Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: Again, this is a sequel to my story Will He Remember Me? Please read that before you read this chapter, or you may have difficulty following it.

I'll admit it, I'm sorta playing with dates and kinda throwing them out there hoping they all add up in the end. Obviously since this is A/U they won't be the same you're used to anyways but I'm at least trying to match them up for the timeline that I've created. I'm not going to constantly bog you (and my story) down with numbers, so just to give you a rough idea, I made the decision to keep Bella's birthday the same (as stated in the Twilight Saga Wiki which has suddenly become my best friend), only changing the year to 2000. So to have her born in September (and factoring in the information I provided last chapter in regards to her birth) that means, she would have died in late December 1999. Jasper's important dates (birth and death) will also remain the same.

Listless golden eyes watched the pale hand that gently traced the letters carved into the tree, while the limp hand at his side clutched a silver chain looped through a small, golden ring. Jasper eased slightly on the pressure, afraid he'd crush the hardly gained treasure into nothing more than dust, dust... like her.

'Has it been almost 19 years already?' He wondered dully, bringing the golden object to his nose and inhaling greedily, desperately trying to catch a scent that had long since faded

He opened his palm and stared morosely at the ring that would forever symbolize the day he had made the worst mistake of his life.

-oo-

It had been hell attempting to get its location from Peter and Charlotte in the first place. He now understood all too well how much his indifference towards them after he had met the Cullen's had felt, now that he was on the opposite side of the fence. It had taken him almost two years after... that day and, he was guilty to admit it, a week after he found out Alice had met her true mate, for him to attempt contact with them.

It had not gone well.

It had probably not been the best idea, starting off the conversation that Alice had left him and who she had left him for.

"How does it feel, asshole?" Peter had snarled into his ear, before abruptly hanging up on him.

Jasper had listened to the dial tone for hours, until a concerned Esme had slipped the cell phone from his hands.

It took another 15 years of ignored phone calls and emails before they would even talk to him again, but he hadn't given them much of a choice, considering he had tracked them down directly to their house (a task they hadn't made easy, deliberately moving any time he appeared to be getting close.)

Peter took one look at his hollowed features, the area surrounding his black eyes so dark, they made them look concave, before reluctantly stepping aside and inviting him in.

There had been several moments of awkward silence before Jasper finally broke it.

"Why did you decide to stop running from me?"

Not looking the slightest bit guilty, Peter met his defeated gaze with a firm look. "Why did you keep trying?"

"Had to," Jasper mumbled.

Peter snorted. "Why? Cause the Cullen's told you to hit the dirt?"

"No, I-," he paused. "How did you know about that?" It was obvious he was asking if Peter had had a 'hunch' about it.

Peter gestured towards a hovering Charlotte. "She may have called the Cullen's once..." a mini glare in her direction, "when the guilt got the best of her. They told her you were no longer living with them, pretty coolly I might add."

Guilt colored Jasper's features. "Did they say why?"

Charlotte finally joined Peter on the couch. "I didn't ask," she admitted softly. "It felt like they wouldn't have told me anyways."

"What did you do?" Peter apparently had no problem asking.

"I..." Jasper turned away with a sigh. "Alice."

When it became clear that Peter wasn't willing to accept that answer, Jasper heaved a sigh and reluctantly continued.

"After that day..." he began...

-oo-

It had taken him two days before he finally gained control of himself, coming to in a small cave surrounded by animal carcases that had been literally savaged.

It took him another five days before he finally made his way back...

Was this even home anymore? He wondered wearily, staring up at the house where he had once felt he'd belonged.

A wary Carlisle and Esme had greeted him; the latter immediately attempting to approach his battered, dirty form, her face and emotions reflecting a motherly compassion.

Jasper had waved her off, none too gently, feeling guilty as her face fell. "I need some time," he explained softly.

He felt hesitation swirl around Carlisle before falling into, what he called, 'clinical mode'. "She's dead isn't she?" He questioned solemnly. "That girl, Bel-"

"Don't." Jasper warned, his tone dropping and his eyes flashing.

Carlisle pulled a suddenly fearful Esme behind him and lowered his head in a submissive pose. "I apologize."

He nodded brusquely, and then brushed past them to enter the house. He vaguely noted that the rest of the family was suspiciously absent as he climbed the stairs.

Bypassing the room he had shared with Alice, an unconscious sneer curling his lips, he headed for the second set of stairs and the spare room that resided on the third floor next to his study. They were the only two rooms, other than a full bath, that were on that level.

Upon entering, he slipped off his tattered jeans, the only article of clothing he wore, and headed directly towards the shower. Setting the temperature as hot as it would go, though it wouldn't matter much to his chilled skin anyways, he stepped under the spray. He must have stayed in there for hours, because by the time he got out, his teeth clenching as he contemplated exactly how he was going to get his clothes and things from Alice's room, he found his clothing, personal items and the few treasured belonging's he had carefully placed on the bed. He scented the air as he stalked closer. Esme.

