Becoming Alice Chapter 12: She's Not What He Expected, a twilight fanfic

Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews. I was surprised that people still wanted to read this after I left you. I'll leave you here for a week at most- promise? Keep reviewing & keep reading!

I open the door to the hotel room, and Jasper walks in with our bags. The idea of new clothes and acting human is still very strange to him, but all it takes it another look back at me and then he's ready to do whatever I tell him. He sets a bag down on each bed and sits down as I shut the door.

"You're not going to make me eat food, are you? I may draw the line there," he sighs. I know he's kidding, but he means it, too.

I sit down next to him and stick out my tongue. He shakes his head and looks up, trying to remind himself why he followed me that day in Philly.

"Acting human is the name of the game," I say. "If we're supposed to eat, we'll have to eat… or at least pretend."

"Pretend? I can do that."

"Why did you follow me?"

"I still can't answer that, but I don't think I regret it. I've never felt the emotion around you, but I like it. No, I love it! I'm scared to admit what I think it is, though. How could you when we barely know each other? How could I see myself feeling the same way? All this is so new to me. I like trusting you. I want to keep trusting you, but I know your kind. Your kind only hurt in the end."

"My kind?" I stand up and look him straight in the eyes. Could he have the answers I've always wanted? "What am I? Where did I come from?"

"I can't answer that, Little One. You come from a horrible past, something you don't deserve no matter what you are. I wish I could help you, maybe be this man you can't get out of your mind, but I know better than to trust a succubus."

I gasped. My head spinning out of the vision and back to the present. This changed everything! Everything I'd seen, I'd wanted, all gone now because Jasper would never trust me.

"What is it, Little One?" he asked.

He took my hand and lead me to the street curb and helped me sit down. His eyes were locked into mine, searching for what was happening to me. I still hadn't told him about my visions. I hadn't told him much of anything, and though he never complained, I know it was eating him up inside to know the truth. I was planning on telling him tonight when we were alone somewhere, but this wasn't the reaction I expected.

"You don't trust me," I mumbled.

He took my hand and looked at it.

"Why do you say that? I won't deny it, but I won't admit it either. I know you're a good girl, pretty, and… outgoing; that's for sure." We laughed a little. "But there's a lot you won't tell me, things you cringe at, things you change the subject at. Like now. Something happened to you; I felt you go through a range of emotions, yet you're going to deny it, aren't you?"

"No," I sighed. "I knew you'd find out soon, but I wasn't ready to tell you. I saw myself telling you, and now you don't trust me- or you won't- and you're going to call me names. Jasper, I'm a lot like you: I've never been able to trust another one of our kind… never another vampire. My creator left me in a burning building with only a few clues about what to do, and I still don't understand them. The first vampires I found didn't want me, didn't like me. The one person I did… tolerate was a lot like me, bubbly and crazy, but he too didn't like how I try to live. Only you have accepted that, yet you can't trust either. This isn't going to work like this."

He sat down next to me, and we both looked up at the sky.

It was late, nearly nine o'clock, and humans were going home or out to party. This used to be my favorite time of day, the time I could cut lose and be Alice, but now my life revolved around keeping Jasper safe and happy. This last month has been all for him. There was nothing more that I wanted to do more than keep him happy. How I hated it when he was depressed!

"You are also gifted. That's obvious, so don't deny it. I knew that from the second I saw you. How else would you know how to find me? You know about my past, so you probably know that I've seen all kinds of different gifts. I've heard of many, many more. If you explain, I'll trust you. Tell me your past- what you know- and we'll take it from there."

I sat there in silence for several minutes. I didn't know how to tell him, and my visions couldn't tell me either. I'd recently discovered that I couldn't see until the subjects already knew themselves. I couldn't see his reaction until I knew what to tell him, and I couldn't find that until I knew myself. I hated doing things blind.

"Maybe this isn't the best place to talk," Jasper said casually, but I could hear the sadness behind the simple words.

He looked down at me, his red eyes amused, one eyebrow shot up. He had ideas, but he wouldn't let them happen until they happened. I'd never seen him react that way until we met. Now, he let things fall where they wanted, trusting me most of the time. I suspected that he knew more than he was letting on.

"And you have somewhere else in mind?"

"No, I think you'd know if I did. You're always a step ahead of me. I'm not used to being outdone. You do make it hard for me to… not trust you, but… I don't know!"

He started laughing at us. He'd been so uptight and care-free that he didn't know much about anything these days. It was good to see him like this, willing to take chances. I couldn't afford to lose the moment. Quickly looking for somewhere to go, I saw the vision again. The place was perfect, but the timing was bad. Then again, would I ever be ready for rejection like that?

"I have somewhere private to go, but I don't know if you'll want to," I lied.

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. He stood up, picked up his backpack and held out his hand. I took it and picked up my bag, too.

"Lead the way, Alice, and I'll follow you. Know this: I'll never leave you. You're may way to a better life, to the Cullens, and to happiness."

We smiled, and I started walking to the hotel. He didn't ask questions while we walked, but he did look around for clues to our next location. When would he learn that I'd never give away all my secrets?

"A hotel?" he asked as we walked in. "What does this mean to you?"

"It's a place to keep you away from tasty humans, a place to talk in peace, and the view is very pretty up there. Fresh air will help us both think clearly, and we'll need all the clarity we can get now."

