two want to eat?" she asked.
"Uhh...McDonalds," I answered.
The lighting was dim but I swore I saw Jasper roll his eyes.
"We'll go to the drive-thru, the car's over there," Sergeant Mackerel stated.
Twenty-five minutes later, we had arrived at the police station.
"Mackerel, you're late," a man barked.
"They had to get food," Officer Henley stated.
The man looked at her for a moment before turning to Jasper and I.
"Are you Mary Alice Brandon and Jasper Whitlock?" he inquired.
We nodded. The man looked over a few sheets and turned to us again.
"Follow me," he ordered.
We trailed after him and were taken to two cells. I entered one and Jasper was shoved into the other. He locked us in and left without a word. I sighed and sat down.
"Are you okay, Alice?" he asked.
I looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry I got you into this mess,"
"That's okay, darlin', I'm glad you're not here by yourself,"
The policeman on duty looked at us in disdain. Jasper had made his way over to the cell wall we shared and we were practically sitting next to each other.
"Jasper...are you gonna answer my questions now?" I whispered.
He chuckled softly. "You should get some sleep,"
"But-"
"I promise I'll answer each and every one of your questions, Alice. For the moment though, you need to rest,"
I pouted. He smiled and reached for my hand between the bars. I felt a rush of emotions overwhelm me for a split second and then was filled with a layer of calmness. Comfort seemed to swarm me like a cocoon and I soon felt like I was falling asleep.
When I woke up, the man that locked us in a cell overnight was tapping his baton impatiently against the bars.
"You're requested in the interrogation room," he stated gruffly.
We trailed after him like last night and entered a small room. Another policeman was already there along with Carlisle. He gave us a small smile as we sat down. To my surprise, Sergeant Mackerel was also there.
"Can you verify that your name is Ms Mary Alice Brandon?" the policeman asked.
"Uhh...what do you mean?" I asked.
"Do you have any ID on you?"
"Umm...no,"
He wrote that down in a notebook.
"Can you verify that your name is Jasper Whitlock?" he asked Jasper.
"I gave Sergeant Mackerel my driver's license," Jasper replied smoothly.
"I have it here, Captain Peterson," Sergeant Mackerel stated.
The interrogator took it from Sergeant Mackerel and looked at it.
"Okay...and this is your father, Carlisle Cullen?" Captain Peterson inquired.
"Yes, he's my adopted father," Jasper confirmed.
"Good, good. So we've looked over your recount of events and need to check some things,"
I nodded and he showed me a form filled with my messy scrawl.
"So, you wrote here that they kidnapped you. Could you elaborate?" Captain Peterson commanded.
"Okay, well...I was shipwrecked on an island where the Cullens were living. They contacted my uncle and he came to collect me," I stated.
"So, it wasn't technically kidnapping since they didn't really take you against your will,"
"...I guess...They also made sure I wouldn't be able to escape and fed me enough so that I could be their slave but not enough for me to have enough strength to outrun one of them,"
Cpt Peterson scribbled furiously in his notepad. The sound filled the room as I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt. Jasper put a calming hand over my fingers to get me to stop.
"Okay and…Mr Whitlock...you were going to visit Mary?" Cpt Peterson inquired.
"Yes," Jasper answered.
"And are you two...involved?"
My jaw dropped a little. What the hell? Where did that come from?
Jasper also looked shocked. Thankfully, Carlisle interjected.
"I fail to see how that question is necessary for this investigation," Carlisle stated.
"Mr Cullen, we are trying to do an investigation for the murder of two civilians. We need to examine every angle," Cpt Peterson replied.
"And exactly what angle are you examining now?"
"There is a possibility that Mr Whitlock could've killed Victor and Jamie if he loved Mary and wanted them to pay for causing her pain,"
My eyes widened. "W-We're not together," I blurted.
Cpt Peterson nodded slowly and scrawled something else in his notebook. In my peripheral vision, Jasper's teeth were gritted. I filed it away as something to ask him about later and focused on answering Captain Peterson's questions for the time being.
"Okay...Mary, I think that's all for now...where will you be staying while we organise your court hearing and other affairs?" Captain Peterson asked.
I gulped. "Court hearing?"
"We need to determine whether you killed Victor and Jamie Brandon. There's motive, no evidence against it and no witness to deny it so we can't tell if you're in the clear," Captain Peterson stated.