After putting his things away and slipping into a loose pair of sleeping pants, he gave into the very human urge to crawl under the bed covers. Pulling them over his head, he desperately wished for sleep, but at the same time was happy he couldn't. He knew sleeping would eventually lead to dreaming.

He laid there for days. Ignoring when the rest of the family finally came home, doing best to keep their return as silent as possible. Ignoring the timid knocks on the doorways by a worried Esme and a hesitant Rose (but not Alice, never Alice). Ignoring the falsely cheerful game invites from Emmett, and the soft, 'do you want to talk' queries from Edward. Ignoring the blood packets left outside his door by a concerned Carlisle. Ignoring them all until they eventually got the point and started leaving him alone.

It took him weeks before he finally went hunting again, the pangs in his stomach so strong that he almost lost his balance when he chose to jump from his window in an effort to bypass the family. In his starvation, he had been so messy when he fed, that it brought back memories of his newborn days. Shame flooded his body as he buried the shredded remains of a bear and battled the confusing urge to say a prayer for it.

After a year, he had practically become a ghost to the family, who found themselves brushing off the 'Jasper's away at college' excuse to explain his absence to a few curious townsfolk. He was there, but he wasn't and they had learned to accept that, tentatively adopting a 'life goes on' mentality.

It took nine more months before Jasper fooled himself into believing he was slowly coming to terms with it, confusing the numbness that had seeped into his body as some sort of acceptance. Realizing that with... her... gone, the Cullen's were the only family he had left. That, a rough swallow, Alice was all he had left. Making the conscious decision to start slowly fixing things, despite the fact that half of him was raging at the thought, the half he thought he had locked up after the Southern Wars had ended, he proceeded to do what he did best, burying those feelings deep down and pretending they weren't there.

That's how you lost her, a scornful voice mocked. He ignored it.

His first words to his family in almost two years were, "Where is Alice?"

Stunned silence. And was that... pity?

"She's not here, dear," Esme finally spoke up.

"Where is she?"

More awkward shuffling.

"Paris," Rosalie supplied. Definitely pity he was feeling from her. He shrugged it off, certain it was for his past situation.

Which you are getting over, he told himself. His shoulders slumped. Never. Never getting over, the same scornful voice from earlier whispered.

"When will she be back?"

It was clear that after so long of hearing nothing from him, the family was quickly growing confused, and concerned with this conversation.

Carlisle cleared his throat. "Jasper, son, you better sit down."

Jasper crossed his arms. "I've been laying in bed for the last..." He paused when he realized he had no idea what day it was, or even what year. "What's the date today?"

"It's October 1," Carlisle replied.

"2001," Emmett added, still seeing the slightly questioning look on Jasper's face.

Jasper was stunned. Weeks, definitely, months, possibly, but he hadn't even considered that a little more than a year and a half had gone by. So much could have changed in that time, and judging by the looks the family was still giving him, it had.

He looked back towards Carlisle, gesturing him to continue with the train of thought he had begun earlier.

"I don't know how to the best way to tell you this, Jasper," a pause, "you have to understand that these things have no control. That even we were extremely shocked and-"

"Hell!" Rosalie burst in, cutting off a startled Carlisle. "I'm sorry Carlisle, but this is getting us nowhere. Alice has met someone." Her head lowered as she visibly hesitated and Emmett reached over to entwine his hand with hers for support. Sympathetic amber eyes, an emotion rare enough from her to make Jasper step back slightly, locked on to his own. "She's met her true mate."

-oo-

Alice returned the day after he made the disastrous phone call to Peter, tugging a slightly timid, stylishly dressed man behind her. Wary gold eyes scanned them, offering a shy smile as he was warmly welcomed by everyone. Well, almost everyone.

Jasper stood off to the side, partly because he really didn't feel like part of the family anymore and partly because he had no interest in meeting Alice's new mate. Bernard, seriously?

He eyed Bernie from the top of his perfectly coiffed light-brown hair, down to the sweater vest and chinos and eventually to the loafers on his feet. His height, only slightly taller than Alice, who was already very short herself, added together with his thin frame and effeminate features, had the soldier inside him sneering.

He could practically be her twin. No wonder she chose him. Now she has someone to share her clothes and makeup with.

He watched as Alice broke away from her mate to stand before him. "Hi, Jas," she greeted softly, her eyes downcast. "I was hoping we could talk. Maybe somewhere private?"

Now that she was near, Jasper quickly found himself cycling through a wide variety of emotions. He flicked a brief look up at her tense mate in the background, then back down at her and felt the onset of rage and disgust boiling beneath the surface. Schooling his features into a calm mask, he nodded his head. "Yes, Alice, I believe we do need to talk."

*End part one*