Because You Loved Me

Part 11/14

Taking The Chance…

It's May 1968, and Jasper is just beginning to think this new life may not be so terrible after all. It's taken time, but he's adjusted to hunting wildlife twice a day. He's become more comfortable with his new family and, oddly enough, bonded with Edward in particular. He thinks it may have to do with the similarities in their gifts. They have an understanding of each other.

He's come to see Esme and Carlisle as, for all intents and purposes, his mother and father. After all, they have raised him in a way; retaught him the ways of life, told him right from wrong. Emmett is always there when an a good wrestle is needed, to relieve stress or irritation, and even Rosalie has calmed her attitude with him down considerably.

And Alice…

Alice has been the most supportive, unsurprisingly, but even his relationship with her has changed. She doesn't worry when he comes back late from hunting, and he's realized that sometimes a girl just needs to shop. He's not as anxious when she leaves the house without him, now.

He's nervous today, though. Not because Alice isn't in the house, but because he's out of it. Though life has progressed in a constantly positive manner for him, he still has trouble being in public. He still has trouble with those terrible urges…

Still, he's put those worries aside, at least for today. After all, as Carlisle had said earlier, how will he ever get over the problem if he just keeps running from it? He assured Jasper that nothing would happen; the family would make certain of that.

And he's grateful, because he needs to be here. Alice is going through her very first graduation from college today, and he needs to see her walk across that stage in her maroon gown and hat, and take that little piece of rolled up paper.

A degree in fashion design and management, just as she'd promised herself. And Alice always kept her promises.

He's seated between Carlisle and Esme in the lawn chair, his eyes studying the sky carefully. The clouds are there, but they're dangerously thin. Alice had checked the weather forecast, though – her own – and promised that the clouds would be there all day.

Still, Jasper's on edge. His jaw is tight, and his hands are folded together so tightly that he fears he may be in danger of breaking his own fingers.

"Relax," Esme whispers in his ear. "You're doing fine. Alice will be proud."

She pats his hand for comfort, and then pries his fingers apart. He lets her, because he really doesn't want to hug Alice later with a broken wrist.

"How long is it again?"

"Two hours," Carlisle says. "Not long at all. She'll be one of the first to cross the stage since they're going in alphabetical order."

Yeah, he thinks. Maybe not for you.

Two hours was like another eternity to Jasper.

His anxiety quickly changes to slight feeling of excitement when the ceremony begins, and an Amanda Adams crosses the stage. There's a Brandon Anderson, and a Jamie Calhoun and three or four other names he didn't pay attention to before he finally sees Edward cross the stage, followed by Emmett.

"Alice Cullen!" the Dean calls from the podium, and a wave of amusement passes through him as a tiny little pixie hurries across the stage. She had no idea what she looked like scuttling along behind her hulk of a brother.

Jasper can't help the smile that crosses his face when he sees her accept the degree, and turn her head towards the crowd with a large grin plastered on her face. She waves animatedly when she spots her family, and Esme stands and cheers loudly for her.

After a few more students cross, they applaud for Rosalie, as well, who makes a show of blowing a kiss to them from the stage.

After the ceremony is over, Jasper let's Carlisle and Esme lead him through the crowd while he holds his breath and tries to ignore the alarming number of people who stop to stare at him.

"Most of the people here know about you," Carlisle explains to him from behind, with one hand on his shoulder, "because of Alice. But they've obviously never seen you. I think most of them were beginning to think we'd made you up. Just keep walking."

"Jasper!"

He barely had time to react before a tiny body engulfed by a long graduation robe throws itself into his arms. He laughs, and hugs her. "Alice… congratulations. I knew you'd do it."

"Me too! Ooh, I'm so excited! I can't wait to go again, I think I'd like a degree in European History."

Jasper's eyebrows shoot up, as he sets her back on the ground. "Slow down, Alice, you only just got that one. You can't go again until we move."

She pouts, but the expression is quickly replaced with another smile. "Nicole!"

Jasper panics as a small girl with long dark hair approaches them. "Hello!"

"Just relax," Alice mumbles to him, so quickly and so low that Nicole can't hear. Then, she quirks up again and bounces on her toes. "This is Jasper; remember, I told you about him."

"Ooh, Jasper," Nicole says, drawing out his name and grinning. "She certainly has told me about you, and now I see you in person I have to admit that she wasn't exaggerating at all. I was in Alice's art class."

He forces a smile, and tries to keep his shoulders from tensing when she extends her hand to him. "Hello, Nicole."

"Cold hands," she says, laughing a bit when he accepts her greeting.

"Sorry."

"Well, you know what they say. Cold hands, warm heart. I really gotta run, Alice, my family's waiting, but I promise to write!"

The two girls exchange hugs, and Alice watches Nicole disappear in the crowd before turning back to Jasper. "See? You can do it."

He decides not to tell her that he almost took Nicole's arm off.

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Alice frowns when Jasper closes the catalogue he'd been looking at. "Nothing."

"Jasper…"

"Well, I didn't get you a graduation gift, so I thought I'd find one in here."

She smiles and wiggles her way between the sofa and his back, wrapping her tiny legs around him from behind and he raises an eyebrow at her as she begins to draw little designs on his back with her fingers.

"What, did you run out of paper, Alice?"

Alice giggles. "No, silly. I was thinking of making you a fancy new shirt."

"…Please don't make it purple."

She rests her head on his back for a moment, before wrapping her arms around him and squeezing gently. "I'm so glad you came today, Jasper. It means so much to me."

He reaches back, and taps her nose. She wrinkles it at him, and he laughs. "Who knows, maybe next time I'll walk across with you."

"That'd be wonderful. I'd really, really like that."

Then, she stands and hops over the back of the sofa. He watches her arm extend slowly to the coffee table, and when he realizes what she's doing, he snatches the catalogue. "No, ma'am."

Alice's mouth drops open. "I want to see!"

"No," Jasper says, shaking his head. "It's supposed to be a surprise. If you see, it won't be."

She pouts, and then tackles him without warning. It surprises him that he has trouble getting away from a woman less than half his size, who probably weighs less than a large housecat, but he does.

When he finally makes it out of her grip, he scrambles off the sofa and stands, holding he catalogue up above his head.

"That is not fair. …I can jump that high, you know."

"Oh," he taunts. "Can you?"

"Yes."

Alice's legs bend, and she starts to leap up. Frowning, she wonders why she hasn't gone anywhere. "…Get your hand off my head!"

"I thought you could jump that high."

"I can, when there isn't a brick stopping me!"

He grins down at her, and moves the catalogue behind his back, watching her carefully as they circle around the coffee table. "Jasper! Let me see."

His amused expression quickly changes to panic when she leaps across the glass table at him. He drops the catalogue, wincing when he loses his footing and his back hits the floor. "You're an extremely violent young lady."

Alice grins, obviously proud of herself for gaining the upperhand. Then, she pokes her bottom lip out at him and bats her eyes. "Please show me?"

He looks at her for a moment, then lifts his head up and kisses her gently. "You'll see it soon enough, Alice. I promise."

She sighs, clearly not happy with this answer, but she doesn't push anymore. Instead, she stands and pulls Jasper to his feet. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"Well," she says, leading him to the doorway. "I couldn't eat the graduation cake, good as it looked, so I thought I'd have a Graduation Hunt instead."

Jasper shakes his head at her as he follows her to the trees.

Only Alice.