Shifting his weight, Jasper grimaced as he almost fell on the ice...again. Just as Alice had predicted, they were now ice skating on a nearby pond on New Year's Eve. She was skating circles around him, sometimes quite literally.
"C'mon Jazz!" Alice called joyously from across the pond, and somehow, hearing the elation in her voice, along with the emotions he felt clear as day, made every single fall worth it. It didn't lessen his frustration with the skates any less though. He fell then, and heard Alice's tinkling laugh as she skated over to him to help Jasper up. "How have you never ice skated before?!" She asked incredulously.
"I lived in Texas." Jasper defended. "And I didn't do much ice skating when I finally left. It never even crossed my mind."
"Well get used to it." Alice said, looking fierce as her little hands balled into fists. "We're going to be doing a lot of ice skating in the future, and I don't need visions to tell me that." Jasper grimaced again.
Alice looked up at the sky, where the sun was peaking up over the mountains, flecks of pink dotted the bright sunrise. It was early, but time held no meaning when you were immortal, and not having to sleep meant that they had been out there for a couple hours now. She glided around gracefully on the ice, and Jasper smiled unconsciously as her perpetual happiness bombarded him again. "Now come on, I'll lead." She too his hand and guided Jasper over the ice, laughing when he stumbled, and going down with him when he fell.
Despite his grumbling, they were both in a great mood, and it seemed as if the day would never end. Eventually, they ended up skating around in circles, holding hands and enjoying the quiet moment together. "Can you believe that in less than 12 hours, it will officially be 1949?" Alice whispered even though it was just the two of them there.
"I know." Jasper agreed. "Can you believe we've been together for almost a year now?"
"On January 17th at 5:04 we will have been together for one year, if you want to get technical." Alice declared happily.
Jasper laughed and smiled down at her, happy to be able to spend the entire day alone. He suddenly grinned mischievously, and Alice shook her head, already seeing what Jasper was planning to do. "No, Jasper no..."
Jasper grabbed both her hands in his own and spun Alice around the ice as quick as possible. Alice shrieked with laughter, despite her warning him not to, and Jasper's deep laugh mixed with her own as they spun around and around.
As the spinning finally slowed, Jasper pulled Alice right up against him, and Alice smiled up at him. They were holding hands still, and Alice attempted to persuade Jasper to dance with her.
"In skates?" Jasper asked incredulously, raising one eyebrow.
Alice nodded. "Of course. Just try it, I'll lead."
Jasper shrugged, and let Alice guide him through the simple dance. They fell a few times (well, more than a few), but overall, Jasper thought they were doing quite well.
"Now something harder." Alice encouraged, and Jasper looked at her with slight panic on his face. "Oh, don't worry, coward. I'll protect you." Alice teased frivolously.
Jasper grimaced. "I'll fall again. It won't hurt, but..."
"You big baby." Alice taunted him, trying to get him to take the challenge.
He did. Sweeping her up in his arms, Jasper whirled her around once on the ice gracefully, enjoying the look of shock on her face. Before he could enjoy the winning moment too long, it was dashed to the ground when he slipped, bringing them both crashing down. Alice was lying on his chest, looking surprised at what had happened.
Dazed would have been an appropriate word, had she not been a vampire. Suddenly, she burst into laughter at what had just happened. Jasper chuckled along with her and pulled the both of them up before leading Alice over to the edge of the little pond.
They both fell back into the snow pile behind them, still holding hands. The two of them looked at each other and then down at their hands, fingers interlocked. If anybody had stumbled across them right then, it would have looked very strange, for Alice was wearing a simple, thin, sundress and Jasper's shirt was unbuttoned and lying open. Two jackets lay discarded on the other side of the makeshift ice skating rink, along with shoes, and other garments meant to keep a human warm. They had all been dumped early in the morning before the sun had come up, seeing as the two vampires didn't feel the cold.
"Maybe we could go up to New York later," Alice mused. "It would be fun to watch the ball drop."
"I think it would be too crowded by now, Alice. You know how early most people get there, just to get a good place."
Alice sighed. "I know, but wouldn't it be fun if we could?"
"We'll go another year, okay? After all, we've got all the time in the world." He chuckled, and Alice cracked a smile before kissing him on the cheek happily.
"Okay."
A vision pulled at the edges of Alice's mind, and she fought to push it back, to stay in the moment with Jasper just a little longer, but it pushed itself into her mind, playing out the future for her like a movie.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" The petite woman started to circle around Peter and Charlotte slowly. Peter stepped in front of his mate protectively, a snarl tearing at his lips.
The woman sunk into a crouch, ready to strike. "The traitor and the runaway, together forever..." She mocked.
