Alice, Edward, and Emmett stared down at the lifeless body of the woman in front of them.
"I should have seen it…I should have stopped him…I've been able to before…" Alice was saying.
Emmett shook his head, "This isn't anyone's fault. I could have tackled him too. Or Edward could have heard his thoughts in time and done something. But we couldn't. It just happened too fast," his gold eyes met hers as he repeated, "this isn't anyone's fault."
She grimaced as a vision swept over her, "He's…very disappointed in himself."
"These things happen. Sometimes it becomes so hard…" Edward said.
"If it wasn't him it would have been one of us. She smelled so good…he was just the fastest," Emmett admitted, unashamed.
Alice picked up on a slight hint of envy in his tone. Was he feeling like he lost something to Jasper? Edward affirmed her thoughts with a slight nod.
She would have laughed if she hadn't been worrying about Jasper. Her new brother Emmett was just as competitive in real life as her visions had showed her.
"I have to go talk to him," Alice said decidedly, concern etched into her flawless face.
Edward nodded, "Go to him. Would you like us to wait here for you?"
She hesitated, slipping into a vision, "Yes, could you?" she asked, even though Edward had seen her vision as well.
"Sure will. Don't worry…we'll take care of it." Emmett told her, inclining his head slightly toward the woman's body.
She nodded, and after a quick smile of silent thanks, sprinted into the woods.
She knew that she could trust Edward and Emmett to bury the body and hide any evidence that they had been there. It would be as if nothing had ever happened.
Alice followed Jasper's scent until she came upon a stream. He sat on the bank of it, his back toward her as he stared into the river.
He didn't move as she dropped down to sit next to him. They sat in silence for a while. She gazed into the river with him, staring at his tortured red eyes in the reflection. Every so often she felt a prick of anxiety mixed with disappointment wash over her from Jasper, only to be quickly pulled back by him. She knew he didn't want to overwhelm her with his grief.
She concentrated on feeling nothing but love and forgiveness for him, finally reaching over and putting her small palm against his scarred arm, hoping to amplify her positive feelings.
"Stop it, Alice," he spoke sharply. He had never been harsh with her, but she had seen this conversation already in a vision. It wouldn't be pretty, but unless the future changed, it should end all right.
"What do you want me to stop, Jazz?" she asked calmly.
"Don't feel like that for me right now," he said, his voice clearly upset.
"Why not?" she questioned immediately, not skipping a beat.
"Because I can't bear it. Not now. I don't deserve it."
"You can't tell me how to feel," she replied stubbornly.
That triggered the breaking point. His red eyes widened, meeting her gold ones, "I can't? Sure I can. I can tell anyone how to feel! You want happiness? Here!"
He played with her emotions, sending a wave of bliss her way. She felt the joy bubbling in her, but successfully suppressed it, watching him crash.
"You want despair? I can perform that one pretty well," he said bitterly, projecting anguished feelings toward her. They were not unfamiliar to her, but it was strange to have it creep into her system like that.
"You want to be calm? You want to be damn near lethargic? If I want you to be, you will," he said, sending tranquil peace to her. She guessed that he had to feel some bit of it too, because his voice became less frenzied after that.
"Or what, Alice? You want desire?… Love?… Trust?…" His voice started to fade out as his thoughts started to catch up with his emotions.
She was devastated at how upset he was, but she just listened, knowing he needed to get everything out. It seemed to her that he was beginning to realize what he had just done. He spoke quietly now, possibly ashamed of manipulating her emotions that way.
"I can make you trust me… I can make a person trust me and be blissfully ignorant of the fact that I'm about to end that person's life…." he trailed off, defeated.
"Humans are naturally drawn to us. We can all make them believe in our trust for an instant only to end their lives in the next. And I've had trust in you since I first saw you, Jasper. I know you know that," she replied quietly, yet forcefully.
"It was different this time, Alice. I've slipped up before, but it was when it was just the two of us…I knew I'd never lose you…but there is more at risk now. A whole family...I can't separate you from them…," he struggled to get his thoughts to make sense.
She broke in during this pause, "Everyone makes mistakes, Jazz. This has happened before and it may happen again. And it's okay. Esme's control has wavered before. And Emmett's. And Edward's. It happens sometimes. Emmett was just saying…"
"It doesn't matter what Emmett was just saying, Alice," he interrupted, "I ruined this for you," he met her eyes again and stared into her soul, "I'm so sorry," he whispered.
"What do you mean? How did you ruin anything for us?" she corrected.
He sighed, "We finally found your Cullens and now I've made it impossible for me to stay with them. So either I leave and you're unhappy because you miss me, or we both leave and you're unhappy because you miss them…"
"Jazz, I wouldn't just miss you, I need you. I--"
A vision swept over her before she could respond anymore and he tensed, his eyes watching over her protectively. Even after traveling with her for three years, he still felt like he needed to guard her when she was experiencing one of her visions.
"Edward and Emmett are coming to find us. They'll be here soon," she said, coming out of it.
He nodded, "Did you see what happens next?"
She met his eyes and nodded confidently, "We stay."
"We…stay?" He was confused.
She smiled and reached to grasp one of his fingers. Her smile widened as he put his other hand over hers tenderly.
"They're our family," Alice told him, not sure if there was any other way she could put that into words for him. She wasn't sure if she even knew what the full extent of that statement meant, just that it was something powerful and something good.
They heard Edward and Emmett approaching.
"Yeah, like it or not, you're sort of stuck with us," Emmett's booming voice echoed among the trees as they came into view.
"Carlisle and Esme are two of the most forgiving and inherently good people that you'll ever come across," Edward said, answering some unasked question.
"Yeah…I mean, we've moved probably…what…four times now because of me?" Emmett speculated.
Edward nodded, "Yes. Four for you, twice for Esme, thrice for me."
"Yeah I hold the record…sorry Jasper, this one still keeps you at zero. We probably won't have to move over it," Emmett grinned, his white teeth sparkling.
"Somehow that thought doesn't sadden me," Jasper said, his mood lightening after seeing Edward and Emmett's calm reactions. Neither was judging or chastising him. They just let it be.
Emmett nodded as the four of them began to trudge through the woods toward home, "Yeah, so, we disposed of the evidence. No moving. Don't let the thought get you down too much…Rose and Carlisle will probably never catch up to me either. Carlisle's too used to the smell and Rose…I think she secretly likes humans too much. Not that I don't…" he rambled on as they walked.
Edward walked ahead of everyone, Emmett in the middle, and then Alice and Jasper kept pace behind them. While Emmett talked, Jasper looked over at Alice. She felt his gaze and met his eyes.
I'm sorry about earlier…I shouldn't have projected emotions onto you like that. was blatantly expressed on his face in a way that only Alice would understand. He let his love for her slip into her emotional climate.
It's okay. She remembered her love for him, letting him pick up on it, It's always okay. I know you. I understand. There was never anything to be forgiven for. all flashed across her face.
He held out his scarred hand to her and she slipped her tiny one in his as they walked home to their family.
A/N: This idea came from a request from mad-dog-13. Thanks for your idea! Please review! =)
