NOTE!

Please read the A/N at the end of the chapter after reading the chapter! Don't skip it!!

Chapter four: Sleep, my Beauty

Jasper reached down, carefully pressing his lips against Alice's forehead.

A small smile made its way onto her face as she opened her eyes. She could barely see anything in the darkness, and a part of her hated the lack of sight. Her husband's beautiful face was shielded from her view, yet her impairment only allowed her to feel things so much strongly. His heated skin brushed against her as she shifted, trying to find a position that was more comfortable than her current one.

Shivering against the cool night air that streamed from their opened window, she inched closer to him, and he replied accordingly by pulling a sheet around them. He then wrapped his arm around her thin shoulders and drew her as close to him as he could, smelling her hair in long, deep breaths.

Alice smiled, leaning closer to press her cheek against his chest. Her eyes closed as his heartbeat thrummed against her skin, the sound mixing with her own. In the dead silence of the night, their human hearing could only detect the other's heart and breaths.

She smiled again as she ran her hand over his smooth chest. Everything felt different, and yet the same. His body was strong and muscular just like it usually was, yet it seemed less smooth than usual, less able. There were rules in this world that they now had to keep, such as a sudden lack of flexibility and speed. However, it didn't keep her from feeling completely safe in his strong embrace.

Aro and Aelic, after completing their transformations, had left. They had promised to come by after the day had passed to guarantee that the four vampires had returned to their original state. However, neither the leader or the newest member of the guard wanted to remain in a home with four humans, considering their diet.

Images flashed rapidly in front of Alice's eyes as she considered what her plans for the next day would be. There were so many things she wanted to do, and only a day to do it all in... Her craziest plans had to be ruled out; she couldn't bungee jump to feel the thrill of an uncertain death, nor could she visit the arctic cold of Alaska to test her body against the elements... However, she was with Jasper, and whatever they would do would suit her well...

It was only at that moment that she realized that she wasn't controlling her thoughts. She wasn't thinking about those things; they simply appeared as they wanted. Her limbs felt heavy, sore, and yet she didn't want to move them at all. To complete her strange state, her eyelids seemed unopenable, and her mind was thick as she tried to remember what she had been thinking of only a few seconds ago.

After being unable to recall her previous thoughts, she began to panic. Her heartbeat suddenly began to race as she tore her body away from Jasper, shooting into an upright position as a cry left her throat. Her husband was instantly to her side, his eyes wide with alert as he glanced around the dark room menacingly, spying for any threat.

Alice was still panting heavily when he turned to face her, frantically asking, "Alice, what's going on? What happened?"

Suddenly overwhelmed by fear, a sob escaped her lips quietly and she shuddered. Her eyes were wide open, though they suddenly filled with tears, which then fell across her cheeks.

Suddenly, Alice forgot the terror she had just experienced. With wonder, she reached up to touch the salty water upon her cheeks, realizing that she was crying. This only brought more tears to her eyes, and she suddenly couldn't stop herself as she began to weep softly. She stared at her wet hands through the darkness, her shoulders shaking silently as she gasped to breathe.

"Alice," Jasper whispered, placing an arm around her and taking her hands in his other one. He ignored the tears, only reaching over to press his forehead against her temple. "Alice, talk to me, please. What happened?" Then, as though in an afterthought, he rapidly asked, "How do you feel?"

"I-I don't know what happened, Jazzy," she sobbed. Breaking her hands from his grip, she threw them around his shoulders and clambered on top of his lap so he could hold her closer. "I was thinking about what we were going to do tomorrow when I got..." She paused and frowned, searching for the right words. "I got drowsy, I guess. I stopped feeling anything... I just seemed to lose track of everything I thought, and my body just got heavy. It felt like I was losing consciousness..."

Despite his wife's grief, Jasper began to laugh. The worry left him instantly as he pulled back, then wiped at her cheeks with his thumbs. "Stop crying, darling. You weren't in any danger, I can promise you."

"Then what happened?" She bit her lip anxiously, a small frown still upon her forehead.

He kissed the top of her head again before he whispered teasingly, "You were falling asleep."

She pulled away from him so rapidly that she lost her balance. With a small squeal, she ended up rolling away from him, the thick sheets thankfully stopping her from rolling off the bed. Turning around, she looked at Jasper with raised eyebrows, though she could only see a faint outline of his strong frame.

"If that's what sleep is like, then I refuse to do it."

He laughed lightly at her stubbornness, then leaned down upon his back. He opened his arms invitingly, and she snuggled into them as they resumed their previous position. Once she was settled comfortably against him, he whispered gently, "I know that sleep may be scary, my Alice, but I'll be there to protect you."

"I hate the feeling. I feel too vulnerable," she retorted, pouting lightly as she sniffed.

He gently began to run his fingers through her short tresses, smiling at her obstinance. "You know, you used to do it all the time as a human, without even giving it another thought. Think about when you get a vision. Even if it's just for a few seconds, you become completely unguarded. It's exactly the same thing. You know how much it pains you to block out visions, so don't try to block out sleep. It won't do you any good."

She shifted against his chest, still refusing to sleep. However, the unfamiliar drowsiness washed over her once again, and she had to admit that she was in need of sleep. Yet the terrifying feeling of lack of control remained firmly in her mind, and she whimpered against his chest.

"I'm scared, Jazz," she admitted again, keeping her eyes wide open. "What if I don't wake up?"

"You will," he promised, kissing her forehead. "Listen to me. I'll stay awake and watch over you, alright? There are some telltale signs when a human falls asleep, so I'll know when you will be. Then I'll also let myself sleep. If you happen to wake up before I do, wake me up instantly, alright?"

"Only if you do so as well," she whispered, clutching to him tightly.

After he had promised, she tried to relax, shutting her eyes and taking deep breaths. She focussed on happy memories of her life with Jasper, keeping them rolling into her mind until she, once again, had almost no control over which one came next. Fear once again bubbled within her, but before she could stir, Jasper began to rub her back.

Then, after a few minutes, darkness overwhelmed her, and she fell into a deep slumber.

A/N: That's it for this chapter, lovelies!

Now, I hinted at the beginning that there would be something important in this A/N, so I'll cut to the chase. This chapter is not over!! I also began to write down Jasper's thoughts, but the more I wrote, the more I felt like it didn't quite fit in. So when I edited, I worked around with it and turned his thoughts into a oneshot. So, most of you know I have a oneshot collection, called 'Forever Just Isn't Long Enough'! So it's currently posted there! The follow-up of this chapter... So if you could go read it and review there as well, it would be appreciated!

Take care!