I Felt Hope: An Alice & Jasper Story

by IntoTheTwilightRPG

The story of Alice and Jasper's first meeting all the way up until finding the Cullens. Rated MATURE for a reason. :

8. Chapter 8

8. A Night Out

The three piece suit Alice had bought at the department store was carefully laid out on the bed.

She had left Jasper to it and had retreated to the hotel room's bathroom with her own clothes for the evening, wrapped in secrecy in a black garment bag. She hadn't even had to tell him that he wasn't allowed to peek. Jasper didn't seem very interested in clothes but she sincerely hoped he would notice what she had picked out for herself. She was a vampire, but she was still a girl at heart.

As she shimmied into her dress she glanced at herself in the mirror. The deep blue complemented her skin and dark hair and made her eyes shine a brilliant gold. The sweetheart neckline was very girlish as was the full skirt that came to about her knee, showing off her slender calves. Satin shoes dyed to match the dress were tied into place with ribbon.

She had painstakingly arranged her hair, disguising its choppy, spiky layers into soft, cropped ringlets. She admired her handiwork before opening a little velvet box and fastening in a pair of diamond earrings she had bought just because she felt she needed a little sparkle.

Her fashion sense was flawless. She knew that every cut and line of the dress looked as though it had been made for her alone. So why did she feel nervous about leaving the bathroom and having Jasper see her?

With bag in hand, Alice had disappeared into the bathroom. He watched after her, until the bathroom door blocked his view and closed with a muted thump. Removing his gaze from the closed door, Jasper turned his attention to the clothes ensemble laid out on the bed. Meticulously laid out was a grey pin striped suit, a white button up shirt, vest, tie, fedora and a familiar looking designer box, sitting just so on the pillow.

He eyed the pinstriped pants before sitting down on the bed and slipping off his loafers and scooting them off to the side. With a quiet sigh he stood and shimmied out of his pants, picking the grey slacks off of the bed and slipping them on. Then he turned to the white button down shirt. He glanced back toward the bathroom door shyly, not quite sure why because it wasn't as if Alice hadn't seen him before but he still felt self conscious about it.

He pulled the grey sweater over his head and buzzed through the buttons on his shirt, before letting it slip from his shoulders, pooling at his feet. He let his gaze scan over the heavy scarring on his arms with a frown pulling down his lips. Picking up the white button up shirt, he slipped his arms through the sleeves and shrugged it up onto his shoulders, buzzing up through the buttons and fastening the cuffs. He smoothed his hands over the smooth fabric before taking up the vest.

He slipped his arms through the sleeveless arm holes and buttoned up the intricate brass buttons on the front, adjusting it over the shirt, so that it wasn't crooked. Next he donned the tie, slipping over to the mirror to give it a slight adjustment. Moving back over to the bed, he picked up the pin striped coat and slipped it on. Then came the fedora. He eyed it momentarily before placing it on his head.

She inched open the bathroom door ever so slightly before peering out into the room.

"Jasper?" she asked.

Jasper turned when he heard Alice's voice, displaying a shy smile. "Alice?" He said, in greeting. Still obscured by the bathroom door, Alice's only visible features were her eyes, and part of her face.

Alice stayed still for a moment, taking in the sight of him as he stood there in the middle of the room looking like he had just stepped out of a movie. Handsome was a word that hardly did justice to the way he looked in that moment. The three piece suit was cut in such a way that it perfectly accented his lean form. She was glad she didn't need to breathe because for several moments she found herself completely incapable.

"You look…incredible," she whispered, staying put behind the door.

If he could blush, he probably would have. "Thank you," he mumbled, tearing his gaze away from hers and suddenly feeling nervous about her eyes on him. Since Alice had come into the picture, his dress habits had changed dramatically and so had his living habits as well as feeding habits. Alice had successfully tamed the wild beast for the most part. His unruly curls, however, were still defiant. "I'm sure you look absolutely stunning yourself," he said, lifting his gaze to her and sweeping it across what he could see, hoping that focusing on her would help to quell the nerves that flooded him. He held his hand out to her. "Are you ready?"

Alice took a deep breath and nodded, pushing open the door and stepping out into the room. She fidgeted with the skirt of her dress and looked down at her shoes which she turned this way and that, a frown on her face as she shyly kept her eyes off his face.

She ventured a look at him from under her eyelashes, assessing his reaction. "I just need to get my wrap," she said, pointing to it laid over the back of a nearby chair. "Then we can go…"

"Wow…" Jasper said, feeling as if the air had been knocked out of him. His gaze roved over her as she came out, taking in every detail of her attire. It was flawless, as usual. "You look absolutely stunning," he said, his tone remaining soft. As he sampled the mood around her, he discerned that she was quite nervous, possibly more nervous than he was. A smile flashed across his face as he moved forward and tentatively took her hand. He brought it up and pressed his lips to the back of it. "Ma'am..." he whispered, with a quiet smile.

Alice ducked her chin and giggled, hardly able to look him in the eye. He made her feel weak in the knees with his every gesture. The suit only added to the effect.

He let go of her hand and glided over to the chair, snatched the wrap off of it and flashed back around to her side. Handing her the wrap in one hand he held his arm out to her so that she could slip her own through it.

Alice threw the wrap around her shoulders before slipping her arm through Jasper's. Never had she felt so normal. Tonight they weren't immortals or products of a tragic past. They were just a man and a woman in love, going out for the night like any other couple. A vision tried to push its way into her mind but she ignored it. She didn't want to know what was going to happen tonight before it happened. She wanted to live in the moment for once and be surprised with where the night would take them.

"So, Mr. Whitlock," she said, looking up at him with a bright smile, her voice teasing. "Where exactly will you be taking me this evening?"

Jasper raised an eyebrow as a coy smile crept to his lips. "Well, darlin'..." he began, pausing briefly. "I'm not quite sure," he said, flashing forward to get the door and hold it open for her. "Ma'am," he said, ducking his head and gesturing for her to go out ahead of him.

Alice moved out into the hallway, her happiness a palpable thing. When Jasper joined her, she quickly slipped her arm back through his again, eager to be close to him. She found she couldn't stop beaming up at him with a silly little smile on her face.

"I thought perhaps we'd go down and take a look at the dance hall first. Or would you prefer the carriage ride?" Jasper said, letting his gaze linger on her momentarily. "Or we could just simply spend the night walking, enjoying each other's company..."

Alice considered the possibilities. Everything sounded so wonderful to her that she found it hard to make a decision. "Why not save the carriage ride for last? It sounds like a lovely way to end the evening. Plus, I must confess that I am intrigued at the idea of dancing."

"Or..." he said, crooking an eyebrow and raising one pale finger in the air. "We could window shop," he said, his grin growing wide.

Shopping to Alice was like a drug. He knew she would either faint or fall into fits of joy. Shopping wasn't exactly his idea of a good time but there were a few things he wanted to pick up. Alice had bought him so much in the past couple of days and he felt getting her something nice would repay her for it. How would he pay for it without money? He'd already figured that out. His powers of persuasion came in handy in situations like this.

Alice grinned from ear to ear at his suggestion. "Tempting," she said. "Very tempting. However, I think I would rather just spend time with you." She slipped her arm out from his and stepped in front of him, reaching up to grab his tie. With a mischievous smile she used it to pull his lips down to hers. Her fingers let go of his tie and crept down the muscled planes of his chest as she lifted herself up on her toes to him.

A coy smile touched his lips as Alice unwound her arm from his and stepped in front of him. "Alice… Wh--" However, he didn't get to finish because no sooner than the words had come out of his mouth, Alice's little hands were curling around his tie and bringing his face down to her level. The softness of her lips instantly sent a wave of pleasure through him. Her fingers traced down his chest leaving a trail of warmth behind them. Jasper wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him, lifting her up closer her to him, his lips all the while working feverishly against hers.

"Dancing," she whispered against his lips. "How could I not want to try something that means being held in your arms?"

"Mmmm..." he mumbled against her lips. "I can't think of anything closer to heaven."

She laughed as she broke the kiss, giving him a smile that promised more than an evening of dancing. She crooked a finger at him, backing toward the elevator.

Jasper lifted an eyebrow as he caught Alice's coy smile. "Oh?" he questioned, with a smile of his own. He wasn't a mind reader but he didn't have to be. The message in Alice's smile was loud and clear. He drifted toward her as she backed away toward the elevator, beckoning for him to follow as if a million strings were attached to that one tiny finger. Jasper felt like a puppet giving way to the pull of her will and joined her in the elevator.

As they walked Jasper gave little notice to the human noises around them. Heartbeats, voices, movement in the rooms they passed. No, his thoughts were focused on Alice. Even so it didn't stop his throat from tightening in protest to his denial of feeding. But in her presence he found it easier to ignore it.

They neared the door of the ballroom and Jasper's throat tightened, a searing pain accompanying the discomfort. One hand flitted up to his neck, clasping the front as if trying to smooth away the pain.

Alice hesitated outside the hotel ballroom. "Is this okay?" she asked, eyeing the twirling couples warily. "There are quite a few people in there."

Alice's words penetrated his thoughts. His hand fell away from his neck automatically as he reached out for hers. "Yes, it's fine," he said, forcing a strained smile. His discomfort wasn't going to ruin Alice's night. He would deal with it.

Alice couldn't help but notice the effort Jasper was making to reign in his thirst. His eyes were already beginning to turn a muddy reddish brown but the hunger that sparked behind them had yet to dim. She couldn't help but to realize that he suffered for her and it touched her immeasurably. She toyed with the idea of suggesting something else but the earnestness in his eyes stopped her.

In his eyes his endurance was a pledge of his love for her. Tonight, only the first of so many more to come, would be a pivotal point, a true test to his resistance for her. The Herculean effort he put forth to simply smooth over the pained expression on his face was only a part of his persistence but his labor was not fruitless. No, Alice was the only reason as to why he would even consider putting himself through it. His discomfort meant nothing, if it meant he could see her smile.

"Shall we?" he asked, his voice soft as he moved forward and caught the door and stepped aside for to walk through. "Ladies first."

She nodded and stepped inside the ballroom, the scent of the humans there swirling around her with their spinning movements. She reached back and clasped Jasper's hand, pulling him against her. She leaned her head back to rest it on his chest.

When she swept past him her movement stirred up a whirl wind of scents, including her own. The smell of apple pie, cinnamon, pomegranate, plum and various other scents hit him all at once, sending his senses soaring and his throat into a barrage of aching, searing fire and leaving a path of flames that screamed to be quenched. A pained look flashed across his face as he followed her inside. His mind raced from one dark scenario to another as he attempted to purge out the thoughts. He sucked in a sharp breath, holding it, as he reached forward to catch Alice's hand. Once again the invisible strings that permanently bound him to Alice pulled him forward and up against her. Wrapping his other arm around her, he rested his chin against the top of her head. His eyes fixed forward in an attempt to block out the many humans around them, twirling, swirling, stirring up their scents. He held his breath for this reason but unfortunately no amount of breath holding could block out the barrage of heartbeats.

"I love you," she whispered, hoping her words would lend him strength.

"I love you too…" he whispered through clenched teeth as a small amount of his air supply escaped. Alice's words touched him. Her steadfast faith in him only caused him to try that much harder. "I'll be ok," he said in the same strained tone as he lost a little more air. He sucked in another flaming breath, another pained expression sweeping across his face as the flames punched down his throat.

"We don't have to do this," she whispered, turning to face him. She tilted her head to put her forehead against his chest, unable to look into his eyes and see the pain that was so obvious there. "I don't care if we go right back up to the room or anywhere else in the world you want to go. As long as I'm with you, I'm happy. I'll never ask for more than that." She sighed, gripping his hands in her own. "Please, Jasper… Don't torture yourself so. Not for me…"

Jasper let loose the air he held in his chest to speak. "I promised…I would take you dancing..." he said, his voice wavering slightly as he attempted to cover the discomfort. "I'll be fine. I promise. It really doesn't hurt that bad," he said, a strained smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Really, it's fine," he said attempting to soothe her worries, holding her closely as she pressed her forehead against his chest. Tracing his fingers down her spine with his other arm he applied a small amount of calming influence. "Shhh..." he cooed, squeezing his eyes shut to blot out the barrage of hearts singing out to him from every direction. "You're worth it, Alice," he assured her, his voice cracking from the effort he was putting forth to control his rioting imagination. He sucked in another sharp breath, drawing in another mouthful of flames.

Alice frowned. He wasn't going to be persuaded away from his plans for the evening. He had promised her dancing and, despite the sacrifice on his part, he was going to make sure that he followed through.

"One dance," she whispered, her voice firm despite its breathy volume. "That's all."

A quiet chuckle escaped his lips in spite of the flames. He was going to make sure that Alice had a good time, despite his own discomfort. The pain was the lesser of the two concerns. Alice was the number one priority.

"Just one?" he questioned through clenched teeth as a small amount of air escaped. He found that it was easier to deal with it when he held his breath. He figured that in doing so he could get through the night and still make sure Alice was having a good time. Twirling slowly together to the crooner music in the background Jasper continued to trail his fingers up and down her spine in a soothing motion.

Alice shivered. His fingertips were trailing back and forth between the satin of her wrap and the exposed skin of her back, sending wave after wave of chills through her tiny frame. She almost tilted her head up to look at him, almost pleaded to go back upstairs, almost begged. But she found she couldn't move a muscle except to nuzzle her face into his shirtfront, her little fists balled up and resting on his chest between them.

Jasper paused momentarily as Alice's fingers contracted into fists, balling up his shirt into them. A strained smile touched his lips as she pressed her face into his shirtfront and he gave her a gentle squeeze with his arm. Jasper picked up on the new air to Alice's mood and his smile turned slightly amused. "We must behave ourselves…" he murmured, as they twirled around always in close contact, pressed together as if they could not spare an inch between them.

"Then stop making me not want to," she growled with a soft laugh.

A strained smile graced his lips at Alice's admittance. "I'm sorry. I'll be good. Promise," he said through clenched teeth.

They weren't dancing like other people in the room. The held each other in chaste, proper embraces as they moved across the floor together, bodies at least a foot apart in all the places that mattered. She and Jasper clung to each other, the way they held each other belying an intimacy not even married couples would show in public. They garnered a few stares, even some whispers but Alice couldn't bring herself to care. She turned her face away from the crowd and back into Jasper's chest, inhaling deeply of his familiar scent.

Jasper's gaze caught the stares of a few nosy gawkers stealing glances as they twirled past them. Whispers abounded about them, about the close proximity at which they danced. A slight frown pulled at the corners of Jasper's lips, as the couples around them murmured. "Don't mind them, dear," Jasper whispered, shifting his gaze back down to Alice and away from the onlookers. He wondered briefly if they should mimic the other couples to look more in place but he couldn't bring himself to break the close proximity to Alice.

