3. It's A Wonderful Life
The walk to the theatre was for the most part quiet, peaceful, just basking in the company of each other. Jasper still couldn't quite wrap his head around the fact that this beautiful little creature looked at him with such joy and pleasure, as if his very presence made her day.
They made it to the theater on schedule, just before the showing. Jasper moved ahead of Alice and opened the door, turning to look at her expectantly. "Ladies, first," he said, in a gentle manner, gesturing with his hand for her to go ahead of him.
Alice stifled a giggle behind her hand. Men had opened doors for her before. They'd even given her the clothes off her back, as demonstrated earlier. But there was something undeniably charming in a way that she had never encountered before about Jasper. His every mannerism, every movement amused her and made her happy.
She walked inside the theater and looked around her at the few people milling about. "So you've never been to the movies before?"
Jasper slipped in after her and moved up behind her, placing one hand against the small of her back as he guided her toward the ticket counter. "No, human interaction is a new thing for me," he mumbled quietly, keeping his voice too low for humans but loud enough for her. He'd never considered himself a part of their world, only interacting when he fed.
The strong heartbeat of the man, behind the ticket booth pounded in Jasper's ears, reverberating through his body, a silent beckoning to him. His scent was as sweet as honey, but he viewed most humans that way. Discrimination was a waste of time. His throat tightened a bit in protest to the instincts firing within his brain. Having just fed, it was easier to reject the overwhelming need for human blood, but it was still difficult.
"What can I get you for tonight?" the man said. He eyed the two with a bit of suspicion but said nothing.
A few dark thoughts raced through Jasper's mind at his offer.
"Two tickets for 'It's a Wonderful Life'," Jasper said, the strain in his voice evident as he spoke. Instead of looking at the man fully, he chanced a glance. Hunger sparked in his eyes, but thankfully it was overshadowed by the hat.
Alice gripped Jasper's arm a bit tighter and beamed a dazzling smile up at the man behind the counter. "Please."
The man rattled off the price of the tickets, unable to hide the nerves in his tone. Jasper fished the spoken amount out of his pockets, the last of what little money he had been in possession of upon coming to Philadelphia, and pressed the wadded cash on the counter. His hand flashed out to take up the tickets when the clerk snapped them off the roll.
Jasper turned to Alice, handing her a ticket, before slipping the hand he had pressed against the small of her back around her waist.
"We should get popcorn!" she exclaimed, bouncing up and down in excitement. "You can't go to the movies without popcorn. I know I'm not going to eat it but I like holding it." She giggled and pranced over to the refreshment counter, pulling a few stray bills out of her coat pocket.
"Popcorn?" he asked, the alien word coming out of his mouth in a confused tone. He lifted one eyebrow, a look of total confusion lighting up his features. The concept of blending in with humans was alien to him. He couldn't bring himself to understand Alice's need to partake in their customs. Still, he followed her over to the refreshment counter.
"Do you want one, too?" she asked, her eyes lighting up with happiness.
The predominant thought in his head was no but he just couldn't bring himself to utter the word and in the process crush her excitement. She wanted him to share in this and he couldn't deny her her joy. "Sure," he murmured, forcing a half strained smile. His eyes roved over the humans behind the counter each one with a more delectable scent then the other. He felt a bit of venom pool in his mouth over the little meals before him but he stood with steadfast restraint, not wanting to disappoint Alice despite the way his throat tightened uncomfortably, desperate to silence the hearts that called to him.
Alice bought two small popcorns and handed one to Jasper with a giggle before skipping off in the direction of the theater.
"I think I would cry right now if I were capable," Alice said, as they entered the darkened theater. "Oh Jasper, just wait until you see this! I think it's my favorite movie and, unlike you, I go to the movies quite often."
And it was true, she did. Going to the movies was one way she passed her time. First of all, people got dressed up for a night at the movie theater and that appealed to her greatly. She always loved an excuse to try on a new dress. And second, watching movies for her was like looking through a window into a life she couldn't remember. It was how she had learned how to appear human so as to fit in amongst them and also how she had tried to regain a little lost part of who she had once been.