"You were going to have her killed!" Peter cried.
"No, that would've been Jasper, I simply ordered it to be done." She smiled beautifully, but there was something dangerous and evil behind it.
Alice lurched forward as if she could stop Maria from there. Jasper, who had been playing with a strand of her short hair while he waited for the vision to end, immediately cupped her face in his hand as he felt her distressed emotions. "Alice, Alice calm down, what happened? What is it?"
"Peter and Charlotte. I think Maria's going to find them. I think it was Maria at least. I don't know, but from how you described her..."
If it had been possible for him to pale, Jasper would have been three shades lighter. Without Peter and Charlotte, he might have still been with Maria, he would've still been depressed, he would have not have even of been with Alice right then. With this in mind, Jasper knew he had to help his two old companions. His friends.
"Where? When? What exactly did you see?" Jasper pressed for more information.
"I—I don't know. There was a dirt road, and some fields. The sun was out but as far as I know no one else was around." Jasper pulled Alice off the ground and crushed her to his chest in a reassuring hug.
"Anything else to tell us where they are? A street sign or something, perhaps? How about when it's going to happen. Do you know?"
Alice shook her head. "I don't know Jasper, it could be happening in ten years, or as we speak!" There was a note of hysteria in her voice now, and Jasper slowly calmed her down.
"Just try to look again, Alice." He said patiently.
Alice closed her eyes to focus better, sifting through the different possible futures.
"Go away Maria!" Peter yelled at the other vampire.
"Not until I destroy you for deserting me, and then taking my best soldier!" She leapt at Peter, and he stumbled back into an old fence post.
Another:
"Hah!"
"Charlotte!" Peter screamed her name as two newborns, quickly ripped her apart, tossing her into the fire as Maria laughed and Peter sobbed tearlessly as he waited for the same fate to befall him.
Alice winced as she looked for another one.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" The petite woman started to circle around Peter and Charlotte slowly. Peter stepped in front of his mate protectively, a snarl tearing at his lips.
The woman sunk into a crouch, ready to strike. "The traitor and the runaway, together forever..." She mocked.
Suddenly Jasper was there, crouched in front of both Peter and Charlotte as Alice stood behind him, watching the newborns that Maria had brought along, looking as if they were tensed for a fight, which, they probably were.
"Got it!" Alice cried, and Jasper silently urged her to look more. "I'm seeing different versions, so it isn't happening now. But I don't know when it will be happening."
"Somewhere farther South, I'm sure of it. Not New Mexico, or Texas, but what are they even doing down there in the first place?" Jasper thought aloud, trying to figure out where his two friends might be to warn them of the danger that they were in. Their voices overlapped, both of them more talking to themselves then anything else.
Once Alice had a firm grasp on the one version of what was to come, she tried to look into this realm of possibilities only.
She looked into the future again, this time seeing a city that she supposed was nearby. "Cottonwood!" Alice cried out in the relief that Jasper felt wash over her at the same time.
Jasper turned his head to look sharply at Alice. "What?"
"I saw a sign, the name of the city is Cottonwood, there just outside of it, I'm 87% sure."
"Cottonwood...Cottonwood...Cottonwood, Arizona?"
"I don't know."
Jasper growled in frustration. "Can't you look any harder Alice!?" A small burst of hurt hit him, and Jasper froze. "I'm sorry, Alice, I didn't mean to, I mean—well,"
Alice brought a finger to his lips, cutting him off. "I know, you're worried about Peter and Charlotte, I get it. We'll find them, Jasper, I promise."
Jasper sighed. "It's no excuse for snapping at you. I apologize."
Alice smiled. "I forgive you. Now, get back to business," She commanded lightly. "It's somewhere in the south, and Arizona is considered part of the south, right?" Jasper shrugged, and Alice continued. "Well, how many towns can be called Cottonwood?"
She tugged on his arm, starting to pull him across the frozen pond, and she and Jasper skated over to the other side where their things lay discarded. "We'll go home," Alice started as she took off her skates and started to slip on her own shoes, motioning for Jasper to do the same, "And figure something out. We'll look for them now if we have to, even if we don't know when it will actually happen."
"Alright." Jasper agreed, slipping on a pair of boots. So together they headed back home to make a plan. Alice and Jasper ran through the forest, swift and silent before they were at the apartment building. They were in the building a little too quickly for a human, but no one was around, and right then, the two of them had a little more than that on their mind.
"So we think they're near Cottonwood, Arizona." Alice said as they got in the living room. She was running through everything that they knew. "We don't know when it's happening, but it will be sunny. Although, in Arizona, that doesn't mean much. We are going to be there when it happens, though, I can see it in all versions of the future, now. We're dead-set." She realized what she said, and despite the tense atmosphere, started to giggle a bit.