The pained look on Jasper's face remained intact, a small glimpse into the effort he was putting forth to provide Alice with a good time. His throat throbbed, contracted and burned for relief as each person twirled past them, swirling up their scents. He sucked in another breath of flames, intent on holding it. Of course, he knew that he would have to let it out at regular intervals to give the appearance that he was breathing. But if he could get himself through for five minutes at a time then he could deal with the consequences.

Alice closed her eyes and let Jasper lead her movements, feeling completely enveloped in his arms. When the band ended the song they had been dancing to and began another she lifted her head to him, her eyes full of questions.

"Jasper?" she asked, the conflicted look in his eyes causing her a little stab of pain.

Alice's soft words reached Jasper's ears. He cast his gaze down to her, another smile touching his lips. The searching look in her eyes gave Jasper a sharp pain of guilt.

"Yes, darlin'?" he asked, his voice soft but strained as a small amount of air escaped from his lips. The guilt that Alice felt was evident in the mood that radiated around her. His discomfort was bothering her, something he'd not intended.

Her eyebrows knitted together as she looked up at him. "Does that count as one song or a half?"

"I suppose that can count as one song…" he said, letting slip a strained smile and attempting a chuckle.

She reached up and brushed a blond curl from his forehead and then cupped that hand against his cheek. "Thank you for doing this," she said, her voice filled with gratitude.

Alice's mere touch sent his body into a frenzy of emotions as she brushed his hair back and placed her flawless hand against his cheek. The warmth emanating from it sent a rush of pleasure through his body. With great effort, he mustered a genuine smile. "You're welcome," he said softly although her mood told him that she hadn't been having as good a time as he'd hoped

"But this night shouldn't just be about my having a good time. What do you want to do? What would make you the most happy? Name it and we'll do it," she said, smiling brightly.

A slight frown touched his lips as she spoke. Guilt flooded through him, as he mulled over his response. "I'm sorry..." His eyebrows knitted together. "I'm ruining your night, aren't I?" he asked, sadness in his tone. As he let the air in his lungs out, his throat began to throb mercilessly.

"No!" she protested, trying to smooth away the sadness in his expression with her fingertips. "Two days ago I was sitting in a musty old diner watching the rain fall outside a dirty window and tonight I'm standing in a ballroom being held in the arms of the most handsome man I've ever seen. I am having a wonderful night!"

"I suppose, I'm a bit of a martyr," Jasper replied, quietly. "Besides, it's good for my self control," he added with a strained smile although, he was quite sure Alice wouldn't see it in that manner. "I must be a real dream come true," he said, in dry humor. "Showing up in that diner in rags, without a dime to my name. Scars all over me, unfed, deep circles under my eyes, looking about as attractive as a corpse. I'm sure I was a real sight for sore eyes." He chuckled sucking in a breath of flames as he did so. "You on the other hand could not have looked more perfect if you would've tried. Absolutely breathtaking. Never in my existence had I encountered something so absolutely glorious."

"I didn't see any of those things," she said, her voice even and serious as she reached up with her other hand to hold his face between them both. "I saw you. I saw the man I had been waiting my whole entire life for. I saw my future. I saw everything that would ever matter to me, the only thing that ever really had…" She smiled, her expression warm and full of adoration as she looked into his eyes. "I still don't think you understand how much I love you. I've loved you, unwaveringly and faithfully, for three decades and I can see that I will continue to do so for centuries."

Jasper's gaze remained unwavering on Alice's as she took his face into her hands and leveled his eyes onto hers. The truth in her words and the clear adoration in her eyes spoke volumes. He didn't need to sample her mood to confirm the emotions she was clearly sending. He only had to look into her eyes to see it. Her unwavering devotion rung in every word she spoke.

"Alice…" he said, quietly. The strain in his voice was evident. "You're right, I don't...fully understand," he admitted. "Love is something I'd never had a concept of. I'd never even considered that I could be capable of it. Until I walked into that diner I was a savage, unfeeling void of anything remotely human..." he said, his voice remaining low.

She shook her head in disagreement, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her face to his heart as he spoke.

Jasper unwound an arm from around her back and moved his hand up to cradle her head as she pressed her face against his chest, trailing his fingers down her back contently with his other hand.

"But, I do understand that I love you. As much as the feeling is new to me, and unnatural, it's there. I felt it, when I took your hand and the feeling only continues to get stronger. I don't know how it works, nor do I know the depth of those feelings…" he continued. "But I know this, I've never cared for anyone as much as I care for you. Your happiness is all that matters to me. I will open doors for you, stand up when you leave the table, carry your baggage. I will do anything to make you smile, to keep you safe and protected. Hope, optimism... Those are the words that spring to mind when I look at you. My beautiful, intelligent other half," he said, a slight smile threatening the corners of his lips.

She smiled and closed her eyes, her face still pressed against his chest, her little arms wrapped as tightly around him as she could manage. She took a deep breath, chamomile and bergamot filling her lungs and making her give a small, contented sigh.

Alice's contentment sent a wave of warmth through him. He could literally stand like that with her in his arms all night, never moving, statue still. Of course, it would be more comfortable if they weren't surrounded by all the little meals but he found that through Alice, he could channel his thirst and with a Herculean effort and deny it.

"Can you feel what I'm feeling right now?" she asked. "Do you see what you do to me? I have never been so completely happy…"

"Yes, I can," he admitted in a velvet tone, his throat squeezing shut with each word escaping his lips. He cleared it in an attempt to purge out the fire but it remained unwavering. "You're content and extremely happy..." he said, a strained smile touching his lips. "Did I get it right?"

Alice nodded, turning her face into his shirtfront and breathing deeply.

"You'd been waiting for so many years and I knew nothing of you until I walked into that diner…" he said, trailing off softly. "I feel as if I've cheated you in some way…"

"How could I be cheated? I have you here now. And besides, you only had to live through hell for the better part of a century! The last three decades of my life have been easy compared to that. What I did was nothing. You had to fight every day just to survive…" She squeezed her arms around him. "I never would have made it if it had been me."

"Probably not…" he admitted, frowning slightly. "You're far too meek and mild, too pure to have been put in that situation," he said, stroking his fingers absently through her hair as he spoke. "It's difficult for me to imagine it. I don't like thinking of you in danger," he said, his voice becoming soft. "And Hell? Yes, but if you know no other way of life you don't know the difference. I'll confess, for years I enjoyed it. I didn't know any better. I was young, power drunk and completely for the cause. Maria and I had worked together for many years. Our army was strong, unavoidable and we conquered many, took herd lands for our own and drank to our hearts content. The newborns were pawns to us, throwaways. We simply created new ones. It wasn't until later, after my conscience began to develop, that I realized what kind of monster I'd become. What Maria had made me... And what Maria was herself. I'd been so disconnected from my own emotions for so long that I really didn't know that killing was wrong. It was what I'd been born to do. What I was trained to do. I suppose my empathic abilities had a great deal to do with my knowledge of right and wrong and my guilt. Its development coincided with my attitude change. When I started to feel the true terror and pain of my victims, only then did I realize what kind of creature I was. Sometimes I wished that they would've never developed but I suppose that it, along with finding you, had a meaning behind it. I'd long been able to manipulate the moods around me, change emotional atmospheres. It's the main reason why I was such an asset to Maria. But, as I said, the empathic part didn't come until later. I attribute my conscience to that. If it weren't for that I would be no different than the others. I left without notice. After all I was her best fighter so I'm sure she wouldn't have let me go without a fight…" he said, trailing off.

As always, Alice couldn't help but shiver as he spoke of her past. Her horror was not for the things he had done but for what he had had to endure. He didn't like to think of her in danger and she didn't like to think of him living that way. It was cruel and tragic and it made her ache to protect him even though she was too small to do much good.

"You are so much stronger than I am," she said, quietly. "I'm so grateful you survived and made your way to me." She tilted her head to look up at him. "I know I'm small and I don't know the first thing about fighting but I would do anything to keep you safe. I would do anything to make sure you never have to feel that way again. I'd fight a whole newborn army to protect you."

"Perhaps it would be more prudent if we..." he said, pausing briefly. "Left…" The word escaped his lips as if it hurt him to speak it. "I want you to have a good time, Alice…" he said, his expression reflecting the pain in his tone.

"No matter where we go I will be having a good time because I'll be with you," she said, genuine happiness bubbling in her voice. She gave him a reassuring smile to make her point.

The concern in her mood shifted to happiness and joy as she beamed up at him, her eyes sparkling with the happiness that her mood portrayed. Her happiness was something that he tried so hard to keep intact. He needed her to be happy. It was a need that outweighed any of his own. Alice's happiness would always come first above anything else.

"Your happiness means more to me than anything. Everything else is second place. As long as you're happy, then so am I..." he assured her. His throat, throbbing mercilessly, contracted uncomfortably as a new wave of flames left a parched and painful path. The pained expression on his face reflected the constriction as the wet, moist hearts sang together in unison, calling out to him. A secretion of venom flooded into his mouth in preparation for the kill. With great effort, he swallowed his own venom, squeezing his eyes shut as the poison laden saliva coursed its way down his throat, lighting the walls of his esophagus on fire. His muscles contracted in response causing him to squeeze his arm against Alice's back.

"Well, I would be happy going to take a walk. I have something in mind," she said with a wide smile. "I think it will be perfect!"

"You do?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Alice had an idea and she was giddy about it. He was quite sure shopping was in the cards but he found that he didn't mind. He rather enjoyed spending time with her whether it was walking or following behind her while she loaded him with clothes. "I'm sure it will be," he said with a quiet smile, another round of flames coursing down his throat as he spoke. The pain in his eyes was the only evidence of his discomfort.

She unwound her arms from his waist and tugged at his hand eagerly leading him out of the ballroom and into the hotel lobby.

Jasper let slip a pained smile, as she grabbed his hand and led him out. He more than eagerly followed, grateful to escape the hell that was the ballroom.

She practically danced to the exit, turning to look over her shoulder with an impish smile as she spun through the revolving door. Outside she stepped to the curb and hailed a taxi, reaching over to grab his hand again as one pulled to a stop in front of her.

He followed close on her heels as she led him through the lobby and the spinning doors, taking in a sharp breath of fresh clean air to dispel the human scents and clear his lungs of the fiery torment. Instantly he felt relief.

"Where are we going?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow as she called a taxi. The questioning look in his eyes never left as he stepped to the curve and popped open the back door for her, to climb in. "Alice?"

She slid across the seat and patted the place next to her. "Get in," she said with a laugh. Her eyes clouded over for a moment and when they refocused her smile had widened noticeably. "Oh, this is going to be perfect!" she exclaimed, her mood bright and excited.

He raised an eyebrow in speculation and slid in beside her, closing the door behind him. The overpowering mood filling the car was unavoidable and soon Jasper found himself smiling as well. "Perfect? I doubt anything could be more perfect than you," he interjected.

Alice practically bounced up and down in her seat. "Just wait and see!" she chirped with childlike enthusiasm.

A strained smile touched his lips as Alice bounced up and down, her exuberance heightening his own mood and driving his thirst into overdrive.

"Driver, could you take us to the Navy Pier?" she asked, slipping him a few bills in the darkness of the cab.

"Sure thing, ma'am," he answered, pulling away from the curb and filtering into the line of traffic on the street.

"Navy Pier?" Jasper asked, confusion coloring his tone. As a precaution he sucked in a breath of flames and held it, his throat throbbing and constricting in protest uncomfortably. His gaze fixed pointedly at the back of the driver's neck and focused on the pulse point. The muddy red brown color of his eyes were normal enough now that he need not wear a hat to conceal them.

Alice nodded. "Just wait, just wait!" she chanted, grasping his hand and settling into Jasper's chest with a little sigh. She closed her eyes, a satisfied smile curving her lips. The driver looked at them by way of the rear view mirror and smiled as well as the city lights filtered through the windows.

The slight pressure Alice applied to his chest broke his concentration, causing him to blink a couple of times and refocus his gaze on her. A smile of his own curved his lips as she cuddled into him. He tentatively slipped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her close to him, letting his cheek come to rest against the top of her head as his gaze drifted back to the driver. He gave her a gentle squeeze with his arm as a silent plea for reassurance, too subtle to be picked up by human eyes.

Alice's heightened mood had tampered with his own, hyping up his own emotions in reflection of hers. The anxious expression fixed on his face was a small glimpse at the extreme effort he was putting forth in reigning in his thirst although, holding his breath did help. Cutting off his breathing cut off the scent from circulating throughout his system

Alice reached a hand up to touch his face and concentrated on changing her mood from excitement to calm, hoping it would reach him and ease his thirst. He could influence her mood, that she knew. But perhaps she could influence his as well? He seemed to be attuned to everything she felt so if he were anxious, could she not try to project calm for him? She waited to see what effect it would have on him, if any, tilting her head to run her nose along his jaw line and planting a soft kiss on the scarred skin of his neck.

His gaze tore from the man in the front seat and refocused on Alice when she touched her fingers to his cheek, a pained smile playing on his features as he worked to concentrate on her. Alice's mood shift brought with it a calming atmosphere, seeping into his clothes and flesh. As her heightened mood calmed he felt his own high coming down as well. Normally, letting the moods of others affect him was something he worked to avoid, but this seemed to be something that he needed so he didn't fight it.

A warm feeling of pleasure coursed through him as she kissed his ravaged neck. Her complete understanding and reassurance tempered his mood back down to her new level. With this small distraction he found it easier to ignore the cab driver but it also could have been that he was holding his breath. Holding his breath worked well to keep the scent from circulating but it didn't eliminate the temptation of his heart.

Eventually the cab pulled to a stop and Alice's head popped up, her hand already on the door handle. "We're here!" She opened her door and climbed out, reaching in to grab Jasper's hand and dragging him across the seat. "Thank you!" she told the driver as she shut the door and waved to him.

Both eyebrows shot up as Alice practically jumped up and flew to the door handle before the cab even came to a complete stop. Confusion colored his face as she scrambled out and grabbed his hand, pulling him from the car. Jasper gave the cab driver a bewildered look before returning it Alice.

The skyscrapers towered above them, their winking lights like stars come down to earth all around them and shining on the water. Alice looked around, her happiness and excitement infectious.

When the cab driver was well out of sight Jasper let his breath out and sucked in a breath of fresh air to clear out the human scent that had infected his system moments earlier. Finally able to get his bearings he looked around, an awestruck expression over taking his features. "Wow..." he breathed.

"Do you hear that?" she asked, gripping his hand in both of hers. The sound of a lone saxophone drifted on the night air as she pulled him down to the water.