Jasper shot her a nervous look. There was that crying word again. He couldn't deny that on some level it made him uncomfortable. Almost all emotions were foreign to him but yet the dominant factor in his unease was simply that he didn't like to see her upset. He could not stand her not being happy. He needed for her to be happy. A smile quirked at the corners of his mouth as he guided her into the dark theater, while she spoke, her wind chime voice calling to him.
"Perhaps, I'll surprise you," he chuckled with a wink. As they navigated the rows, looking for a seat, Jasper quirked an eyebrow. "Anywhere in particular you'd like to sit?" Jasper's gaze remained on hers, waiting patiently for a decision.
Alice looked around, tapping her forefinger against her lips as she assessed the rows of seats. "Perhaps in the back?" she whispered. There were a few scattered humans in the room, most having chosen their seats near the middle of the theater. She thought it would make it easier on Jasper if they were as far away as possible. And besides she was very short, not even a full five feet in height. Sitting too close caused her to have to tilt her head straight back to see the screen. It wasn't uncomfortable for her. She could sit like that for hours on end without a problem being that she was a vampire. But it was annoying, nonetheless.
He nodded sharply, his gaze roving over and assessing each human in the room. He could sense no difference in their scents. He viewed them all the same. They were all meals and having zero discipline or standards, Jasper's taste was pretty broad. "The back sounds fine," he replied after a beat of silence, turning to guide her toward the seats in the back. Putting a little space between himself and the humans was a good idea. He doubted no matter how much he had fed that he would be able to restrain himself for long.
Alice plopped down in a seat and looked to Jasper, patting the one next to her in invitation. As excited as a child on Christmas morning she looked around her, swinging her feet as they didn't come close to reaching the floor. Smiling she clasped her popcorn in both hands, leaned down and inhaled the scent of it. She didn't really finding it pleasant or unpleasant. She simply enjoyed this smell which was so familiar and associated with one of her favorite things.
With popcorn in hand Jasper slid into the seat next to Alice, eyeing the bag in his hands distastefully. The scent was mildly unpleasant, but nothing that he couldn't ignore. He just crinkled his nose in displeasure.
She caught Jasper's expression out of the corner of her eye. "Is something wrong?" she asked, her face full of concern.
His gaze flew to Alice's after picking up the concern in her mood, not to mention in her tone. "No, I'm fine," he lied smoothly. He didn't want to ruin her mood or their date with his discomfort. He would deal with it. He shifted the small bag of popcorn to one hand and tentatively slipped an arm across her shoulders, a pleasant smile flickering across his face in the process while he applied a small dose of calming to her. With difficulty, he managed to blot out the darker thoughts in his mind revolving around the few humans in the room and replaced it with thoughts of her. It worked. In focusing on this woman, he found that he could deny the tightening in his throat and take his mind off of the need to cure it. Alice's comfort was his main concern. He slipped his hand down the contour of her arm, tracing his fingers lightly along the marble smooth, flawless skin he found there.
Alice felt her expression soften, all her muscles relaxing against her will. And then suddenly it was her will. A fog of calm seemed to permeate her body as her eyes half closed and grew vacant. Then as quickly as it had come, it began to slowly fade.
Jasper felt the mood around Alice shifting from concern to calm. A tranquil smile touched his lips as the tension and concern that had exuded from her evaporated, being replaced with his own influence.
Snapping out of it she looked around her, somewhat startled. "What was that?"
Jasper's gaze flickered to Alice's, a knowing smile touching his lips. "That…was me…" he admitted, softly. "You were concerned, I thought it would help you."
"You did that? How?"
"Well, I'm an empath and I can also manipulate the moods around me." He eyed her curiously as he explained about his abilities. Somehow explaining his extra senses her to felt comfortable and oddly easy. Perhaps, it was because she possessed extra abilities herself so he felt she wouldn't think him an idiot or crazy.
Alice stared at him for a moment. "So you could make me feel anything you want me to feel?"
