Hello,

This is again for my lovely reviewer LaShelle! Thank you so much!

I just finished writing the mandatory literacy test for school that I have to get over a 70 on in order to pass and graduate, talk about stressful. My brain hurts.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Twilight Saga, Stephenie Meyer does.

Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Three: Hesitation.

Jasper's POV

Alice was due back from her date with Anthony any minute.

All night I've been pulling in my emotions, trying to make everyone's life easier.

But what about my life? All I've been worrying about is keeping my cool in order to keep the calm and easy-going atmosphere at school and at home while dealing with the searing pain my wife is causing me by becoming so infatuated with this human.

I should start thinking about my own needs and my own well-being. Not always that of others.

"What happened, Alice?" Edward's voice inquired from the front room, the garage door shutting with a soft bang.

"Nothing, Edward," Alice replied with a slightly detached tone.

"Then why are you covering your thoughts with meaningless musing?"

I heard her give a very annoyed huff as the clanking of keys being rattled sounded.

"You what?"

Alice was probably giving Edward a mental image. He felt shocked and slightly baffled while Alice gave off a somewhat happy aura. My curiosity got the best of me and I wandered through the doorway and into the front hall.

Alice gave me one blank glance as she dashed up the stairs with the sound of a door slamming shut. I raised an eyebrow at Edward.

"Don't worry about it, Jasper. Her interest in Anthony will eventually dwindle and she will remember. I promise you and I'll do everything I can to help," Edward responded, sincerely.

I gave him a small half smile and retreated up the steps and into my empty room. The white antique desk was crowded with school papers, all of the work already completed. The closet door was pushed open, only half filled with masculine clothes. The bed sat against the wall still freshly made from weeks prior. Many of the pieces of furniture and random accessories, which made the space less of a lone room with walls and a floor and more of a home, were missing.

I felt empty, just like the bare walls and glossy hardwood floor.

If there's a God out there and He's willing to listen to a creature like me, please, please, please help me get my wife's memories back.

Jamie's POV

He was like an empty shell; it was actually kind of scary. Jasper now always had either a look of pure anger or a look of blank indifference in his eyes. I didn't like it and neither did Raphael.

School was like normal, only I now had infinitive time to complete my homework since we didn't sleep and I got to see Raphael everyday after school. He'd frequently asked me how my day was and I'd give him a play by play of daily high school. I don't know how he found the lazy schedule of a sophomore student interesting.

But that's the curious nature of my loving soulmate. It was one of the reasons I loved him.

"Jamie?"

I looked up and smiled, my golden eyes meeting another set of liquid amber ones.

"Yes?"

"You were dozin' off in your own little world. I was just wonderin' if I'm allowed to join you."

I giggled, feeling like a normal love struck teenager. Raphael grinned widely and wrapped his arms around my waist dropping down on our bed so I was lying comfortably on his chest.

"Are you going to school tomorrow?" he asked.

I nodded and absentmindedly picked at a loose thread on his beige plaid shirt. "Tomorrow is Friday."

"Hmm… that means Saturday and Sunday is free," he mumbled into my hair.

I smiled. "Yup," I replied, popping the 'p'.

"Good."

I snuggled into his warm arms and closed my eyes, letting my mind rest as the clocked ticked by the minutes until morning.

Alice's POV

I darted down the staircase; bag in hand, running into the garage. Edward and Bella lazily entered, hand in hand with a smiling Jacob and Nessie behind them. The other members of the family filed into the garage and climbed into the assigned cars. Edward sped to school with Emmett's jeep right behind them. Once parked, I slipped out of the back seat and danced over to an awaiting Anthony, who was standing by the school doors.

"Good morning!" I sang, grinning from ear to ear.

He chuckled. "Good morning. Someone seems to be in high spirits."

"When aren't I?" I asked, laughing. "I had a lot of fun last night."

"Me too," Tony replied, smiling brightly.

"So um…" I started, my mood calming a bit. "What exactly are we?"

"Well uh…" Anthony rubbed the back of his neck, uncomfortable tension surged between us. "We could be a couple if you wanted to… or just friends, whatever you want."

I smiled softly and glanced up at him. "I'd like to be a couple."