Jasper trained his ears on the distant noise, the sound of music reaching his ears as he cocked his head a little in concentration. "Yeah, I do…" he said as a quiet smile touched his lips, walking with Alice down toward the water. Jasper followed her down to the boardwalk, as they got closer the tune became clearer in the air.

Alice sighed happily as she recognized the tune, the exact one she had heard in her vision. "I love this song," she said, stopping by the boardwalk and throwing her arms around Jasper's neck. "It's called 'Embraceable You'. I'd say it's fitting." She smiled up at him, her golden eyes twinkling in the dim light.

A wide grin stretched the corners of his mouth as she slung her arms around his neck and rattled off the tune. As she did so he automatically slipped his arms around her and pulled her up against him.

"I'd say it is. I find you very embraceable," he commented with a light chuckle. "So this has been your plan all evening, has it?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"No, not really," she laughed. "It only came to me once I decided that we were leaving that ballroom. Besides, this seems much more romantic."

"Well, I must say…I'm thoroughly surprised," he said keeping his gaze locked on hers, unable to suppress his own joy. "It's much more romantic to be here, alone with you," he agreed, with a soft smile. "I must say the ball room wasn't quite agreeing with me..." he trailed off quietly as embarrassment colored his tone. It had been because of his lack of control that they had had to leave. Rolling his bottom lip under his teeth briefly, he spoke. "I promise, one day we'll be able to be out in public without the danger of me taking a human life."

"It's not something I expect you to be able to do overnight," she said, her voice soothing as she began to sway with the music. Her fingers shifted through the curls at the back of his head. "And I'll be here to help you, always. I'll always understand…"

"What do you say you and I dance for awhile and then go visit one of the local shops?" he asked with a hint of a smile. He had a plan but he couldn't let her know. Instead he flipped through his decisions, trying to confuse his true one.

Alice's brow furrowed at the whirl of visions that flashed before her eyes, uncertain and vague. She tilted her head to the side, her eyes going blank as she tried to focus on one. The effort was useless. Each possibility faded away as soon as she tried to grasp it, the images fluid and fleeting.

A mischievous grin crept to Jasper's face briefly as Alice's expression went blank. He was quite certain all of his decisions were flooding through her mind right now as she tried to narrow it down. However, his expression quickly smoothed out as she drew back out of her daze and narrowed her gaze at him suspiciously.

She returned her gaze to Jasper's face, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Are you trying to keep something from me?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Who me? Of course not," he said, his eyebrows knitted together in false confusion.

Alice pursed her lips thoughtfully, obviously not buying his innocence. Finally she smiled. "I actually like surprises," she confessed. "It's rare that I ever get to have one. Okay then, no peeking, I promise! You just have to not let me see. Think about other things!" she commanded, jumping up and down with excitement.

"Well I'm quite sure you'll like this one…" he said with a sly, knowing smile. "No, peeking," he said firmly with a serious look which faded rather quickly when Alice's exuberance got the better of her.

"Stop thinking about it!" Alice squealed, unlinking her hands where they rested behind his head and shaking him by the shoulders.

He couldn't help but laugh as Alice shook him, chuckling as she scolded him into submission. "Ok, fine!" he admitted in defeat. Shaking his head, he chuckled. "Well, I could concentrate on you…" he said, leveling his gaze on her.

The way he looked at her then stunned her into silence and caused her to shiver. "That should… That should work," she choked out.

"You know..." he said, breaking the short silence between them. "This is very romantic," he whispered, glancing around them. "Very special. And you, well, you look absolutely stunning, you know..." He smiled sweetly, all the while keeping his decisions up in the air, flitting from one thing to another. Alice couldn't know. He needed to keep her confused.

Alice tilted her head to the side, studying the way the moonlight reflected off his face. "I could say the same of you…" she said, her face full of wonder and innocence. A flash of something in her mind, indistinct and blurry, caused her eyes to widen momentarily. She worked hard to push it away. This was something she didn't want to see! The vision was starting to become clearer despite her efforts to stop it. She forced herself to see reality, focusing on Jasper's face, on his eyes…

Jasper watched Alice's expression go blank again as another vision tried to force its way into her mind. He lifted an eyebrow as Alice fought to remove the vision. Clearly she was going to keep her promise in not peeking which was good. It would be better if she didn't know. Finally, she seemed to have won out as her gaze returned to the present and focused on him. A brief smile flitted across his face at her triumph.

He unwound one of his arms from around her back and brushed the back of his hand against her cheek, curling his fingers together under her chin. "Absolutely stunning..." he murmured before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to her lips.

The vision shimmered and disappeared altogether just in time. The only thing she could concentrate on now was his hand splayed across her lower back, the feel of his fingers gently tilting her chin, the way his lips moved against her own in a way that seemed contrived to drive her slowly insane. She closed her eyes and shamelessly pressed herself against him, her fingers knotting in his hair.

Suddenly Alice's fingers were in his hair as she pressed her body against his which only caused him to plunge himself deeper into the kiss. The intense mood coming off of Alice rolled through his body in waves and intensified his own passion toward her. He contracted his fingers against her back, locking his arm around her in an iron embrace and wrapping his other arm around her shoulders, securing her to him.

Jasper's kiss became more desperate and she gasped against his lips, the passion driving him causing her knees to go weak. She might have actually fallen if it weren't for how tightly he held her. Instead she went nearly limp in his arms, surrendering herself wholly over to him. A moan escaped her slightly parted lips as her head fell back, exposing her throat. This wasn't the dancing she had had in mind when they came to this place but at the moment she didn't much care.

The intensity between them only grew as the kiss became more passionate. The tangible electricity in the air between them sent Jasper's senses into overdrive. The audible soft moan that escaped her lips caused a low, primal growl to rumble out of Jasper's throat. As the kiss broke away Jasper's lips quickly found the hollow of her throat, the exact spot where her pulse point would have been in life. A shiver ran through him as his lips came in contact with the soft marble smooth skin.

Jasper's growl sent her senses reeling. Perhaps they should have just gone to the hotel, she thought? But no, he had a surprise for her and it seemed important. She worked to keep her feet planted on the ground, gasping aloud again when his lips descended on her throat. She knew it was no coincidence that they sought out where her arteries had once pulsed with life, his instincts leading him there out of hunger and habit. If she were human she wouldn't have been able to resist him, even in the face of certain death. There was nothing this man could ever ask that she would have the power or the will to deny.

Her hands moved to grasp his shoulders as she hung there in his arms, helpless to do anything but cling to him.

As Alice's hands sought out his shoulders and gripped them, Jasper's urgency increased. The pure ecstasy between him and Alice drove him to a point of no return. Every gasp, every sigh, every squeeze of her hands against his shoulders only spurred him further. He kissed her neck feverishly with the same urgency as though he were being rushed though truth be told, it was because he couldn't stop, nor did he want to. The feelings that exuded from her, mingling with his own, made him a slave to his own urges, reminiscent to a cocaine addict getting a fix. His hand moved up to grip the base of her neck as his lips worked passionately against her pulse point.

So this is what it would feel like to die at his hands, she thought, her eyes rolling back into her head. Looking up into that angelic face, his eyes ravenous and beautiful a second before the strike, his lips moving against her neck as though to devour her very soul. Moaning again softly as his hand closed around her throat, she knew that as a human she would have bared it willingly for him, luxuriating in the feel of him pressed against her as her life drained away. Surrender, complete and absolute… Her hands fell away from his shoulders, her arms hanging useless at her sides. She no longer had the strength to do anything but allow herself to be possessed completely by him.

Jasper's hand loosened from around her neck and moved up to cradle the back of her head. As he became aware he'd noticed Alice's dead weight in his arms, limp and completely incapacitated. Reluctantly, he peeled his lips away from her neck and found her lips again, molding them to hers.

At the touch of his lips against her own, Alice suddenly came alive, her hands tangling once more into his hair. She returned his kiss with fierce determination, pulling him into her and hitching a leg up to rest on his hip.

A growl escaped his lips as Alice pulled him into her and threw her leg up, hitching it against his hip. The hand braced around her back quickly flashed down and curled around her calf, securing it in place. Her sudden reanimation skyrocketed his senses as she knotted her fingers into his hair and threw herself into the kiss.

His mind raced as he passionately worked his lips against hers, keeping his other arm securely locked around her, the compulsion to keep going firmly taking a hold of his senses and running his emotions into overload. Alice's intense feelings combined with his and, with such a close proximity to her, it had driven him into a frenzy. The spark in his eye belied the need that he felt for her. "I can't stop…" he breathed between kisses. "You've no idea…" he gasped. "How this feels…" he mumbled against her lips.

"I don't…think I can…either," she panted. "But…we're in public…" she giggled. "Damn it…" Still unable to reign in her desire, she freed one of her hands from his hair and ran it down his chest, a soft growl rising from her throat as she moved her lips to the corner of his mouth, down his jaw and to his neck.

"Yeah…" was the only word able to escape his lips. He'd all but forgotten how to speak as soon as she had laid into him. As she moved away from his mouth tracing kisses down his jaw and to his neck Jasper let out a primal growl of his own with the same intensity and animalistic nature in response to hers. His grip tightened around her calf as she found his neck. The complete sensory overload caused his eyes to roll back in his head.

"We're…being…positively indecent," she lamented even as she pawed at his chest. A laugh escaped her lips as she left a trail of kisses down his throat, ending at his shirt collar. "We can't…do this…here."

"Yes, quite indecent," he said in a soft tone with a chuckle. He was sure they probably looked like quite a sight, tangled together in an embrace. It was considered indecent to hold hands, let alone escalate things to that degree, in public. Indecent or not, he couldn't bring himself to stop as Alice broke away from his lips and left a trail of soft kisses down his throat, letting them linger along his shirt collar. He felt compelled to take his shirt off so as to not interrupt Alice's little endeavor. It took everything inside of him not to.

With great effort she placed her hands on his chest and pushed herself away, staring at him with eyes sparked with intense hunger. She reached up and smoothed the lapels of his suit, the feel of his lean muscles under her hands almost sending her over the edge again. She held her breath, afraid that his scent wouldn't calm her as it so often did, but would instead send her into a frenzy of desire.

As she pushed herself away he stared back at her with the same intensity and hunger in his eyes. He'd reluctantly let her out of his embrace and suddenly felt compelled to pull her back into it, balling his hands into fists at his sides to stave off the temptation to do so. The feelings that she created in him, magnified by her own, were difficult to reign in. Her delicate fingers moved along the lapels of his suit sending another thrill of pleasure through him and causing him to clench his fists that much harder. Her scent wafted at him, sending his senses reeling and only added difficulty to his ability to control himself.

"You look like you're in pain," she giggled. "So no dancing, I take it?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow. Her smile went from flirtatious to downright devilish as she eyed him standing there. Everything about him was so very tempting.

"In pain?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Hardly. I'm finding it difficult to control myself," he added with a light chuckle. "You're very tempting when you're all over me," he said, with a wink.

Alice threw her head back and laughed. "Well yes, I would imagine so…"

Now seemed like as good of time as any to go ahead with his engagement plans. There was a jewelry store nearby he had seen on their way in and his expression turned thoughtful. "Stay right here," he instructed. "No, peeking." he added firmly and with that turned and darted off and out of sight.

Alice watched after him, confused to say the least. She resisted the temptation to look ahead to the future. It wouldn't do to ruin his surprise. She walked over and sat on a park bench, gazing out at the water and focusing her attention on counting the windows of a nearby skyscraper to occupy her mind and keep any visions at bay. After a while she became very still, hardly breathing, never blinking, and her eyes went blank. Her mind was completely turned off as she waited for Jasper to reappear, her form as still as that of a statue.

Jasper slipped through the door of the jewelry store, moving directly to the display counter and letting his gaze scan over the rings displayed behind the glass.

"Can I help you?" came a man's voice from behind the counter. Jasper's gaze shot up and leveled on him, letting his eyes drift to the name tag on his shirt.

"Well, Thomas..." he said in a velvet like tone, returning his gaze to the display case. "I'm looking for a ring for my girlfriend," he said, in a half distracted tone. Girlfriend was a human term, mate was more like it.

"Well, we have quite a few here. What style does she like?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Normally, sir, the man brings his new fiancée in to pick it out herself," he said, narrowing his eyes.

"Well," Jasper said, with a quiet chuckle, shifting his gaze back to the man, "this is a surprise, so it would ruin it to do so."

"You haven't proposed yet?" He asked, as if quite taken by surprise.

"No," Jasper replied. "How about this one?" Jasper asked, pointing toward an antique white gold setting with a rounded amber stone in the middle.

"Oh, lovely choice," Thomas said, gingerly opening the cabinet and pulling it out. There it sat, nestled in a little black box, inlaid with red velvet.

He set the ring down on the counter top, as Jasper gingerly picked it up to examine it. The white gold setting was accentuated with clusters of diamonds, lining the band. "I like this one," Jasper said, studying it for a moment before setting it back down. "How much?" he asked, looking to the clerk behind the counter.

"That ring?" He asked, lifting an eyebrow. "It's 150 dollars, sir," he added.

"Then $150.00 is what I'll pay…" Jasper said, with a quiet smile and pulled out a wad of bills. He pressed the needed amount onto the counter and picked up the ring, tucking it into his pocket.

"Nice doing business with you, sir. I'm sure your girlfriend will love it," he said, pleased with his sale. "By the way…that particular ring is an antique," he added, gesturing toward Jasper's pocket.

"Is it?" Jasper asked, mildly interested.

"Oh yes, it's from the Civil War era. Or so I was told."

"Well, it certainly looks the part," Jasper replied. The ring was definitely old, that much he could tell. He recognized it as the product of the time period in which he'd belonged. Of course, he didn't tell this man that.

Without further words, Jasper left the jewelry store, heading back down to the docks where he'd left Alice, precious cargo in tow.

Alice still sat on her park bench, her gaze vacant. That was until the scent of chamomile and bergamot enveloped her. She turned to find Jasper there, a smile curving her lips as she tilted her face up to him in the moonlight.

"Miss me?" Jasper asked, with a knowing smile. He hated keeping things from Alice but the surprise would be better if she didn't know. Suddenly the ring in his pocket seemed heavier than a one ton weight. He fidgeted mildly, letting his gaze fall on Alice. The grin on her face was genuine and despite his slight bout of nerves, he felt confident in Alice's answer but he couldn't help but worry anyway.

"Of course," she said, standing up and coming to stand near him. She placed a hand on his chest and leaned her head on his shoulder. He seemed nervous about something and she wasn't sure what. She had kept her promise and had not looked into the future to see what he was up to. She smiled as she wondered what could have the brave Major Jasper Whitlock acting like a bashful little boy.