"But what about Lauren!"
"At the moment, we're searching the area for her but until we find her, you're still the main suspect. You'll need to stay in the area for the time being,"
"But that's insane! I didn't kill anyone!"
"Save your case for the hearing...and you will also need a lawyer,"
I let out a shaky breath.
"Mary can stay with us as a hotel nearby," Carlisle offered. "We'll also provide her with a lawyer and get her to Court on the day,"
Captain Peterson nodded and stood up. "Thank you for your time Mr Cullen,"
We left the police station and climbed into a car. Edward was in the front seat and driving us to where I'm assuming was the hotel.
He didn't seem to know what a speed limit was and I found myself clutching the side of the car whenever he made a turn. He also seemed to be upset even though none of us had said a word.
"Edward, slow down, Alice is clinging onto the car door for dear life," Jasper scolded.
Edward slowed. "I just can't believe they haven't found Lauren. How hard is it to find a human?" he growled.
Carlisle gave him a look and Edward calmed infinitesimally. He took a deep breath and swore. He must've missed the turn because the next thing I knew we were turning around recklessly. I had somehow made my way to the opposite side of the car and was grabbing Jasper's arm. He didn't seem to mind, though. My eyes had shut and I was praying silently that I wouldn't die.
"Alice, we're here. It's okay, next time I'll drive," Jasper teased.
I blushed and let go of his arm. "Sorry…" I mumbled.
He rubbed my back soothingly. "You've been through a lot, Alice, it's okay,"
He opened the door but I tugged on his hand.
"Wait...umm...do you promise that you'll answer all of my questions?" I asked.
"When the time comes," he replied.
"Are you always so vague and mysterious?"
"Are you always so curious and persistent?"
"Yes,"
He smiled. "C'mon, Edward's probably gagging in the driver's seat,"
I flushed and let him help me out of the car.
We arrived on the top floor of the hotel and found his whole family pacing or staring into nothing.
"Did you guys reserve the whole top floor?" I asked.
Nessie gasped and ran toward me. "Alice! Thank god you're alright!" she squeaked.
Her always above average temperature arms circled around me and I smiled.
"Hey Nessie. Miss me?" I teased.
She sniffed. "I'm so glad you're okay,"
Jasper ushered us into a big room with many chairs, sofas, couches and beanbags. We formed a loose circle. Nessie gave me a once over and her eyes widened.
"What happened to your arms!" she trilled.
"Victor, Jamie and Lauren were impatient and when they were impatient...they took their anger out on me," I muttered.
I was surrounded by horrified looks except for Jasper who looked at me with so much worry and pain that I could almost feel it emanating from him.
"Has Carlisle looked at them?" Esme asked.
"He's getting his bag from his room," Jasper stated.
As if on cue, Carlisle entered with a bag. He sat next to me and took contents out of it. After a bit of prodding and some members of the family leaving because of weak stomachs or something, Carlisle finished.
"Okay Alice, the wounds aren't infected, just make sure you don't agitate them by picking scabs,"
I wrinkled my nose. "Of course,"
He smiled and the rest of the family entered with Edward behind them.
"Thanks for letting me stay with you," I mumbled.
Carlisle smiled. "Don't worry about it Alice. We can also pay for your lawyer,"
I grinned. "I'll pay you back. I'm sort of a billionaire,"
Gasps escaped some of their lips and I decided that I should probably tell the uninformed my whole story. By the time I was done with all the details and answering all their questions, it was getting pretty late.
"(Yawn)...and then Edward almost killed us on the drive here," I stated.
That earned a few laughs. Jasper seemed to sense how tired I was.
"Alice, you need some rest. Your room is just across the hall but I can get a blanket and you can sleep on the couch if you don't want to move," he offered.
"No no no, I can go across the hall," I slurred.
Nessie giggled. "I'll see you tomorrow, Alice,"
I grinned sheepishly. "Y'know what's weird? Your name is Nessie...like the Loch Ness Monster," I rambled. "I should call you that. Loch Ness...Or maybe just Ness…(yawn)...okay, I need to sleep,"
Jasper chuckled and lifted me up. He wound his arm around my waist and I leaned on him as I walked.
"You're a great friend Jazz. Hehe, Jazzy. (Yawn)," I mumbled.
He shook his head as he opened the door and led me to my bed.
"Goodnight Alice," he murmured.