Alice slowly came to a stop with her giggling, and sighed, somber again, before heading into the bedroom in the back. "We should pack up some of our stuff, and take it with us, I don't think we'll be back here for a while." Digging around in the closet, Alice pulled the boxes that had been in the back, out, and started to throw her clothes and Jasper's in them.
"Vision?"
"No, just a feeling." Jasper was beside her then, helping Alice load all of her clothes into the boxes. "We'll have to leave the radio, and the record player, not enough room in the car." Alice added with a sigh.
Jasper nodded. "Yes. We should be able to bring everything else, though."
A few minutes later, Alice and Jasper had everything packed up in four boxes, and Jasper quickly grabbed the guitar Alice had given him for Christmas. It seem like so long ago since then, knowing what was going to happen now.
Alice shifted her load to one arm and used the other to lock the door after they got out of the apartment finally. She sighed and looked over at Jasper, who was looking at the door with a bit of longing, just like her. Neither of them wanted to leave their first real home, as they would probably be traveling from hotel to hotel for a little while again.
At the sound of a human heartbeat, both of them turned their heads to face the stairs, where John was slowly making his way up. Catching site of all their things boxed up, John froze. "Are you two going somewhere?"
"We're going out of town. Real last minute thing." Jasper told him, not really lying, just telling half-truths.
Alice nodded. "We don't know when we'll be back. I hope soon, but we can't be sure."
"Were you going to leave without saying good bye to anyone?"
"It's very urgent, we have to leave as quickly as we can. I hope you understand, John. Please say good bye to everyone else for us." Jasper explained.
John nodded and sighed. "Alright. I'll tell them bye for you. Good luck with whatever it is you're doing."
"Thank you." Alice told him sincerely, and Jasper nodded. They started heading down the hall to the stairwell, but John called back to them one last time.
"Try to keep in touch, if you're going to be gone for a while."
Alice turned and smiled, "We will." She told him, but Jasper felt her guilt just as she did because, in all reality, that might really not be true. Like she had said earlier, they would just have to hope. And ever since meeting Alice, Jasper had learned that he could have hope for the smallest of things.
Not fully ready to leave still, Alice and Jasper loaded their things into the back seat of the car slowly, trying to prolong their leaving as long as possible.
"When we show up, we're wearing clothes that are still in style right now. Regardless of how urgent things are, I wouldn't be caught wearing something that was really outdated, so that shortens are time frame quite a bit. I'd say the absolute most time it could be in would be about three or four years." Alice murmured to Jasper as they closed the back doors. Jasper nodded.
"I sincerely hope you are right, and that we can get there in time, Alice."
"We will." Alice assured him.
Jasper climbed into the passenger side like before, while Alice slid into the front seat. Now that they were positive that they would make it, Jasper couldn't help but look with longing at the place that had, for once in his life, been his home.
"Are you going to miss it?" Alice asked quietly.
Jasper nodded absently. "Yes," He murmured. "It has...become my home. And strangely, I've somehow developed...friendships with these humans. I will miss them, but I know this is what we are supposed to do. Peter and Charlotte are more important than these meager humans whom I barely know."
But really, as he thought about it, wasn't his true home wherever Alice went, now? Why should he miss this place as much as he did?
Alice nodded in understanding. To his unasked questions, or his answer to her question, Jasper didn't know, but she lightly touched his shoulder in comfort before putting their Cadillac into drive, and pulling out of the lot. It was twilight, and occasional threads of sunlight hit the two of them, bathing them in it's light, and making their skin glitter subtly.
As they sped out of the city—well above speed limits—Alice and Jasper's hands found each other on the seat between the two of them. They glanced over at each other silently, then went back to staring out the front window stoically, just as the clock hit 12:00. And as others celebrated the all new year of 1949, Jasper and Alice held hands in the quiet and pretended that they weren't possibly going and killing themselves by facing Maria, and quite possibly, an entire newborn army.
The sun slipped down past the mountain tops, and darkness engulfed the pair of them. They passed the city limits at 120 miles per hour, still holding hands as they pulled farther and farther away from their old life, and on to the unknown—even for Alice.
Finals are done! *Does happy dance* I'm 18 reviews short of 100 *Does even happier dance* and you guys have no idea how happy and thankful I am about that. To all of my reviewers, you are totally awesome, have a Jasper/Jackson plushie. To all my readers, even little 'Update. Now.' reviews make me feel warm and fuzzy, just because I know you like it enough to review.
Y'know what's really funny/ironic? I'm going ice skating tonight, and I had the whole ice skating idea before I planned on going.
Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns them, not mine. Do I look like SM?
~Tally