Jasper laughed quietly and slipped an arm around her, hugging her close as she leaned her head against his arm. "Have I told you you look absolutely stunning tonight?" he asked, rolling his bottom lip under his teeth. He was sure he probably already asked that question, but it took his mind off of "the question".

"Yes, you have," she laughed. "Twice. Jasper, what's going on?"

He crooked his arm out for her to slip her arm through his and smiled. "Shall we go catch that carriage ride now?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow and taking in a breath of the crisp clean air, laden with her scent.

"I think that sounds lovely," she said, laughing. "Do you think we can behave ourselves long enough to take one? Dancing didn't work out so well after all."

"It's perfect," he said, laughing. "As far as behaving, I'm not sure," he said, grinning widely. "The dancing got a little out of hand, didn't it?" he said, chuckling. "Perhaps the carriage ride will be a little different. I promise I'll be good," he said, winking.

A little out of hand? Yes, but it was amazing. He couldn't deny that. Each time he and Alice endeavored in such activities the feeling was like nothing he'd ever felt before and he often found himself getting carried away. It couldn't be helped. Alice's affections, heightened emotions and complete bliss were like a drug.

She tilted her head, placing her lips as near his ear as she could manage given their height difference. "Later we'll be back at the hotel and you can misbehave as much as you want," she whispered. She giggled, surprised even with herself that she could be so bold. Self control was impossible with him standing next to her looking delectable in his suit, his hat perched on his head slightly askew. She sighed and squeezed his arm, attempting to reign in her racing thoughts.

The height difference between them was almost a foot and a half so he couldn't help but suppress a smile as Alice stood up on her tip toes to whisper in his ear. The gentle blast of her sweet breath sent his senses into a whirl. It took all of his restraint not to pull her into his embrace. "Oh, I'll hold you to that," he said, with a mischievous grin. "In fact, I think tonight will be a turning point," he said, cryptically, with a wink. A shiver ran through him as she squeezed his arm. As he looked upon her, he felt himself becoming completely enthralled with her. The way her curls framed her face, how her dress seemed to accent her porcelain skin.

Alice narrowed her eyes at his vague statement, her desire to find out what this night and its possible surprise involved increasing exponentially.

"I'm sorry it took so long. I just had to pick up your surprise," he said, a grin forming on his face. "I'm quite confident you'll like it. At least, I hope you will," he said, with a slight chuckle.

"I figured that was where you went," she said, letting him lead her away from the river. "I was a good girl, though. I didn't look so I'll be completely surprised.

"Good," he said with a quiet smile. "Because it's important that you don't peek," he said as he took her hand and led her away from the pier.

"I have to admit I can't imagine what it could possibly be which makes me all the more excited to find out. I'm fairly curious by nature so as you can imagine it hasn't been easy for me to resist peeking."

"Yes, I can imagine your pining to know," he agreed, chuckling lightly. "You will, soon enough. Be patient, darlin'…" he said, pressing a kiss to her hair as they walked.

He turned toward as he led her up to a black carriage, drawn by a large gray Percheron. The driver greeted them with a tip of his hat, as they approached.

"Good evening," he said, cheerfully. Jasper acknowledged him with a short nod, then turned to Alice and popped open the carriage door.

Alice smiled at the driver and returned his greeting since Jasper hadn't. She took a few steps to run her hand across the horses' gray coat, cooing to it in a soothing voice. Despite her nature it didn't react in fear, instead turning his head to nuzzle her shoulder. She giggled and patted his head.

Jasper stood in waiting, folding his hands together in front of him as Alice greeted the driver and took a few moments to pet the horse. Apparently, Alice's affinity for animals didn't just pertain to viewing them as meals. Jasper watched with a loving smile as Alice cooed and patted the animal.

"Your wife seems to be good with animals," the driver said, moving his gaze from Alice to Jasper.

"My wife?" Jasper said, lifting an eyebrow. With a slightly nervous laugh he shook his head. "No, she's my girlfriend…" he said, letting his gaze come to rest on the driver sitting on the carriage. Although, he had to admit, he liked the sound of her being called his wife.

Alice heard the exchange between Jasper and the driver, although she pretended to be absorbed in petting the horse. Jasper was quick to correct the driver, she thought with a frown, her mood souring slightly. They weren't married, it was true, but would it have hurt him to have pretended for one night? Just for fun?

Alice's mood changed dramatically when Jasper corrected the driver. His gaze slid in her direction as she appeared to be petting the horse. He instantly knew that she'd heard because the giddy mood she'd been radiating earlier was now tinged with sadness. He felt guilty for ruining Alice's mood but, at the same time, he couldn't help but suppress an amused smile. Little did she know he had other plans than just pretending.

"Ma'am?" Jasper said, lifting an eyebrow and moved to help her climb in.

Alice walked back to Jasper and took his hand, allowing him to help her into the carriage even though she didn't require it.

Jasper took her by the hand and gripped her by the thigh, hoisting her up into the carriage. She didn't need the help as she was quite capable of doing it on her own but, being the gentleman that he was, helping her was just part of the job description.

It was such a gentlemanly thing to do that she felt she could have blushed were she capable. Instead she sat on the little seat and ducked her head in a demure fashion, waiting for him to take his place beside her.

He hauled himself up into the carriage after her and closed the door, reaching over to take up her hand. He eyed her nervously before glancing down at his coat pocket, chewing on his bottom lip.

She reached up to gently touch his face, nudging his chin over so that he was looking at her. "Is everything okay?" Alice asked with a frown. Her eyes were sad, reflecting her concern. "You were laughing a moment ago and now you look so worried…"

"Yeah, everything's fine…" he quickly replied with a slightly nervous smile as she bumped his chin toward her. He met her gaze, taking in a deep breath of her scent to shake off the worry. He didn't know why he was so nervous. He found himself kneading a piece of his slacks, pinched between his thumb and index finger. Alice's scent rushed through his system, clearing out the worry.

Alice eyed him, not quite convinced that everything was, in fact, fine as he had said. She shifted her gaze to the way he was worrying the fabric of his slacks between his fingers…fidgeting. He wasn't acting like himself at all. Still, she said nothing and leaned back in her seat, turning her head to look at the city surrounding them.

Jasper smoothed out the fabric on his slacks and let his hand rest on the top of his leg, flicking his gaze over to Alice with a soft smile. "Everything's fine…" he assured her, slipping an arm around her shoulders and hugging her close to him to press a gentle kiss into her hair before letting his chin come to rest on top of her head. "Are you having a good time?" he asked, quietly.

She felt her worry ease as he kissed her hair, a shiver coursing through her and chasing it away. She shifted her weight to lean into him, her eyes still looking out at the sights the city had to offer.

"Yes," she said softly. "This is lovely…"

A soft smile touched his lips as Alice snuggled into him but kept her gaze on the city passing by them. Human structures had changed so much since he'd been a human. The streets were no long dirt, no longer bordered with false front stores. Livery stables and saloons were all part of the past as well. Cars replaced the horse. Pavement had replaced the dirt. "Yes, it is..." he replied, pressing another gentle kiss into her hair. "Things have changed so much since…I was…young," he said with a faint smile, reaching over his hand and tracing circles on the top her hand with his thumb.

"Things aren't much different for me," she replied. "Well, maybe they would be if I remembered…before." She frowned. "I think I was about nineteen or twenty when I…" She glanced at the driver. She doubted he could hear her over the sound of the horse's hooves on the pavement but still, it was better now to take chances. "I guess I was born around 1900, maybe 1901. I'm sure if I remembered my childhood I might feel much the same way."

Jasper listened quietly as Alice spoke, letting his chin rest on the top of her head. Jasper's gaze flew to the driver out of paranoia. He hoped he hadn't heard, but you never could be sure. The sound of the horse's hooves hitting the pavement should be enough to block out any conversation between them since their voices were considerably low to begin with. "Well, mind you…most of what I remember is after I was bitten," he said, in a low voice. "Things were much different when I was…young," he said, air quoting the word young.

"I can imagine," she whispered. "One day when I am older I suppose it will be like that for me, watching the world change around me while I stay the same. Is it difficult, seeing the way things change? Do you miss the way things used to be then?"

Jasper's expression became thoughtful. "Well, some aspects of it, I suppose," he said, softly. "Mostly I guess I've just kind of sat back and watched as things progressed," he said, softly. "Time flies when you don't change. You get bored easily. I suppose I've always known I didn't belong to this world. I've never bothered to take part in it. Why would I? This world means little to me," he smiled, glancing over at her. "Humans spend so much time, milling about pressed for time. Human life is so very fragile, so very short…"

Alice listened to him speak, her eyes turning sad. "Maybe that's why I hold such a fascination for them as you say. Their lives are so short and fragile, that's true, but in the time they have they create such beautiful things. They love and they dream and they live with such passion. Perhaps it's because they know, all the while, that their days are limited." She smiled.

Jasper listened quietly as Alice spoke. She had a point. Humans were for the most part expendable. Their lives were so short it was almost sad, although he didn't share the same affections for their art, they're structures and films as Alice did. For most of his existence humans were no more than cattle, mindless beasts whose only sole purpose was sustenance. Of course before he'd met Alice he hadn't known that you could survive on animals and if he planned to spend eternity with her, then he would have to get used to blending into human society, both observing and taking part in it. "I suppose you're right. Who are we to hold ourselves as gods?" Jasper said, knitting his eyebrows together. "Ghosts even, to come and go as we please, unaffected by time…" he continued. "I can't tell you much about human nature as I rarely had more to do with them, other than feed on them," he said, letting a smile twitch at the corner of his mouth. "Of course, I'm quite certain with you at the controls, those days are over," he teased.

Alice smiled softly. "Maybe we could learn something from them ourselves. We are immortal, to a point. But we can still die. We can be killed and we're not guaranteed an eternity either. There may come a day, even though it might be centuries from now, when one of us…" She let her voice trail off, staring at him for a moment as she imagined it. She shivered and buried herself in his arms as though to banish the idea.

Alice's words caused a knot to twist in Jasper's stomach. In the world he'd been born into immortality had been measured in just a few short months, not centuries. You weren't guaranteed an eternal life. Alice's words only drove home the reality of that. "Alice, I would never allow that to happen, ever…" he said, pulling her closer into his arms and securing them around her in a protective embrace. "You will never have to worry about such things. I promise," he said softly and kissed the top of her head.

Alice closed her eyes and allowed herself to be comforted by him. The thought if ever having to say goodbye to him was truly unbearable. "If anything ever happens to you and you leave this earth, I won't be far behind," she promised, trying in vain to press herself closer still to him.

Jasper refused to even believe that anything could ever happen to Alice. The single thought of her not being on this earth, in his arms and safe was completely inconceivable. "Nothing is going to happen to me," he said in reassurance. As he spoke he stroked his fingers casually through her hair. "Nothing's going to happen to you, either," he said softly. "I won't allow it. I'll always keep you safe," he promised.

Alice nodded quietly and hoped he was right. She'd see it coming if he weren't and she could plan accordingly.

"Is it thinking about your past that has you so upset?" she asked.

His expression smoothed out and a quiet smile graced his lips. "I guess I'm a little worried on whether you'll like your present…"

She spun back to face him, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "You got me a present? Really?!" she asked, her expression childlike. She looked around and in the seat next to them but didn't see anything obvious.

Alice's excitement flared at the mention of a present. Jasper couldn't help but stifle a chuckle at her enthusiasm. It was quite cute. "Of course. But I can't give it to you yet. I have to wait until the perfect moment. It's very....important and needs to be done at the right time," he said with a rather smug grin. "Not to mention, I want to do it right. So you're just going to have to wait. You'll see it. Soon," he promised.

Alice furrowed her brow. What sort of present could he have that it would carry such stipulations? But then she had never received a present before so maybe this was how it was done, she wondered. She bit her lip, nodding. "I can't say I have much experience with presents," she admitted. "You're much older than I and you vaguely remember being human so if this is how it's supposed to go then I'll wait." She sighed. Being patient was not something she excelled at. She fidgeted for a moment, twisting her fingers together in her lap and studying them as she did so.

He could tell it was bothering her that she didn't know. He watched as she fidgeted and twisted her fingers together, suppressing a slightly amused smile.

"This is really bothering you, isn't it?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow and chuckling. "Not knowing what I got you…" he added, pausing briefly.

She nodded, frowning. "It's just that this is my first present," she said. "I'm very excited and when I get very excited I don't do so well with waiting." She looked up at him with a becoming pout. "But I really am trying," she promised.

"I can tell. Your excitement is very tangible," he said, laughing. "Remember?" he added pointing at himself and raising an eyebrow, implying at his little ability. "And I'll have to agree with you on that. Your patience is very poor," Jasper teased.

"I know," she said, frowning again. "I never thought I'd get a present from anyone."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better I don't have any experience with this either," he said, shaking his head. "So don't worry. I'm just as new to this as you are. I've never given a present before. Nor have I ever received any, up until your little shopping trip, anyway," he said, gesturing to his clothes.

Alice didn't say anything, returning her gaze to her lap. She was afraid if she spoke she'd lose her resolve to be patient. Already it was taking more concentration than keeping her visions at bay. Alice bit her lip even harder, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Finally she turned to look at him. "Can I try to guess?" she asked, her eyes pleading.

He shook his head with an exasperated sigh. "You're more than welcome to try," he said, with a hint of challenge in his tone.

Her eyes lit up at the possibility of this new game. She was still eager to discover what her present was but this was almost equally as exciting. Her eyebrows knitted together as she considered what he could have purchased. "Is it a rose?" she asked, peeking around him to see if she could locate one. She had seen that in a movie once, she remembered.

Jasper shook his head with a quiet smile. "Nope, not a rose," he said, a smug smile touching his lips. "Want to keep guessing?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Alice thought for a moment, trying to think of what it could possibly be. She thought to all the romantic movies she had seen, making a mental list of things the men in them had bought for women they loved. "Well, it can't be chocolates I don't suppose. I mean, I could eat them but I wouldn't be able to enjoy them for long," she said, pulling a face at what would have to come afterward.

Jasper watched as Alice mulled over the different possibilities in her head. He could see her mind at work. "Remember, no peeking," Jasper said, narrowing his gaze suspiciously. "And no, it's not chocolate but good guess," he said, quirking his lips up into a smile. "Any more guesses?" he asked, reaching hand over and tucking back a lock of Alice's inky black hair behind her ear, before letting his hand come to rest on her cheek.

"I honestly can't think of what it could be," she said, puzzled. She reached up to take the hand that had touched her cheek, holding it in both of her own and pressing it to her lips. "Oh, Jasper! Do I have to wait much longer? I don't know if I can…" She smiled despite the pleading in her eyes. The suspense was maddening and yet the anticipation was so enjoyable at the same time. She felt as though she could bounce out of her seat from all her pent up excitement.