Being the gentlemen he was, he paid for the room-with my money since he had none of his own- and took care of all the business. He was good at talking to humans when he stayed focused. He was perfectly polite without overdoing it, like many of the Cullens. Living with them would be beneficial to everyone.

"Lead the way," he sighed handing me the extra money but not the key or room number. Yes, he definitely knew more than he was letting on.

I took him to the emergency staircase and raced him to the top floor. He beat me of course, but he didn't show off his full speed and grace. He opened the door and let me inside first. He set our bags on the beds and sat down next to his things.

"You're not going to make me eat food, are you?"

I sat down beside him and stuck out my tongue. He laughed and shook his head, looking up and out towards the open balcony. The stars outside were as pretty as I promised.

"Acting human is the name of the game. If we're supposed to eat, we'll have to eat… or at least pretend."

"Pretend? I can do that?"

I wasn't ready for this, but I couldn't think of anything else to say. We needed to talk, and putting it off longer would only hurt us.

"Why did you follow me?"

I tried not to get carried away. I knew he didn't know about my past, but it slipped out before I could remind myself of the vision.

"My kind? What am I? Where did I come from?"

"This is what I saw," I sighed. "What does that mean?"

"Succubus? A seducer, except with human males. Is that your gift? I've met your kind before, and I don't like them- in general… but you're not like that, are you?" He laughed to himself and shook his head. "I give up. I can't understand you. You're nothing like I've met before."

"I see the future." I waited for his reaction, but he didn't move. His hard face didn't relax, but it didn't tighten either. That was a good sign. "I told you that I woke up alone somewhere in the middle of nowhere. I followed written instructions to a barn and then to New York City. I've been watching the Cullens and you ever since. I saw you destroy newborn vampires, think about fighting Maria, Charlotte and Peter left and then came and got you, then you left them, and I left to find you."

"I see. Interesting. I've seen something like this before. You're scared. Why? Because you're a little freak? We all are. You must know my gift by now. It's something I've never seen elsewhere. Or are you scared that I wouldn't approve? Alice, there's something about you I don't want to let go of. Be honest with me, and I can't help but to be honest with you."

It was that easy! We sat back against the headboard and talked all night about our past lives, his human life, strange powers, the Cullens, and how to live off animal blood. Neither one of us was perfect, but we were sure that together we could keep each other strong.

He fought in the Civil War, the youngest major in the south, even lying about his age. We were about the same age, as far as we could tell, and he showed me his power first hand. I asked him a million questions about it, only to receive a few million more about the future.

"What are Peter and Charlotte doing right now?"

"Um… well, they're hunting again. I… I don't like to see this. Those people are innocent. Even when Edward Masen or Cullen or whatever he is right now hunted humans-"

"I thought they all lived off animals only?"

"They all do now, but Edward left Carlisle and Esme in '27 until '31. He only hunted criminals thinking he could be a vampire and humane at the same time. He couldn't stand himself anymore though, so he went back to his 'parents.'"

"They sound as human as you!"

"I try to act like them, but I'll never master this life like Carlisle has. Even Edward will one day out do us all. It's slightly depressing, but I love them too much to be jealous."

"Alice?"

I looked up at him, but he never looked back. His red eyes were looking past the stars. I squeezed his hand and stared searching for what was bothering him now. I couldn't see anything wrong, but despite spying on him for twenty-eight years, we were strangers. I didn't know him well enough to know what bothered him.

"You'll master this strange diet quickly; you're used to this. I've spent the past ninety years killing humans whenever I wanted. I trust you completely; you don't even know how much I mean that because I don't think I fully understand myself."

"I'll help you, but we need the Cullnes' help. Do you believe in shooting stars?"

"They're meteors hitting the atmosphere," he laughed, resting his head on mine.

I shoved myself off and glared.

"Yes, but I meant do you believe in making wishes?"

"Never have before. There's a reason you're asking?"

"Look outside."

I quickly turned off all the lights in the room and jumped back into his arms. We looked outside and waited. Seconds later, streaks of light shot down from the heaves, rocks on fire plummeting towards earth.

Jasper was calmer then I'd ever seen him before- visions or in person. Being with him was as comfortable as breathing, but this was necessary unlike the pointless breaths that come automatically. Sitting there in his arms was the happiest moment of my life so far. Something between us changed that night, but neither of us could understand it.

We are sitting on another train, the sixth one since we've met, and we're on our way to Chicago. We want to see as much of the country as we can until we find where the Cullens are hiding. Chicago with its bright city lights, exciting music, fun clubs, and new adventures seems like the perfect place for us.

I look at Jasper's crimson eyes, knowing he's safe for a while, but I can't help but feel protective of all the helpless victims nearby. Every time they move their scent is shot our way, and our muscles contract, the venom drowning our mouths.

"Alice, what do you have in mind here?"

I still am not used to his perfect, Southern voice.

"Let's just have fun."

"Fun? I keep telling myself I should be worried, but I'm not. Why is that?"

"You know clubbing isn't as bad as it sounds."

Shock covers his face, his red eyes widening. His arms lock around me.

"Clubbing?"

"Ha!" I rolled over into a fit of laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"Do you want to go to Chicago?"

"Like you don't already know. So when do we leave."

"Daylight."