"I could. Take the others in this room, for example," he said, pausing momentarily before continuing. "If I wanted to I could make everyone in this room go into a riot. If I were malicious, that is. But I'm not and choose not to use it in that manner."
"I've met other gifted vampires but never one with your particular talent," she said, considering the possibilities.
"Talents vary, I suppose..." His gaze slid to hers as the movie credits came onto the screen, the luminescent bulbs lining the theatre dimmed, as the movie started. "Are you having a good time?" he asked, sweetly. He was sure she probably wished he was a little more exuberant about this. In all honesty, nothing excited him more than making her happy. That was the sole purpose of this venture. She was the sole purpose of everything.
She let her head rest against his arm once more. It was such a comforting thing to do. It felt like, as long as she kept it there, breathing in the scent of him, he was truly real. "Mmhmmm," she murmured against his arm.
Jasper's gaze remained on Alice as she laid her head against his arm as he continued to trace his fingers up and down hers. The exhilarating feeling of the contact with her skin sent a pleasing thrill through him almost as if her skin provided its own kind of calming influence. He chuckled lightly when she murmured her agreement, keeping his gaze locked on the screen in front of them. "Are you content?" he asked, casting his gaze down to see her face nuzzled in his arm. This human experience was interesting. He'd not given it much thought before but something about doing this with her was rather nice.
"You would know," she breathed, snuggling into him more closely.
Jasper laughed quietly at her assessment. "Yes, I suppose I do know. But I prefer to ask you, rather than tell you how you feel…" His voice trailed off softly, another soft smile touching his lips as she snuggled closer to him. He was perfectly content to just watch her rather than watch the movie but that would be quite inappropriate. Still, she held more interest to him than any human entertainment could.
She nodded. "Yes," she said softly, turning her head into his chest to inhale another deep breath of him. "I am very content right now."
"Good," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her hair.
When the scene came where Mr. Gower realized he'd put poison in the medicine, Alice whimpered. She felt an overwhelming rush of emotion but, forever frozen in time, she was unable to cry. Having no other outlet for her feelings at such a heart wrenching scene, she instead burrowed deeper into Jasper's chest.
Jasper noticed Alice's mood shift and he deduced that it must be an emotional scene because the humans around them seemed to be radiating the same emotions. He looked down to her to see her face burrowed in his chest, tearless sobs, exuding from her and his expression froze, a look of shock and fear making its way to his face. What should he do, he wondered? Unsure, he chewed on his bottom lip nervously for a moment, his gaze never leaving her. Finally, he did the first thing that came to his mind. Sliding his hand around to her back he began to trail his fingers up and down her spine, releasing another small dose of calming influence on her in an attempt to comfort her. "Alice?" he asked, trepidation in his tone.
That same fog of calm from before began to envelop her senses. She tilted her head to look up at him with sparkling eyes. "I'm fine," she whispered. "It's just so sad. Don't you think it's sad?"
Jasper felt Alice's eyes on him and quickly slid his gaze down to hers. "Sad?" he asked, frowning slightly in confusion. "Um, well..." In all honesty he really couldn't grasp the emotion so he couldn't truthfully tell her that it had an effect on him. "Human emotions are…very hard for me to process," he admitted. "I haven't had a need for them in so long so I don't entirely understand them anymore."
"But you were human once," she argued. "You had emotions then. You can't have lost them. I don't even remember being human and mine are still here. Being what we are doesn't change that."
"My upbringing was quite violent, as you can imagine. Emotions had no place in that world. They got you killed." His voice remained quiet, but there was a hint of bitterness in his tone as he spoke. "There was no love among us, no concern for anyone other than self. It was a bond of convenience, nothing further. We fed whenever we felt like it. There were no limits. Sometimes I took two or three a night, depending on my mood and I killed every last shred of what was human in me to be able to survive." He paused momentarily, casting his gaze down to her to watch her expression. He didn't want to horrify her and gauging her expression and current emotion would tell him when he needed to stop.
Alice's mind traveled back with him to that time as he spoke. What would she have done had she been thrust into that world? She squeezed Jasper's arm, clutching him to her at the thought. Again she felt compelled to keep him safe, to never let anything hurt him again.