Jasper stifled a chuckle, pressing his lips into a thin line, suppressing a smile as she moved from one guess to another. He reached over and took her hand into one of his, turning it over to trace his thumb lightly over her palm. "Alright," he said, sucking in a sharp, nervous breath and nodding. Reaching into his coat pocket he pulled out the little black box and turned his intense gaze on hers.

Alice's eyes travelled from the box to his face to the box again, her mouth popping open in a soundless gasp. She stared at it, quickly recognizing it for what it was and felt herself begin to tremble.

Jasper watched Alice's reaction, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion as she simply stared at him in shock. Had he done it wrong? He'd never proposed to a woman before so he wondered if this was their normal reaction.

"Alice," he said, softly. "From the moment I saw you I knew that my time with you would never be measured in mere moments, but centuries. I knew that you were the one thing in my life that held meaning. Your opinion will always matter to me, above anyone else's. You are my sun, my hope, my optimism, my light… You are the warmth that fills me whenever I look upon you..." A smile quirked at his lips while he spoke. "Will you marry me?" he asked, looking at her expectantly.

For a moment she was frozen, completely unable to move or even utter a sound. Her wide eyes were far away as a myriad of visions flooded her mind all at once. Everything she had been holding back made itself known, the future a swirling mass of laughter and kisses and unbelievable happiness all stemming from Jasper's decision. She had seen them together centuries from now before this but the question he was asking her now altered everything, making each image more vibrant, more beautiful, more full of love. Complete…

A sob escaped her throat and she clapped her hands to her mouth to contain the others threatening to follow. Her golden eyes refocused on his face, shining with a strange mixture of shock and overwhelming joy.

A small coy smiled played at the corner of his mouth as Alice stared, wide eyed and shocked. However his smile faded with she began to sob. He wasn't sure if this was a normal reaction but he acutely recalled her sobbing during "It's A Wonderful Life" so he wasn't too concerned. After all, she'd assured him it was because the movie had made her emotional. The mood emanating from her was one of joy so he reasoned she must be sobbing because she was so happy. As she leveled her gaze on his face, having contained her urge to cry, Jasper let his gentle smile return.

She flew across the space that separated them, throwing her arms around Jasper's neck and tackling him back into the seat. "Yes!!" she exclaimed, covering him with kisses. "Yes, of course I'll marry you!!"

A wide smile slipped to Jasper's face, as Alice's shock quickly became overcome with her pure, unadulterated joy. Before he even had time to ask her if she wanted to see the ring, or even react to her answer, Alice had flung herself across the small space between them and threw her arms around his neck, a barrage of kisses following suit. Shaking with laughter and unable to contain the pure joy that infected him, he spoke. "Don't you want to see your ring?" he asked, his voice cracking with laughter.

Alice pulled back from him, her arms still locked around his neck. "My ring? Oh, I forgot! Yes, of course I do!" She loosened her hold on him and sat back in her seat, bouncing uncontrollably with excitement as she waited for him to open the little velvet box.

Jasper couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm. It was rather cute. Of course everything about Alice was rather cute.

"Of course, we don't want to forget the ring," he said, laughing. He watched her with slight amusement and an immeasurable amount of love in his eyes as she sat back and bounced in her seat, waiting for her ring. Without further ado he picked up the little black box off of the seat and popped open the top, revealing the ring he'd picked out for her. "Do you like it?" he asked with an expectant gaze, holding it out to her.

"Oh, Jasper! It's perfect!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together in excitement. "And it matches my eyes!" she gasped, coming to the realization with added joy.

"No, you're perfect," he corrected, taking the ring out of its velvet casing and slipped it on her ring finger. "The ring only adds to the radiance you already carry," he said with a quiet, loving smile. As he examined the ring on her finger, a swell of joy swept through him. Alice was his and nobody could take that away from him. "Your eyes are just one of your many alluring features. I thought the ring would accent them well," he said.

With all the excitement the driver couldn't help but break a smile. "It's about time, son," he said, clucking up the horse into a trot.

Alice admired the ring on her finger with a giggle. "Yes, you've known me two days," she said, teasingly. "What took you so long?"

"I don't know," he said, considering her comment for a moment with a light chuckle. "Perhaps I should've done it sooner," he teased.

"Sooner?" she asked with a laugh.

"Well, if I were smart I would've asked as soon as I took your hand," he said, laughing.

"Alice Whitlock," she said to herself as she turned her hand, letting the city lights set the diamonds twinkling. Her lip trembled for a moment before she brought her other hand to cover her mouth, the happiness tinged with something hard to define. "I'll finally have a last name. A real one. I'll finally know exactly who I am," she breathed. She looked up into his eyes with a soft smile. "Your wife."

A smile lit up his face as she spoke her name. The way it sounded when she announced it almost caused his own joy to bubble over but he kept a smooth expression. The only evidence of his pride being the sparkle in his gaze as he watched her turn her hand this way and that. The city lights bouncing off of the ring caused it to sparkle in its own right.

"It suits you," he said with a soft smile. "Alice Whitlock…" He let the words roll out of his mouth, trying the name out himself. His smile widened as Alice leveled her gaze on his. "My wife…" he said, considering it. "I like the sound of that," he said softly.

"As do I," she said, sliding across the seat to lay her head on his chest. "Say it again…"

He slipped his arms around her, bringing her into a snug embrace as she laid her head against his chest. With a contented sigh he kissed her hair and let his cheek come to rest on the top of her head. "Alice Whitlock…" he mused, in a velvet like tone. "My wife," he added softly. "Who I will always honor, cherish and love," he said. "No matter what kind of clothes you force upon me," he added teasingly.

Alice giggled, pinching him playfully as she snuggled closer to him.

"Ouch!" he yelled, laughing. "I would pinch you back but that would be against my morals… I do get to pick out my own suit for the wedding, right?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow, with an amused smile.

"Hmmmm," she said, pursing her lips with a laugh. "I'll consider it…"

He lifted an eyebrow as a smile curved his lips. "Consider it? So that would be a no," he added, chuckling. Given Alice's track record, he highly doubted she would let him pick out his own attire.

"How about we do it together?" she asked, offering a compromise. She sat up suddenly. "Oh! There's so much to plan!" she exclaimed. "I need a dress! And we have to get flowers and a ring for you and we have to figure out a date—"

His expression turned to surprise with Alice's sudden outburst. "Plan?" he asked, his expression turning from surprise to confusion as she went on to rattle off a list of things, things that he hadn't even considered. He'd assumed the obvious. Wedding dress, suit and rings, but he'd not even given a thought that there would be more to it than that. The totally confused look on his face must have been a sight. "Wait, slow down," he said, holding up his hand to cut her off. "What are you talking about? Don't we just...get married? I mean, I understand the basics but I'm a little confused about all the other parts," he added, looking down in chagrin.

"You don't have to worry about it being the groom," she explained. "I'll take care of it. And I'm just thinking of something simple really," she promised with a smile, settling back onto his chest. "I think you would look nice in a blue suit," she mused.

A chuckle escaped his lips as Alice continued. He was right. She already had ideas about the suit not to mention everything else. "Blue suit? You seem to have everything under control, don't you?" he asked with a shake of his head. His part in this would be minimal, he could already see that. But if it pleased Alice, then he'd let her have her way. Not that he had a choice. He was quite certain that the "we" factor meant that he would accompany her while she picked everything out. "I think a blue suit would look good on me dear," he said, pursing his lips to suppress a smile.

"Or would you prefer confederate gray?" she teased, fingering the fabric of his current suit. "I must confess the color is nice on you."

"Well, this color does seem to suit me," he said, examining his slacks briefly. "But I suppose I could try others, if you prefer," he said, quirking his lips into a smile.

"I'll wear white of course. And flowers… Maybe lilies. I've always liked them."

"Lilies sound great," he agreed with a nod. He really didn't have a clue and it was quite obvious by the way he just agreed to everything. "Alice, you could dress in a burlap bag and you'd still look amazing to me," he said, hugging her tightly and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

Alice tilted her head to look up at him. "Flattery will get you everywhere," she said, with a smirk.

"Well…" he said with a charming smile. "Perhaps I should use more flattery then," he said, his southern drawl layering every word.

Alice laughed. He really was too charming, she thought, and all hers on top of it. "However did I get so lucky?" she mused, placing a hand over his heart.

Jasper laughed. He truly was the lucky one. Alice was everything he could have hoped for. She was beautiful, funny, smart... Her grace alone would be enough to knock any man off of their feet. "I think I'm the lucky one," he said with a soft smile. "You're everything I ever could have asked for."

Alice smiled. "You're everything I have been waiting for," she said, tilting her head up to kiss the underside of his jaw.

"Likewise," he replied, letting out soft sigh as she pressed a kiss under his jaw. "I couldn't have hoped for more," he mumbled.

"Jasper Whitlock," she whispered. "My husband…"

"I like the sound of that," he said, with a soft smile.

She sighed, leaning into him while she looked down at her ring. A sob broke forth from her lips followed by a laugh. "Can you believe that I'm so happy I wish I could cry?"

Squeezing her gently with his arms, he sighed contently and trailed his fingers contently down her back. "Oh, I can believe it."

"Thank you," she said, turning her face into his chest. "I think that was the best present ever. I was completely surprised." She laughed. "My first present and my first surprise!" she beamed.

"You're very welcome," he said, absently stroking his fingers through her hair. "Yes, well, it was difficult to sneak it past you. I was almost certain you'd peek."

"I promised, didn't I?" she asked with an innocent expression.

"Yes, you did. I suppose I should give you more credit from now on," he said.

"So when do you want to get married? Shall we have a long engagement or be impetuous and rush to the courthouse in the morning?" she laughed.

His expression turned thoughtful as she began to ask about the date. "Um, well…" he said but fell quiet as she continued.

"Though I suppose we can't really," she said with a frown. "We don't have birth certificates."

She brought up a good point. They wouldn't be able to get married without birth certificates. "I have an idea for that," he said, rolling his bottom lip under his teeth and turning a pointed gaze to her, before letting slip a mischievous smile. "It's not entirely legal but it'll work. We could have the documents forged," he said, quietly contemplating.

Alice thought this over for a moment. They weren't going to be using them for any nefarious purposes, after all. Both of them had been denied a normal life, a human life... Was it so terrible that they would want to have this one thing?

"Okay," she agreed with a smile. "Normally I would be opposed to illegal activity but if that's what we have to do I'm on board. Plus, it will make things much easier for us to blend into human society by having them."

He waited patiently as Alice mulled it over. A smile spread across his face when she agreed. "Good," he replied. "Well, it's the only way we can get married," he said softly. "We can't, legally, without birth certificates like you said," he said gesturing with his hand casually as he talked. "It shouldn't be that difficult to get them. Actually, I can take care of it. You won't even have to go in," he said, smiling sweetly.

Besides, when it came to things like this he had an all business attitude. He didn't think Alice would like to see that. Although dealing with humans was a new experience in this light. But from a militaristic point of view, intimidation was the fastest way to get what you wanted. So he would do just that.

"I can take care of it tomorrow, actually. This is Chicago, correct? So I'm quite sure there has to be crooked people around here somewhere. You're experienced with humans, right?" he asked, looking to her expectantly. "You've seen a lot of movies and lived among humankind. Do you know which ones are the crooked ones? And where I can find them?"

"I'm not really very certain," she said with a frown. "Every city is different it seems and I'm not really familiar with Chicago..." She smiled suddenly. "I have an idea! Think about finding them! Think very hard about it and once you decide to go looking maybe I'll see something."

Jasper nodded and closed his eyes, took in a breath of her scent and tried to concentrate. Soon he could see images forming in his mind of him trying to locate the humans that he needed. "Getting a vision yet?" he asked lifting an eyebrow.

"Almost," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Wait..." Her vision blurred and then focused on a scene far away from where she sat, folded into Jasper's arms. "You'll wander the streets all night asking questions. Then you'll meet a man at the mouth of an alley. He'll recognize you're up to no good because it's a bad part of town. You'll talk with him, give him the information and he'll have you meet someone at a night club to make the transaction."

Jasper's expression turned thoughtful as she began to speak. His eyebrows puckered together as she read off what his actions would be from her vision. "Do you know the name of this night club?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow and wondering if perhaps, he could just go straight there. "Or anyone's names?"

"The man's name is Antonio," she said. "The night club is called Lenny's but don't go there directly. You won't be met with a warm reception if you haven't gone through the appropriate channels."

Jasper noted the man's name with a nod, mentally logging every detail as Alice spoke. "Yes, I suppose I would have gone through the right people first…" he said, quietly. "Just walking in there and making demands wouldn't be so smart, really..." he added, with a light chuckle.

"And the... Oh, Jasper!"

He opened his mouth to ask another question when Alice suddenly shouted. "What?" he asked, concentrating his gaze on her. "Alice, what--" He didn't get to finish.

She sat up and turned to look at him. "That wasn't very nice," she scolded even though he had no idea yet as to what she was referring.

Suddenly she turned toward him, cutting off his sentence. The serious expression on her face, matched with the stern words in her tone, caused him to stare back at her in confusion. "What wasn't very nice? What are you talking about?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Well, you don't have to be so...forceful," she said with a slight smile. "In fact, it might be better if you're not. These aren't the sort of men who respect that sort of thing. They respond more positively to courtesy. And if you go directly to Lenny's and act that way there will be trouble. Trouble involving you having to kill a few people and the police becoming involved which would be less than ideal all things considered."

A mischievous smile slipped to his lips as she spoke. He'd learned early on, that the best way to get what you wanted was through intimidation. He had no fear of humans, he'd killed many of them and he was quite confident he could get the job done in seconds if things went wrong. But, the police would be a problem. Even if he could take care of these humans, which he could, there would still be a trail left behind that would give rise to suspicion. In that aspect, Alice was right. He couldn't go about his normal tactics. Things would have to be done carefully.

"I suppose your right," he admitted, his expression smoothing out. His eyebrows knitted together as his expression turned thoughtful. "I'll get further if I go about it carefully…" he mumbled.

"You won't have to wander the streets though, so that will save you time. I saw the street signs. The place you'll meet this man is at the corner of Rush and Superior. That alters the timing of everything though..." she said, her eyebrows knitting together in a worried expression. "Decide to go there to see him. I'll make sure this doesn't change anything."