He kissed my forehead and turned around.
"No!" I shouted.
We were both surprised that I yelled that.
"Uhh...I guess my subconscious doesn't want to be alone?" I mumbled.
He laughed awkwardly. "Okay...I'll sit on…"
"The bed?"
He sat down hesitantly.
"Jasper...how'd you know where I was?" I asked.
"Edward found out and told me," Jasper admitted.
I nodded. "But why'd you visit?"
"Because I found out that your relatives were part of over thirty 'get-rich-quick' scams and were tried for murder over ten times,"
My jaw dropped. "Wow,"
He smiled. "Your safe now, darlin',"
I laughed. "I've missed that nickname,"
My eyelids started to droop. "No...there was something else. Why were your clothes wet?"
"You cried on me, Alice,"
"No, they were drenched like you were out in the rain only...it wasn't raining,"
I looked at him sadly. "Please don't lie to me," I said in an almost whisper.
He faltered. "I swam,"
"You swam?"
"Yes...I swam to you because out boat broke down,"
"But that must've taken you hours,"
He hesitated. "Not exactly,"
"What are you?"
He looked into my eyes. "I'm a-"
His response was stopped by an all too familiar sound of a gunshot. In one second, Jasper seemed to have put me behind him as barrier. The bullet fell to the ground with a chink sound.
I gasped. "What was that?" I demanded.
"I think Lauren tried to kill you," he stated as he examined the bullet.
"You-It-The bullet! It didn't hurt you!"
I tried to see the front of his shirt but he twisted around so that he was still between me and the window. I looked at his shirt and my fingers went through the hole the bullet had caused.
"Jasper," I whispered hoarsely. "What the hell are you?"
His hands cupped the sides of my face and I was overtaken by sweet oblivion.
Or at least I thought it would be sweet. My dreams seemed to be as scary as real life.
I couldn't talk, I couldn't think, I just wanted to hide. To run, to escape this problem. Panic engulfed me and I made a mad dash out of the house. Nessie called my name but I didn't reply. I wasn't sure where I was heading but I certainly wasn't going to stop. I didn't believe that I was safer by running away, I knew I was never safe as long as the monster was out there. I was out of breath and stopped at a log. I was now deep in a forest, unsure of where the heck was. I swore. I should've taken notice of something to help me not get lost. I buried my head in my hands and shook with tears. My stupidity, my fear, my doubt, my anger, they all made me cry harder. What was I thinking? Now I'm going to die here.
I heard a growl and looked up. The mountain lion was angry that I had trespassed. 'Oh shit' doesn't even begin to describe how I felt. It started to circle me and I found it difficult to run away. It could chase me down so easily.
"E-e-easy there, mountain lion," I stuttered.
It growled in response and I cowered. What sane human would go against something that growled that scarily?
There was a louder, scarier and more feral growl. I cowered. Now I was going to be fought over, scared to death and then eaten. I looked up and I thought I had lost it. As delusions go, this was pretty good.
Jasper was on a large boulder, growling at the mountain lion. The lion focused back on me and lunged forward. I screamed and put my arms over my head in defence. The mountain lion never got to attack though, it seemed to have been pulled back by its tail. Jasper dragged the mountain lion by the tail and threw it against the boulder with enough force to make it shake and crack. I was speechless as he looked at me.
"You killed a mountain lion," I breathed.
"It was going to kill you," Jasper informed matter-of-factly.
I stepped closer to him and poked him.
"Y-You're real," I stuttered.
My eyes were wide and he seemed to be feeling my mixture of fear and amazement.
"So...do you kill mountain lions for every girl or am I a special case?" I asked.
He laughed incredulously.
I felt faint and he caught me before I collapsed.
"It's okay Alice, go to sleep," he murmured.
"What are you?" I demanded.
He didn't reply and my eye lids fell shut.
I'm sorry but that line 'So...do you kill mountain lions for every girl or am I a special case?' just seemed too epic to miss out on. I was originally going to have them on Isle Esme when Jasper told her about vampires but like the chapter name said 'The Law's A Bitch'. Thank god for dreams because I really wanted the Jasper-saves-Alice-from-a-mountain-lion scene in this story. Also, I've never been arrested or kept in a cell overnight so I don't know how realistic this chapter was. Anyways, review because I updated earlier than ever before! I guess I'm just hyped up for Breaking Dawn!