The gentle pressure she applied to Jasper's arm caused him to stop short in his story and retrain his attention on her. The way she clutched his arm and burrowed into his chest caused him to consider the feelings he felt toward her. Could her appearance in his life have resurrected the human emotions he'd once possessed and somehow lost connection with? He sampled the mood around her only to find it wasn't fear that had caused her to clutch him closer. It was worry. Jasper's own expression creased with concern for her, a reaction to the emotions she was exuding.
He felt compelled to comfort her in some way, to assure her that he was safe. "It's okay," he said, his voice soothing. A reassuring smile worked its way to his features to back up his words.
He was reassuring her. After all he had been through, after all he had survived, and he was reassuring her. She shook her head. "I hate to think about how that must have been for you, feeling so alone. Feeling so hopeless..."
"It was difficult…at times," he said, another small smile touching the corners of his lips. "Mostly I didn't feel anything…just thirst." Jasper's gaze slid to the crumpled bag of popcorn shoved between his thigh and the seat. He'd forgotten the scent until now.
She was quiet for a moment. "I bet you feel more than you realize. Perhaps you've been caught up in the feelings of others for so long that you haven't paid as much attention to your own."
"Perhaps, your right," he agreed, a smile touching the corners of his lips. He wanted to believe that about himself as she did. "But I've been so out of touch with my own emotions for so long, that they've become foreign to me. I find it difficult to relate to humans in any other way than as meals. I never gave it much thought before you graced me with your presence today. And since then, even in so short a time, I find that I feel things, things I never thought possible."
"What do you feel?" she asked, tilting her head to look up at him again, her eyes seeking his.
Her words took him by surprise and a rush of panic shot through him at the concept of explaining those feelings. What if he couldn't? What if they came out wrong? He hesitated in his response, mulling over the possible answers in his head.
"The feelings I have," he began, a nervous tinge clinging to his words, "are very strong." His eyes met her expecting gaze. "In many ways, I don't understand them. I feel this overpowering need to keep you happy and safe. For so many years I had no hope, no concept of there being anything better. Then I met you and the moment I took your hand I felt as if a new light had been shed on me. I felt hope. Hope that in you, I could find the strength to deny what has tormented me for so long. I've never believed in such things as fate, true love or soul mates and then there you were and I felt as if my life had been saved. I knew from the moment I laid eyes on you that I would give my own life to protect yours, that I would do everything possible to see you smile..." He chuckled lightly. "I know that sounds really hokey but that's how I feel and it's the best way I can describe it."
She closed her eyes and took another deep breath of his chamomile scent. "I feel exactly the same way," she breathed, her voice as light as feathers. "From the moment I saw you today I knew why I had seen your face all these years. I had to find my way to you. I knew before I really even knew...that I loved you."
Alice's scent, forever burned into his memory, enveloped him. He couldn't put words to how good she smelled but her scent belied her exquisite beauty. Jasper sucked in a breath and slid his eyes back over to her as her soft wind chime voice floated into his ears causing a warm, gentle smile to make its way to his features. "I love you too, Alice." His voice, as always, was soft spoken. He cast his gaze away from her as he admitted it, a shy reaction to his declaration.
'Now you listen to me! I don't want any plastics! I don't want any ground floors, and I don't want to get married –– ever –– to anyone! You understand that? I want to do what I want to do. And you're . . . and you're . . .'
'Oh, Mary . . . Mary...'
'George . . . George . . . George . . . '
Ironically, despite his previous qualms, Jasper found his gaze locked on the screen. "I don't understand." His eyebrows knitted together in a confused expression. "Why is this man married to a building?" He shifted his gaze down to Alice briefly. "The woman seems to be everything he needs," he mused quietly, actually finding himself taking somewhat of an interest in it.
Alice smiled at Jasper's sudden interest in the movie. "Some people don't realize what they have, even when it's standing right in front of them," she said, quietly. "In fact, that seems to be one of human kind's greatest mistakes. Taking things for granted. They treat each day as though they'll always have another but their lives are so fleeting, so short. I'm sure I did the same thing once. And now here I am, watching a life I can't remember portrayed on a movie screen. I'm sure it's not the same when you have the possibility of eternity stretching out before you, but I try not to take the days of this life for granted."