Smiling, Jasper nodded. "Good," he agreed. Cutting to the chase would help, that way he wasn't wandering around all night like a complete moron. However, her sudden mood shift caused him to stop short and question her. "Alice?" He asked, concerned. "What is it that you're seeing exactly that's causing the sudden shift? I would've thought you would be excited…"

"Everything's fine. Everything will be fine, anyway. I just wanted to make sure. Jasper, these men are with the mafia. The Accardo family, to be exact. They're not just crooked, they're criminal, ruthless. Promise me you'll be careful," she said, raising her hand to touch his face.

He listened quietly as she recounted her vision. "Criminals, huh?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Perhaps they're intimidating to their own kind but they pose little threat to me," he said, the words rolling smoothly out of his mouth. A confident smile touched the corners of his lips as she warned him to be careful. "Don't worry, darlin'…" he said, casually. "I'll be fine."

She bit her lip, looking away. "Maybe I should go with you. I know the risk to you is small. Guns can't kill you, or me for that matter, but still it makes me nervous to think of you going there, even with my visions..."

His expression suddenly turned serious. "No," he said, firmly. "No, I won't have it. Even if the risk to you is small, if things should go wrong I won't have you connected to it. I'd prefer you weren't involved. I'll be careful, nondescript," he said in an unwavering tone, his expression suddenly worried. "But I won't risk you, not even if there's a small chance that things could get violent."

She was not expecting such a firm stance from him and it concerned her. Why should her involvement matter she wondered?

"But Jasper—"

"No buts," he said holding up his hands to halt her protests. He wouldn't hear. He wouldn't have Alice in danger should something go wrong.

Truly, she was worried about Jasper's self control. These were violent men and if it came to a fight... Alice shuddered.

He shook his head, taking in a deep breath to calm himself. "I'll clean up my mess if things should go wrong. I've done it before," he said, with a quiet sigh and moved a hand to cradle her head against his chest with his hand. "Even if we can't die, we can still be exposed and I won't have you connected to it when the Volturi come to clean house. Not that I think it'll get to that, but if it should…it's best if you're not connected to it," he said, softly.

"What's a Volturi?" she asked, her face puzzled. She had never heard mention of such a thing but Jasper seemed very worried about it whatever it was.

"The Volturi are…" He paused briefly, gauging her mood before continuing. "Kind of like royalty in the vampire world. They have one law, that you never expose our kind," he explained. "They're very strict about keeping the secrecy and if you violate it... Well, their punishments are very severe. Death to all guilty parties," he said, shaking his head. "I've seen their punishments first hand and it's not pretty. We don't want them to visit. Which they will, if things get out of hand and, if you're with me, you will be assumed guilty and dealt with, accordingly," he said, frowning slightly with a shudder.

"I won't have you at risk of that!" she gasped. "Jasper, I have to come with you! Especially knowing this! What if something goes wrong…? What if I could have warned you but I'm not there? If I see it, if I see how I could stop it but I can't because I'm far away… If I have to live with that knowledge… I won't! I won't be able to live with it!"

He knew he'd made a mistake in telling her when she began to panic. Jasper immediately applied a wave of calming influence, hoping to diminish Alice's worries and fears. "Calm down…" he soothed, stroking his fingers through her hair. "It's ok, really," He said, softly. "The chance that something will happen is very slim. You're worrying too much. I'm just running through the possibilities. I only suggested that you not be there in the event something does happen. Even the smallest chance is too great in regards to losing you," he said. He had a faint feeling that somehow, she'd go anyway, despite his disapproval.

Alice fought fiercely against his attempt to calm her, clinging to him, her hands gripped around his upper arms with a strength far beyond her fragile appearance.

The strength that Alice applied to his upper arms was probably enough to break human bones whereas with him the pressure was only slight.

"Being without you for nearly three decades was bad enough because I knew the whole time what I was waiting for. But to have you here now and to lose you?" She shook her head, both in denial and to dispel the fog of his influence, thick as a haze of opium. "To face centuries alone rather than just decades, having had the one thing that made this life worth living only to have lost it? I can't... I won't. I won't..."

He understood Alice's reservations about letting him go alone. She'd been patiently waiting for years and now there was a risk that all might be lost. He sighed, keeping his gaze locked on her as she fought against his influence. "Building up an immunity, are we?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow. If she didn't want to be calmed he wouldn't force it on her. She had a right to feel how she wanted.

"I can't be calm right now," she whispered, turning her face into his chest, her voice sounding weak with the effort it took to keep him at bay.

Jasper sighed quietly as she turned her face into his chest. "I understand," he mumbled, withdrawing his hand from her back and brushing a lock of her hair back, tucking it behind her ears and letting his fingers trail casually down her face. He cupped his hand against the contour of her cheek and cradled her head against his chest. "I'm just trying to help."

Alice nodded but didn't feel the least bit comforted.

"I promise you, I won't leave you. Not now, not ever." He promised, softly and brought up his hand, curling his fingers together under her chin and nudging her face to look at him.

"You're going to go anyway, aren't you? Whether I disapprove or not…" he said, quirking an eyebrow.

Alice didn't respond, only clung to him tighter as though determined not to let him go.

He watched Alice drawing closer into him. She clung to him as if she let him go he would disappear.

He could feel the tension rolling off of her in waves and moved to trail his hand down her back, releasing a small amount of calming influence in order to quell her worries.

Alice took a deep breath, pulling in his familiar scent and closing her eyes. A fog of calm overtook her as Jasper rubbed her back. She didn't try to fight it.

A quiet smile touched his lips, as the worry faded out and became enveloped by the calm. He could feel the tension easing throughout her body as she gave into it.

"I'm being silly, aren't I?" she asked, her expression one of chagrin. "I guess I feel much like you. The idea of you in a dangerous situation, no matter how little danger it might be, it just makes me crazy. And I won't be there to warn you if things change… And what if they do, Jasper?"

"They won't," he assured her rather quickly. "I won't lose my temper. I'll handle it as it needs to be handled. And yes, you're being very silly. You're worrying over nothing," he said, letting a smile slip to the corners of his mouth. "I'm sorry. I'm really not a tyrant. I just can't imagine if there was the slightest chance of exposure, and even if it's not great it's still there, that you'd be implicated in it. I can't. No, I won't watch you be ripped apart and burned," he said, in a sickened tone. His expression turned to match the tone in which he spoke.

"R-ripped apart and burned?" she asked, her voice terrified. She couldn't even fathom such a thing. It was too horrible to imagine. The calm that Jasper had cast over her dissipated suddenly and she trembled in spite of herself.

"Yes," he confirmed quietly and hugged her close in a reassuring manner. "As I said, it's not pretty…" He trailed off, rolling his bottom lip under his teeth, picking up the anxiety in her mood. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't work you up like this," he said softly, pressing a kiss to her hair. "I won't go on."

Alice sat there quietly for a moment, just resting her head against his chest. Finally she lifted her hand and held it out for both of them to see.

As Alice rendered into calm, a relaxing wave washed over him as well. A tranquil smile touched his lips as she settled into him. His gaze turned curious, falling on hers as she lifted up the hand with the ring.

"Jasper, do you see this?" she asked, showing him the ring he had given her.

"Of course," he said, happily.

"This means that whatever happens we are together. In everything. If something happens to you, it happens to me. If you leave this earth, I want to be right behind you. You want me to stay safe? Then you stay safe because I go where you go."

His smile faded as she continued and the worry he'd felt earlier fought to over take him again. "Fine," he said, at last with a resigned sigh. "You win. But, follow my lead. Ok?" he said, in an obviously disapproving tone. He wasn't happy about her going, but he supposed it was better than leaving her by herself. "Stay with me," he said, leveling his gaze on her.

"I will, I promise," she said, smiling slightly. "I'll only keep watch. I won't even speak if you don't want me to."

"I'm not that much of a tyrant..." he said, laughing, angling his gaze down on hers in her contentment. A smile touched his lips just at the sight of her. Beautiful, absolutely beautiful. As he looked upon her face, he found his thoughts racing back, to an earlier time.

The memory of how he had been was still fresh in his mind and one particular night in 1880 came to mind. His eyes were wild, bright crimson and excited from the won battle. He and Maria had just taken Mexico City, Mexico. Nettie and Lucy had distanced themselves a little further from the two of them, plotting. Jasper had picked up on the mood changes in them and had debated over telling Maria. He couldn't be sure whether now was the right time to confront them about a possible mutiny.

"Mexico City is mine!" Maria had triumphed, with a satisfied smile, looking out over the city from the balcony of a little hacienda that she and Jasper had just "evacuated" the occupants out of.

"Don't you mean ours?" Jasper had asked with a slightly suspicious look, edging up behind her and narrowed his gaze.

"Of course…" she lied, looking back at him over her shoulder and pushing back a thick strand of long, black hair.

Jasper was but to her a pawn. She had no intention of sharing anything and if it hadn't been for his gift and his innate knowledge of battle she would've killed him along with the others.

She crooked her finger and beckoned for him to join her. He gauged her mood, warily stepping forward as she moved aside and took him by the arm, leading him over to the balcony's edge.

"Look at that Jasper," she said, purring out his name with an excited twinkle in her eye. "All of it is....ours," she said, stumbling over the word. She claimed it for herself. Jasper's assistance was merely a convenience. He existed to be her little puppet. She smiled sadistically as she ran a hand through his hair. "Beautiful, isn't it?" she said, leaning in and whispering in his ear.

"It is something…" he said, a cruel smile touching his lips. "There aren't any more enemies for miles. We can do as we please…" he said, letting his gaze drift over to hers. "If they revolt we'll be ready."

"Good. I'm very pleased to hear that," she said grinning wickedly and turning away from him. Suddenly her face fell with false sadness. "Jasper?" she said in a small voice.

"Yes," he said, turning to watch her move off, his expression becoming confused.

"You know I love you, right?" she said, facing away from him. She smiled wickedly. He had no idea what love was, of course. He only knew what she allowed him to see. "Will you do me a favor?" she asked, smoothing out her expression into sadness again and turning toward him.

"Of course," he said, blatantly foolish. He'd thought she loved him and he'd almost let himself believe that he loved her. He was new and naive and couldn't tell the difference between love and being brainwashed and Maria was an expert brainwasher. "What can I do?" he offered, even though he had felt reservations about what she was planning.

"I want you to kill Peter," she said with a wry smile, letting her fingers trail up his arm. "He's no longer useful and I want him gone."

"Peter? I can't do that," Jasper mumbled. He couldn't bring himself to take Peter's life. Peter had become a friend of sorts but could he do it for her? "Peter has promise. I'm rather attached to him." He tore his gaze away from her and trained it back toward the balcony with a frown.

"Don't you love me?" she asked, her eyes growing wide with shock that he would dare defy her.

"Of course… But I can't. No, I won't kill Peter," he said, shaking his head.

"How dare you!" she shouted, growling and balling her hands into fists. "I made you! I own you and you'll do as I say!" she spat.

"Not today..." Jasper said, remaining calm and turning toward her fully.

"Then when?" she snapped, blurring up to him and lashing her hand out to grip it around his neck and shove him back into the wall. "You will do it soon," she threatened dangerously.

"Soon..." Jasper mumbled with a nod, dropping his gaze from her.

"Good. I'm glad we could come to an understanding," she cooed, trailing her fingers down his face before loosening her grip and pressing a kiss to his cheek…

"Besides, if I'm being silly for worrying about nothing, if the risk is as small as you say, then it won't matter if I'm there anyway," she said, tilting her head to fix him with a stubborn glare.

It was Alice's voice that brought him out of his daze. He shook his head and turned his gaze to her. Jasper pressed his lips together in a thin line. "No, I suppose it won't," he said quietly as disapproval colored his tone.

"Are you-- Are you mad at me?" she asked, frowning. "You want to protect me. Is it so awful that I want to protect you as well?"

"No, of course not," Jasper said with a slight smile. "I could never be angry with you." His gaze brightened ever so slightly. "Of course, I want to protect you," Jasper agreed. "And I understand your feelings as well. It's not that," he mumbled. "I just don't want you to be harmed. Ever."

"Where were you just then?" she asked, reaching up to touch his face gently. "Your eyes...you seemed so far away. And you looked so sad..."

"Oh, um…" Jasper cleared his throat before speaking, his gaze seeking out hers. "My thoughts kind of ran away with me there for a moment," he said, cutting out the details. He didn't want to worry her with his own past demons. "It was nothing, really…" he said, with a hint of a strained smile. "Flashbacks," he mumbled, shifting his gaze away from hers.

Alice frowned, letting her fingertips trail down his face before letting her hand fall back down her side. She could only guess as to what he had been remembering but she knew it most likely was painful for him. She had seen it in his face, his eyes, the way relief seemed to wash over his features when he came back to her from that dark place.

He could tell that it pained Alice to see him down. He hadn't meant to let the walls drop that far. But perhaps she was just so attuned to him now that she didn't need the walls dropped to see through the veil he kept around him. As her fingers trailed down his face leaving a line of electric current he felt a shudder go through him. Alice's presence, presenting itself as his own safe haven. He couldn't help but allow a smile to creep through his facade.

"You don't ever have to be that person again," she said quietly. "You don't have to live in that past. Stay here with me," she pleaded. "I won't ever let you live that way again."

"I will always be here with you. There's no question to that…" he replied, hugging his arm tightly around her as if to never let her go. "Sometimes, I wonder if it's that easy to escape my past," he mumbled with a slight frown. "Maria's behind me and I'll never see her again…but she's left her mark. In many ways," he said, shifting his gaze to her, unsure of her reaction.

Alice stiffened. She had figured that the darkness she had seen in him had had something to do with that horrible woman but to hear him speak her name, it still caused a flare of anger in her.

Picking up on her sudden rigidness, Jasper frowned. "Alice, I'm sorry if I upset you..." he said, letting his gaze drift over to her with an apologetic look. The sudden flare of rage in her mood caused him a pang of guilt.

"No it's not that," she said, shaking her head. "I'll never forgive her...for what she did to you."

A sigh escaped his lips, as she spoke. "I try to block out as much as I can to do with her, but I can't block out everything..."

"Besides, you didn't understand what I meant before," she said, placing her hands on the sides of his face and looking deep into his eyes.

Jasper cocked his head slightly, confused as she spoke. His eyes flittered to her hands, as she placed them gently on the sides of his face and leveled her gaze on his.

"Stay with me, here. In the present. I don't like to see the pain in your eyes when you think of the past, of her…"

"Ok," he promised quietly. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her discomfort. "I'll never bother you with my past again," he said, letting slip a small smile.

Alice's mouth fell open in shock. "Bother me with your past? Jasper! I mean, yes it hurts me that you had to go through that but that's not what I meant either! I'm not concerned for myself, I'm concerned for you!" She sighed. "I suppose you will occasionally think of it. I just... I wish I could erase it. I wish I could take the pain away. I hate that it hurts you so much."

Jasper remained silent, listening to Alice speak, the unfiltered shock and concern in her words reinforced by the shift in her mood. "I know you do. But what's happened has happened, there's no changing it…" he said, his voice falling slightly.

Alice reached up and brushed a stray curl away from his face. "I know," she said sadly. "I can still wish, though, and I always will..."

Alice's touch sent a shiver through him as it always would. A shiver of desire, want and longing. It took everything he had not to pull her to him. "I know..." he said softly. "And I will always remind myself of how lucky I am to have you. Always," he said, letting a smile slip to the corners of his mouth.

"Here we are!" the driver barked, pulling to the curve and halting the horse, turning toward them.

Alice waited for Jasper to exit the carriage, thinking about what had been said. She wasn't worried about Jasper going to see these people until he had mentioned the Volturi. If these men became violent, if Jasper lost control, if he exposed himself as a vampire... Jasper had been denying himself human blood for a while now. Even she could see the edge in his eyes.

Jasper smiled genially and slid down out of the carriage, reaching up a hand to help her down. Human blood had become a forbidden thing to him, something he'd banished himself from, unwilling to let himself fall into temptation for Alice.

Alice took Jasper's hand and hopped down out of the carriage. The situation was volatile and she questioned whether it was worth it. The forged documents would allow them to get married and they would prove useful as they moved about the human world but at what price?

Her eyes unfocused as she searched the future again and again. All that she saw promised a smooth transaction. However, one split second decision on anyone's part would change everything.

"How often do these Volturi enforce the law?" she asked, her eyes wide and innocent. "I mean, how do they find out about what any one vampire does? Surely our actions would be of little concern to them if they have the whole entire vampire world to govern?"

"Whenever a vampire breaks it," he answered with a quiet smile. "Depending on the severity, how many will come varies. With the vampire wars for instance most of the guard came, as well as the Volturi family themselves," he explained. "Secrecy is everything to them. Trust me, they'll know. I'm not sure how but they always find out."

This did not make her feel any better and she couldn't stop herself from shivering. "Do you think they have spies?"

"Spies?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow. "I'm sure they do," he said, eyebrows crumpling together in thought. "Not to mention a tracker that can find anyone, anywhere..." he said, the realization causing him to frown slightly. Running wasn't an option. "They're not to be messed with. They care nothing for formation or strategy, there's no need to. They're unmatched in numbers, confident. They simply come in and eliminate their enemy…" he said, trailing off.

"A tracker?" she asked, her face confused. "What is that?"

"A tracker…" he began, pausing briefly, "is a vampire with the innate ability to hunt other vampires and humans. A tracker can find you anywhere, anytime..." he said, an unknown edge to his tone. "They track you until they find you and they will find you."

"I don't think I need to ask what happens next," she said with a shudder.

"No, nor do you want to know," he said, frowning slightly.

"And yet I think I need to know about them. About everything," she said. "I've lived almost 30 years not even guessing at the danger that surrounds me. It sounds as if I'm lucky to be alive." She shivered slightly. "If I had chosen my other path, they would have surely come for me."

Jasper cringed on the inside trying to imagine Alice as what she would have been. He couldn't allow himself to envision it. "Lucky? Perhaps..." he said, with a slight inclination of his head. "Lucky you had your visions to guide you. If you were discreet, then no, they wouldn't have."

Alice shivered. "I wouldn't have been..."

Jasper frowned, thinking about Alice's other path. A cold shiver ran through him at the thought.

Alice bit her lip. "How...how did you escape them? You were involved in the wars. Why didn't they come after you?"

Jasper chuckled and shook his head. "Maria and I…were very smart. Only the vampires that didn't know what they were doing were caught. Remember how I can manipulate moods? I used my gift to control the atmosphere and the newborns," he continued. "She was very picky about who she changed. She only changed skilled fighters, proven warriors…" he said, his voice becoming that of the commander he'd been. "We were very discreet about our targets. Others were not and they were the ones that were caught."

Alice stared at him as he spoke, his voice full of authority and almost…cold. For the first time she felt very small standing next to him, the difference in their ages and in their life experience suddenly feeling like the large gap it was. His talk of Maria again, as well, caused her to shrink next to him.

Jasper's gaze immediately went to Alice, picking up on her sudden mood change. Intimidation, maybe? The coldness in his tone melted and became overcome with warmth. "Alice…" he began, apologetic. He let a smile slip to the corner of his mouth and squeezed her gently with his arm.

"I'm fine. It's just, when you talk like that, you sound so different," she said, giving him a slight smile of her own. "I try to imagine you the way you describe and I can't. But just then, I heard it in your voice."

"Yes, I suppose thinking about it brings back to life the ex-commander in me. Something I try to suppress. I was different back then. You wouldn't even have recognized me…" he said, quietly.

Alice smiled and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Yes, I would have," she replied, cupping her hand to his face. "I always would."

The soft kiss she planted on his cheek sent a new thrill of pleasure through him, causing a soft sigh to escape his lips. She was much more then what he deserved. A soft smile touched his face as she cupped his face with her hand. "What did I do to deserve you?" he asked, in a soft tone.

Alice settled back against his chest, wrapping his arm around her with a contented sigh. "I often wonder the same thing about myself," she said.

A warm smile touched his lips, as she settled back into him. He willingly let her guide his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. "Well, I'm not sure what you've done to deserve me but I know you deserve to be loved…" he said, in a velvet like tone. "I'm still trying' to figure it out. What love is, what it means. I never understood the difference really, between love and what I thought was love..." he said fidgeting, shuffling his shoe.

"I can understand that," she said, nodding. "I always knew I loved you, would love you...but until you walked in that diner and I saw you outside of my own head it was just a concept. The moment I looked at you with my own eyes, my heart came back to life."

"Glad I could be of service, ma'am," Jasper said with a soft chuckle and ducking his head, genially. "I must admit when I saw you in that diner, I wasn't sure what do. Until I took your hand, that is..." he added with a soft smile.

The idea that Jasper might still be in danger occurred to her. His scars alone told of his past and would identify him for who he had been. What if the Volturi did have spies? What if they found them?

"I know I'm probably overreacting, and I'm sorry," she said as they walked, looking down at her shoes. "I'd never heard of the Volturi before and they sound frightening. And I worry..." She paused, afraid to admit her fear. "I worry because I know animal blood is not the same. And if you go there without me and these men become violent for whatever reason, well... I saw that you won't be able to control yourself. That's why I warned you not to be hostile. It will lead to a fight. And then knowing about what that could mean..."

"I understand your worries, Alice," he said placing his arm around her shoulders and hugging her close. "Animal blood is more difficult but I imagine in time I'll learn to control my thirst with it," he said frowning slightly, knowing that the transition would be difficult. He'd always been under the false implication that as a vampire you were supposed to be wild, unruly and without control. That belief combined with the idea that struggling was a part of his nature made for a rough road ahead.

Alice smiled and broke away from him, skipping a few steps ahead and turning to look at him. Her eyes twinkled in the dim light. "I know you will," she said, tapping her temple for emphasis. "I've seen that, too." She reached over and took his hand, holding it as they walked.

A quiet laugh escaped his lips as a smile puckered at the corners of his mouth. "Then I have faith in you. I've no reason to doubt you," he said in a soft tone. "But I don't imagine it will be easy..."

"No, it won't be," Alice said, sadly. "But I have faith in you as well..."

Jasper simply smiled softly.

"So if you went to these men and you lost control and the police got involved... Would that not be breaking the Volturi's rule?" she asked, her voice trembling. She hugged her arms around herself, feeling small and afraid.

"Yes, it would," he agreed, applying a bit of calming influence in an attempt to comfort her.

She didn't fight him this time. Instead she raised his hand and slipped into his side, placing his arm around her shoulder. She leaned into him hugging both her arms around his waist as they continued on down the street.

Jasper gladly obliged Alice's want for closeness and secured his arm around her shoulder as she tucked into his side and slipped her arms around his waist. His smile turned loving, content. He'd secured her hand in marriage and he could not ask for more than this delicate little creature at his side. He took in a sharp breath of her scent, letting it cloud his every thought and feeling.

"I'll make sure we stay safe," she said. "I can't do much. I'm not a fighter, I'm inexperienced and I know I'm naive. But I can watch. I can see what's coming. And you, you can protect us." A satisfied smile spread across her face. "We're a team, me and you."

A soft chuckle escaped his lips. "Yes, I suppose we are a team…" he agreed as a loving sparkle gleamed in his eye. Alice's love was real, true and completely uncomplicated. With her there were no strings attached. "I would protect you with my life, Alice…" he said in truth letting his gaze drift to hers and catching the smile on her face which only caused the warmth inside of him to grow that much more. "Don't give yourself less credit then you deserve. After all, you've already saved my life. In more ways than one..."

Alice laughed, leaning her head against his chest, her height making his shoulder impossible to reach. "If I saved your life than you gave mine meaning," she said. "I was utterly lost without you. I traveled around, waiting and watching to see how I should find you. In between hunting and the occasional vision I ceased to exist. I would sit and stare into nothing, willing time to pass until my next vision when I saw your face again."

He listened intently as she spoke, unwilling to interrupt her. "You lived your life around my face?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"If it weren't for discovering my love of movies I think I should have gone mad..." Her voice trailed off. She tilted her head to look into his familiar face.

"I suppose, I should consider myself lucky to have ran into you," he added with a warm smile.

"Do you know why I think I saw you the moment I opened my eyes to my vampire life?"

"No, why?" he asked, prompting her into her story.

"I normally only see the consequences of decisions made but there you were in my very first conscious thought. I think it was because you are so much a part of my future, always, that you simply had to be there. I never had any choice. I don't know why whoever made me did or if I were an accident, why it was that I was spared death... But I like to think that I was made for you. That I was meant to be right here, with you."

"You think it was predetermined? Like, fate?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Fate was something far-fetched to him and up until he'd met Alice he'd not believed in it.

"Yes, I do," she said, her voice confident. "Is it so impossible to believe?"

"What? Fate?" he asked with a quiet laugh. "No, I don't suppose it is. After all, we're not even supposed to exist. Yet, we do." He said, with a slight smile.

Alice nodded. "Exactly. Look at us. We're dead and still we are alive. Was there not a time in your life where you thought vampires were things of myths and legends? And yet, here we are."

"I'm sure there was, not that I remember much of it but I never even thought about it. Even when Mar-…when she...found me I refused to believe they were anything but women. Obviously, I was wrong..."

Alice squeezed him more tightly, possessively. "Some think Fate is also a fairy tale of sorts but in a world where something like us can exist, who knows what else is possible?"

"Perhaps my decision to leave her...somehow impacted your vision?" he asked, wondering if perhaps her connection to him had been so strong that she'd seen his decision before she'd even known him.

Alice considered this for a moment. "Perhaps. You did leave the same year that I was created and that could have set things in motion. However," she said with a childlike smile, "did you leave because you developed a conscience or did you develop a conscience and leave because of Fate?" She laughed, quirking an eyebrow at him.

Jasper thought for a moment, mulling over her words. "Well, when I left it had been because I'd developed a conscience. But, at that time I'd never given much thought to such things..." he said softly. "But, now that I think of it… Perhaps, it did coincide with your turning. I just never realized it…"

She giggled. "Do you know that you were 77 years old total, human and immortal lives combined, when I was turned?" She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "What were you doing in 1920, the year I was changed?"

"1920?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow and rolling his lip under his teeth. "I'd just left Maria's service and joined the company of Peter and Charlotte…" he said, with a quiet smile.

"Don't you miss them?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"Who? Peter and Charlotte?" he asked, casually. "No, not really…" he said honestly with a thoughtful expression.

"Could you find them if you wanted?"

"Should I?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow, in confusion. "If I wanted to find them... Yes, I probably could. I doubt it would be too difficult."

"Well I was just thinking... A wedding does require two witnesses," she said, smiling and squeezing his hand.

"Two witnesses?" He asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Who?" he asked. They didn't know anyone. Who would witness for them?

"Peter and Charlotte, silly! Would that be alright? Oh Jasper, let's take a look! Decide to go find them and I'll watch the future."

"Peter and Charlotte?" he asked, confused by her request. He'd not thought of Peter and Charlotte for years. Not since he'd left them, deciding to cut out on his own. "They do still feed on humans. Like I had. I don't suppose feeding on animals ever occurred to them..."

"That's okay," she said. "I've met vampires that do. You, for instance. Well, up until recently," she said with a smile.

A smile cracked his features. "Up until recently I was…a sad sight to behold," he said with a chuckle. "Very akin to a stray dog…" he admitted, shaking his head. "Wandering, alone. Stolen clothes, dirty and in need of a good meal," he added puckering his lips to suppress a smile. "Then I found you. You gave me a home, clothes…and a purpose. You even fed me."

Alice laughed. "A stray dog..." she scoffed. "I don't think so. Though I do have to admit you look a bit better now, not so worse for wear." She reached up and smoothed the lapel of his suit coat. "Devastatingly handsome, actually..."

Jasper broke into laughter. "Well that's the closest thing I could compare it to," he said, letting his laughter die out and angled his gaze down on her. "I suppose I probably do look a tad better. After all, I wasn't exactly a real pleasin' sight," he said, giving himself the once over. "You on the other hand… Well..." he said, with a coy smile, trailing off.

"I found you very pleasing," she argued, with a laugh. "Now just more so."

"Well, now I can't argue with that..." he said, chuckling.

Alice playfully smacked his arm. "Look for Peter and Charlotte," she said, laughing.

"Alright," he agreed and closed his eyes, making the decision to go look for them. "Anything?" he asked, keeping his eyes closed."

Alice closed her eyes, concentrating on Jasper and his decisions. Suddenly her mind was transported far away, her vision sweeping over fields and forests as though she were flying. Everything rushed to meet her...places they would go, places they would search and then two kind faces that caused a wide smile to spread over her face.

"They're so happy," she sighed. "They're so happy for you and for us." She opened her eyes, seeking his face. "Do you want to do this?" she asked

"Go look for them?" he asked, arching an eyebrow and chewing on his bottom lip. "I suppose we could attempt to find them. If you like..." he said with a quiet laugh. "They were up north when I left them. I suppose because of the over cast skies they're probably still there."

"Whereabouts?" she asked. "We can decide to go there and I can watch and see if we find them there. We'll keep thinking of different places until we discover the right one! I can see that we do eventually find them but it will be so much quicker this way instead of just wandering around in circles."

Jasper's eyebrows furrowed together in thought. "Well, when I left them they were in Massachusetts," he said. "Could've moved, I suppose. But we could start from there and see where that leads us."