Jasper slid his gaze back down to Alice when she spoke. "Yes, taking things for granted is one of their greatest mistakes," he agreed. "Many humans have so much confidence that they cannot see any other way than the way they want things to go. Many great leaders have met their downfalls because of such blind foolishness…"
His voice trailed off quietly, as he returned his gaze to the screen. "Ironic, isn't it?" There appeared to be slight amusement in his tone. "Vampires, pretending to be human again." He paused momentarily. "I would have given anything to have my human life back. I hated Maria for the life she took from me, but I didn't know or realize that I could leave her until one day everything just clicked. But now..." He shifted his gaze back down to her. "I wouldn't want it back. I would much prefer to be here with you," he said, in a gentle tone.
She smiled, settling back against his chest. "I'm here," she said softly. "As long as you want me."
An adoring smile flashed across his face and he tentatively folded his arms around her, pulling her close to him. "I'll always want you. You've altered me in ways I would've never thought possible. I don't think I could live another day without by my side."
As he spoke those words, a decision was made on his part, whether he realized it or not. A vision flashed before her eyes and she inhaled sharply.
"Alice?" Jasper's gaze flew to her picking up even the subtlest of her movements, a reaction out of concern for his new found mate. "Alice, what is it? What's wrong?" There was an urgency in his tone as he trained his gaze on her expectantly.
"Oh," she said, her voice full of wonder. "Oh, I see..."
When she spoke, relief flooded through him, his expression turning from concern to curiosity. "What is it? What did you see?" Jasper's eyebrows crumpled together as he trained his gaze on her, awaiting a response.
"Everything," she said, her voice still awestruck. "Well, everything as it would happen from right this moment. It was beautiful…" Her eyes were still far away, chasing after the flashes of the future. "I saw them again as well. The others… Everything is going to work out, Jasper. Everything is going to work out beautifully."
The awe in Alice's voice was accompanied by her blissful mood. "Everything, huh?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow. She hadn't exactly explained much, only that she'd seen everything and them. Them, who were still a complete enigma to Jasper, the other vampires with the yellow eyes. Unwinding his arm from around her back, he curled his fingers around one of her hands and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Whatever it was, it must have been good. The mood you're radiating is quite satisfied. Of course, at the time I was a tad worried."
A smile spread across her face. "I saw you and me together, decades from now. We were laughing. We were with the others and there was so much love, so much happiness…" She turned her eyes, now focused on the present, to him once more. "We're about the start a journey, I think. Only I don't yet know where we are supposed to go."
Jasper listened intently as Alice spoke. With every word that came out of her mouth, the happiness that exuded from her was evident. She was quite convinced of this future and Jasper found that he couldn't discredit her as he had no plans of ever leaving Alice's side from this day forward. The unconscious decision he'd made to remain with her was finally coming to realization. A smile graced his lips as Alice turned her gaze up to him, meeting hers with the same awe as he had hours earlier. He couldn't fathom looking at her any other way.
A smile graced his lips before he spoke. "It sounds very interesting." However, when she spoke about a journey, his expression turned curious. "What kind of journey?"
"We're going to go find them, of course," she said simply. "And you are going with me, by the way. I've already seen it so there's no sense in arguing." She laughed lightly.
Jasper laughed quietly as Alice let him know what was going to happen. They were going to look for this other coven. Alice had decided. "No, arguments," he promised, flashing her an amused smile.
They sat in silence for a time, the movie playing out before them in tones of black and white. Before long the final scene had arrived. Alice watched it intently, sighing as she squeezed Jasper's hand. Her emotions became a strange mix of happiness and sadness as the movie drew to a close.