"Hmmmm...." Alice said, making the decision to go there. She waited, watching the vision it produced in her head. "Nope," she said. "I saw a forest and fields…though that could be anywhere I suppose. It didn't feel like I had traveled far either and I had a sense that we had gone north." She tapped a finger against her lips as she considered this.

"So where should we start?" he asked with a curious look. "Are they still in Massachusetts then?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

Alice frowned. "Not that I can see..." She tilted her head to the side. "Just keep thinking about it, different places you went with them... Maybe they'd follow a familiar pattern? Go from a familiar place to another?"

Jasper nodded as a thoughtful look crept onto his face. His thoughts went back through time as he counted back to when he had joined up with them after leaving Maria. They'd moved through the southern states and all across the United States really, staying many places but not for very long. Canada, New York, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Maryland and even some time in Illinois.

"Anything?" he asked, as he concentrated on the last place they'd been before he'd left their company.

"Wait..." she said. "I saw them more clearly for a moment. Where were you thinking of?"

Jasper's expression became slightly confused. "Which place?" he asked quietly. "I was thinking about Illinois, then I thought about Massachusetts again…" he said, his eyebrows coming together thoughtfully. "Illinois, you think?" He wondered if it could actually be that easy.

"No," she said, frowning. "It was right there but I lost it... Were those the only places you thought of just then?"

"The last two, yes..." he said, wondering what she was getting at. "We spent some time in Canada, New York, Maine and Maryland as well…"

Her vision of Peter and Charlotte's faces flared to life when Jasper mentioned Canada and falling back into a haze when he continued on with the other places. Her eyes widened. "Canada!" she exclaimed. "They're in Canada!"

"Canada?" Jasper mused thoughtfully. "I suppose that would be a good place to hide. The human populations are spread out so they could hunt. Plus there's a lot of cloud cover so they could move around throughout the day..." he said, his eyebrows knitting together. "Canada would offer us a choice of wildlife too," he said, rolling his bottom lip between his upper and bottom front teeth before letting it pop back into place. "Since, it's mainly populated by animals..."

Their walk had brought them back to the hotel. Alice looked at up at it, her face suddenly shy.

Jasper cocked his head lightly, a tad confused by her sudden shyness. "Everything alright?" he questioned.

"Do you...want to go upstairs or...?" She looked down at her shoes, moving her feet this way and that as though admiring them. Truthfully she was paying far more attention to Jasper out of the corner of her eye. How he could still make her feel this way, bashful and self conscious, was beyond her. If anyone should be familiar and comfortable it should be him, the man she had loved for all her life if only in her mind. Still the way he touched her, the way he looked at her never ceased to send a shiver down her spine. She felt she could spend centuries with him and never feel any differently.

A coy smile touched his lips as she spoke. He didn't answer. Instead, he caught one arm around her back and swept his other one up under her knees, sweeping her up off of her feet and into his arms.

Alice cried out as he swept her into his arms, staring at him wide-eyed in surprise as he cradled her against his chest. "Jasper?!"

When Alice cried out Jasper chuckled, unable to contain the exuberance that consumed him when she was secure in his arms. "Do you want down?" he asked.

"Not particularly but what--" She stopped talking when he swept through the doors of the hotel, her mouth falling open in shock.

Jasper merely chuckled, as he rendered her speechless.

"Shall we?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow and pushed the door open with his shoulder and walking through. He pivoted, shifting her weight ever so slightly as he approached the elevator and hit the up button with his fist, waiting for the door to open.

Alice buried her face in his neck to smother her giggles. "Jasper, everyone is staring at us!" she exclaimed, still hiding her face. She laughed as she contemplated what they must look like, Jasper standing there carting her off upstairs to her room in such a fashion. The staff at the front desk had already given her snide looks when she had checked in as a single woman with a male companion. What they must think now, she thought, and laughed again, hiding her face in Jasper's hair.

As Jasper waltzed through the doors with Alice secure in his arms they were met with a volley of shocked looks, surprise and whispers.

"They're just jealous," he said with a coy grin as he moved across the room to the elevator. A soft chuckle escaped his lips as she buried her face in his neck to hide her giggles. "Of course, if you'd rather I whisk one of them up to the second floor..." he said, teasingly, nodding toward one of the females staring them down. "Of course, if I were to do that… It probably wouldn't end well," he said.

Alice peeked between her fingers to see what Jasper was referring to and when she saw a young woman, one of several, gaping at them she growled, turning her face back into his hair to playfully nip at his neck. "You'd better not," she giggled. "You're all mine."

A chuckle escaped his lips as she growled a nipped at his neck. The feel of her teeth against his skin sending a shock wave through him, causing him to bite down on his lip to keep from going at her right then and there.

"Always, love. Always..." he agreed with a loving smile, kissing the top of her hair as they swept into the elevator.

The elevator door opened with a ding and Alice turned her head slightly to peek inside. Thankfully it was empty.

When the door dinged Jasper swept her inside, thankful for an empty elevator, and watched with an amused smile as the door closed on the onlookers. "Well, that was interesting..." he said, angling his gaze down on her.

"That's one way of putting it," she said, laughing. The elevator slowed down, the doors opening. Alice giggled again and turned her face back into his chest to avoid the stares that were sure to come in the hallway.

Jasper laughed quietly as he swept her out of the elevator when the doors opened. He carried her with pride down the hallway, keeping his gaze focused forward as they were met with stares and shocked whispers. He couldn't suppress the amused smile that crept to his lips as he came to a stop in front of her door.

"Here we are," he beamed. "Shall I get the door?" he asked, lifting an eyebrow as he stuck the key in the lock and twisted it until it clicked. He slipped inside with his precious cargo in tow and closed the door behind him with his foot, letting her down gently once inside.

Alice's feet had barely touched the floor before she tackled him and pushed him back against the door. Standing on her tiptoes she kissed his neck since his lips were too high above her to reach, her hands reaching up to strip him of his jacket. She flung it behind her, not caring where it landed as she began making quick work of his shirt buttons.

Jasper's back hit the door with a crack as Alice planted both hands into his chest and shoved him into it. "You're strong," he breathed with a quiet chuckle as she quickly moved in on his neck and, with efficient accuracy, had his jacket off and began working on the buttons on his shirt. He wrapped his own arms around her caving himself in on her and seeking out the former pulse point on her neck. As soon as his lips made contact he felt a thrill travel through him. He removed one hand from around her back and moved it up to cradle the back of her head. "Alice..." he whispered, pulling back before seeking out her lips.

"Jasper..." she sighed as his lips touched hers. She undid the last button and fisted the fabric of his shirt in her hands, dragging him bodily as she backed toward the bed. She reached up and knocked his hat off sending it flying across the room, knotting her fingers in his hair when it was gone to hold him to her as she kissed him with a fierce need that threatened to drive her mad. The back of her knees hitting the mattress as she stepped backwards sent a shiver of anticipation through her.

The fierce need for her quickly became his dominant thought as her scent consumed him. A sudden surge of anticipation shot through him as Alice gripped his shirt and pulled him toward the bed. Suddenly her fingers were knotted in his hair, welding him in place. The sensation caused him to thrust himself further into the kiss, becoming completely enveloped in her. With a marked passion and driving hunger his lips moved against hers. The feelings between them enveloped him, magnifying the experience.

To humans the scent was undetectable but underneath the chamomile and bergamot, Jasper still smelled like the forest. It was on his skin and hers as well, the wild, earthy scent a reminder of the place where they had first made love. A smile curved her lips at the memory as she kissed him.

As she fell backward onto the bed Jasper caved himself in on top of her and pressed his body against hers. He flashed one hand back and curled his fingers around her calf, hitching her leg up against his hip all the while keeping his other hand securely planted next to her shoulder.

Alice fell back onto the bed with a little gasp, her eyes opening to find him hovering over her. Her eyes darkened with desire when his hand closed around her calf to bring her leg up in such a suggestive position. Her fingers still tangled in his hair, she turned his head to one side and began trailing kisses down his throat and to his chest, working her way back up again to nip playfully under his chin.

Jasper's own eyes darkened in reflection of hers, his need for companionship and sensuality far overpowering any need he'd ever had for human blood. Jasper's head turned with Alice's guiding hands which were still knotted firmly in his hair. His bottom lip quivered uncontrollably as she trailed kisses down his throat to his chest, his eyes fluttering closed as she moved back up toward his neck. He swallowed when she nipped just under his chin. That had done it. He couldn't control himself anymore.

With speedy accuracy he quickly found her lips again and moved his in synchronization with hers. He uncurled his hand from her calf and slid it along the contours of her leg and up her thigh, skimming along the boundary line of her dress before slipping his hand up underneath the fabric and letting it skirt along the curve of her hip. He could feel the fabric of the dress stressing against his arm and threatening to rip at any moment. As his hand moved up a little more the tension gave out and the dress ripped against his arm. "Oops…" he murmured against her lips.

"Two can play at that game," she laughed.

"Oh really?" he asked, with a low chuckle.

In one swift movement she untangled her fingers from his hair and ripped his shirt into shreds, throwing the scraps of fabric off the bed like confetti.

Before he could blink Alice's fingers were raking through his shirt, tearing off scraps of fabric in sharp, quick movements. The last few remnants of his shirt flew off of him as Alice ripped them away. "Excited, are we?" he asked, quite impressed.

Alice laughed. "Ah, much better," she declared, sliding down underneath him to devour his chest in kisses. She raked her nails down his abdomen, wiggling back up again to cup his face and kiss his lips.

A new rush of excitement shot through him as Alice disappeared beneath him, covering his chest in kisses. The warmth of her soft lips against his exposed skin sent a shiver through him. The first time they'd made love, he'd been self conscious about his scars but not anymore. The feel of her nails against his skin sent another pleasant shiver through him before he met her lips hungrily, molding his own to hers, driven by the passion arising between them.

"So Mr. Whitlock," she purred. "I hope you are sincere in your plans to make an honest woman out of me." She kissed him, pulling away slightly with his bottom lip caught between his teeth. "Well, an honest vampire anyway..." she laughed.

"Mmhmm…" he murmured. "Very sincere…" he said as she pulled back, catching his bottom lip in her teeth. "I'm pretty sure that I've already converted you…Mrs. Whitlock," he mumbled.

"It's not official yet," she teased, tapping the end of his nose with her forefinger. "You still have to get me down the aisle."

"But, it will be," he mumbled, with a soft chuckle. "Of course, if you'd rather not..." he teased.

"Ha! I'll drag you down the aisle myself if I have to," she growled, running her hands down the smooth muscles of his back and arching into him.

"Oh, I don't think you'll have to do that," he said, laughing as she smoothed her hands down his back. He let out a soft sigh as a rush of excitement coursed through him when she arched herself against him.

"I'm afraid you're stuck with me now, like it or not."

"Oh, it's horrendous…" he teased.

She grabbed the back of his head and forced it back down, molding her lips to his as she kicked off her blue satin heels, flinging them into the floor. She then found his feet with her own, working his shoes off until they dropped to the floor with a thud.

Jasper's lips crushed into hers, as she forced his head back down. Her fingers locked in an iron grip around his head sent a shiver of pleasure through him causing him to launch himself into the kiss, driven by desire and hunger. The subtle movements of her kicking off her heels registered with him, but didn't break his concentration.

Reaching down between them she undid his belt, pulling away from their kiss to fix him with a mischievous look as she slid it out of the belt loops and tossed it to the floor.

Jasper blurred up as she kicked his shoes off and worked to strip off his belt, her fingers working greedily to get it off. Not to be outdone, a wide grin crept onto his face as he grabbed handfuls of the front of her dress and started shredding off strips of it.

"Now who's excited?" she asked, laughing and looking down at the remnants of her torn dress. "You missed a few pieces," she giggled.

Jasper chuckled and lowered himself back down on top of her and planted one hand firmly next to her shoulder, instantly seeking out her neck and emitting a soft playful growl as he planted his lips against the hollow of her throat. He worked his lips against the soft, smooth skin there as he slid his free hand along the contours of her exposed waist and locked it in place on her hip.

Alice closed her eyes, groaning as she tilted her head back to give him better access to her throat. The feel of his lips on the delicate skin there nearly sent her over the edge. Her hands fell away from his back, feebly gripping the duvet in her little fists. She felt like she was falling even with him on top of her pressing her solidly into the mattress. She shifted under him, wrapping her legs around his waist and finding the strength to once again lift her arms and run her fingers through his hair.

Jasper's lips moved at a more feverish pace as Alice tilted her head back and exposed her throat, laying it bare for him to go wild. The tender, supple skin under his lips only deepened his desire for more. The need he felt for her intensified as she shifted under his weight and wrapped her legs around him, locking him in place.

"Jasper…" she moaned, arching her neck up to meet his lips.

Peeling his lips away from her throat, he pulled back to look down into her eyes. The warmth he found there, the excitement, the pure desire and sensuous need for lust he felt rushing through him reflected back through her darkened, gleaming eyes.

"Alice..." he murmured, his voice coming out in a wild gasp as he drove his lips back into hers. The passion building up inside of him caused him to work his lips against hers hungrily, feverishly, pouring his love into the kiss as if he couldn't get enough, as if time were running out.

He peeled his mouth away from her throat and hungrily found her lips, rolling his hips against hers as the intense feelings she emitted were on the verge of driving him mad.

Alice's breath came in short, hard gasps against his lips as she squeezed her legs around his waist. Her fingers left his hair, trailed down the sides of his face, gripped his shoulders, clawed wildly at his back. She felt like she was drowning in a sea of desire, want and need. She simply couldn't get enough of him, couldn't get close enough, her desperation to do so causing her to writhe mindlessly beneath him.

Alice's fingers suddenly found purchase on his shoulders, clawing at his back as her legs tightened around his waist. Jasper arched his back in response to the sudden pressure, the eager clawing against his shoulders and back, and rolled his hips back down against hers. "Alice..." he said in a gasp, breaking only briefly from the kiss, his breath coming in heated pants as he spoke. "Alice..."

It was all he could get out before plunging himself back into the kiss. Her movements underneath him working against him in an attempt to get closer only drove him on further. Each nudge against his body, each caress, each sigh only intensified his own need to be closer. As he rocked his hips against hers, the urgency to be closer to her, to be one with her was that much stronger. His free hand was suddenly cradling the back of her head, his fingers knotting themselves into the silky curls and holding her against his lips.

Alice unlocked her legs from around his waist and tried to use her feet to shove his trousers off as she reached between them to undo the buttons. She was nearly out of her mind now with want and longing, flailing helplessly as he kissed her senseless.

"Please," she begged against his lips, gasping. "Jasper, please…"

Jasper, of course, was more than happy to oblige. She tilted her head back letting him have her throat as he ripped away the last few scraps of clothing separating them with an animalistic growl.