Jasper had found himself showing an interest to the humans on the screen with Alice's presence blocking out the siren songs of the humans around him. It was the gentle pressure Alice applied to his hand and her audible sigh that brought his attention back around to her, the odd mix of emotions rippling off of her causing him to raise his eyebrow in question. She was both happy and sad at the same time? He didn't ask her how, he just quietly pressed his cheek to the top of her head in contentment.
As the last scene played out and the lights flickered back to life the humans began to exit, filing them past them one at a time. Jasper felt his throat tighten and his gaze drew away from Alice and fell on the humans walking by them, watching each one of them with the same fixation as a dog would its favorite ball in the hands of its owner, anticipating it to be thrown.
"Did you like it?" she asked, sliding forward in her seat and turning to look at him. "It's one of my favorites. This and 'Casablanca'. Oh, I wish you could have seen that one. It was so romantic!"
Jasper's gaze, watching after the humans with longing, tore away from them and returned to Alice. Becoming momentarily distracted by her voice, Jasper strained a smile from the discomfort as the last human walked by. "It was quite interesting actually. I didn't think I would find myself enjoying it but I sort of did."
She giggled as she stood and gathered her coat, heading toward the exit with him in tow. Jasper followed Alice out, one hand pressed gently to the small of her back as he guided her toward the exit. When they got to the doors, Jasper moved ahead of her and held the door open, letting Alice exit first before following out behind her and slipping one arm around her waist.
The air outside was misty from the day's rain and Alice relished the exquisite feel of it on her face as they walked. The fresh scent of it served as a welcoming cleanser for Jasper from the human scent that had taunted him just moments earlier. As he breathed it in, he felt it purging the dark thoughts that had occupied his mind.
"Should we go to my room now?"
"Of course. Lead the way." The smile on his face was unwavering as he turned his gaze down to her. The pure joy he felt with this woman was undeniable. Jasper gave Alice a gentle squeeze with his arm, a silent signal that he was having a good time and planted a kiss to the top of her head.
She sighed and leaned into his side as they walked, just enjoying his presence. It was several blocks until they reached their destination but there was no need to hurry. Neither of them required sleep and the sunrise was still hours away.
Jasper reciprocated the movement by leaning into her as well and giving her a gentle squeeze with his arm. "You're quite persuasive, you know that?" His tone was gentle, yet amused.
She laughed. "Am I? Or are the things I suggest simply what you already wanted? I haven't had to persuade you to do much." She grinned, considering the little excursion she had planned for tomorrow. He was in desperate need of new clothes.
Jasper laughed quietly in agreement. "No, not too much." Spending time with Alice was simply amazing. It was true that persuasion on her behalf was minimal.
"Just wait until I fully utilize my so-called powers of persuasion. I don't think you realize what you've gotten yourself into, taking up with me."
His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What do you mean? I don't know what I've gotten myself into…?" The giddiness radiating off of her gave him no clue as to what she could mean.
"Tomorrow," she promised, eyeing his current clothing meaningfully.
"You're not still thirsty, are you?" she asked, placing a hand on his chest as they crossed the street. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable. I'd even understand if…" She let her voice trail off, eyeing the humans around them.
Jasper shook his head, in response. "No, I can deal with it," he said, his voice reassuring. He would be uncomfortable, no matter what. The constant pang of hunger that pursued him whenever humans were around would not fade, no matter how many animals he fed on. He was certain of that. As they moved into the crowd Jasper's throat tightened, a protest in response to his words. His arm tightened around Alice a little as if seeking the reassurance that she was still there as his gaze roved over the faces of each human, followed by a swell of dark thoughts clouding his mind. In response, he focused on Alice in hope of purge the thoughts out.
As they approached the hotel, her eyebrows pulled down in confusion at the large crowd gathered there. Suddenly Alice stopped walking, grabbing Jasper by the arm and pulling him into the shadows on an alley.
Jasper stopped walking with her, his gaze locked ahead of them on the crowd forming outside of her hotel room. Some had large, gaudy cameras and some looked to be prepared for interviews. "What's going-" He didn't finish however because Alice grabbed his arm and pulled him into the alleyway, causing Jasper to snap his gaze off of them and onto to her as his back hit the wall, suddenly engulfed by darkness.