He smiled, the atmosphere changing from embarrassed to happy in a flash. "I'd like that too."

The bell rang with a loud annoying dinging noise and Anthony held out a hand for me to take. Me being the smart little vampire pixie that I am, wore gloves today since it was a little chilly, to a human at least.

"Um since we're a couple, I think you should meet my family this weekend, what do you think?" I asked, glancing up at his tall frame.

He smiled slightly and shoved his free hand into his pocket. "Uh well…"

"I promise my brothers will be on their best behavior or they'll have to face the wrath of the evil sprite," I joked, lightening the hesitant expression on Tony's face.

He laughed. "Okay, I'll come."

"Great. How about Saturday afternoon?"

"Sounds good." He smiled and leaned down as I reached my homeroom. I reached up on my tippy toes to brush my icy lips against his warm ones.

"See you later," I murmured and slipped into class.

Nessie had one bronze coloured eyebrow raised in my direction, a questioning expression on her face.

"What?" I asked her, wanting to get the eruption over and done with.

She quickly exhaled the breath she had been holding in and shot a bunch of questions my way. "What was that? Are you two a couple? How was your date last night? Is he a good kisser?"

I laughed and took my seat next to her. "Yes we're a couple. The date last night was amazing. And yes I do believe he is a good kisser."

She giggled and glanced up at the board just as our teacher walked in and effectively ended our conversation.

After an unproductive and very boring English class, I was then interrogated by a very curious Bella in art class. I was clearly looking forward to my next class which was Biology and didn't include any of my nosy family members, but it did include my very sweet boyfriend.

"Ali cat!" he called from his seat at the back of the class.

I laughed and slipped into the seat next to him. "Ali cat?"

He shrugged and smiled. "I wanted a nickname for you. Do you like it?"

I nodded and giggled. "Yeah, Tony and Ali cat. It fits."

"I agree."

And so Tony and Ali cat it was.

After class, Anthony and I walked hand in hand – mine skillfully covered by my sweater sleeve – down the hall and into the cafeteria. Immediately whispers broke out.

Alice Cullen has a boyfriend? When did they become an item? Oh my god I can't believe this! Guess they're all taken now.

A smirk was beginning to form on my face until my sensitive hearing picked up a conversation from across the room.

"I can't imagine her with anyone but Jasper, Edward. It's strange and I'm worried about the amount of pain Jasper can take until he snaps," Bella's concerned voice explained.

I heard Edward sigh and my eyes landed on them sitting alone at our regular table. No one else was in sight.

"I know it's hard. Jazz is taking it bit by bit but he's strong. I'm sure he'll deal with it until we figure out a way to spark more of Alice's past," Edward replied.

"I'm hoping on that too. It's just so weird. I remember when Alice would always pick me up for a forceful shopping trip and she would always be getting off of the phone with Jasper when I got in the car. They had such a connection, most of the time they didn't even need words to know what the other wanted to say. It's was amazing to witness."

I looked down at my feet. New emotions swept through me, threatening to take over.

"It was. Their thoughts were so in tune with each other that sometimes I couldn't tell which mind I was hearing. They were true soul mates and I hope we can get Alice her memories back so that their love can be whole again," Edward mumbled.

"I hope so too," Bella responded, glancing over at me and meeting my conflicted gaze.

I couldn't beat down the tsunami of feelings overtaking my body. I tugged my hand out of Anthony's and fled to the nearest door before the uncontrollable emotions erupted.

"Alice!" Tony called from behind me.

I slipped along the side of the building and stopped against the brick wall. Sliding to the ground, I wrapped my arms around my knees. Sobs pushed up my throat and poured out of my mouth like water. I don't why but the feelings coursing through my veins suddenly couldn't be ignored anymore.

But I don't love him!

"Ali cat?" I looked up with dark gold eyes at a frowning Anthony. "Can I sit?"

I nodded slightly and sniffled.

"Why are you crying?"

I resting my chin on my folded arms and shivered. "I'm confused."

"About what?"

"About everything I've ever known. I can't remember a past that seems so important. I don't know what to believe. I don't know what to listen to, my heart or my head."

"Well what is your heart saying?"

"That I chose wrong," I mumbled and closed my eyes.

Anthony paused for a moment. I heard his mouth open and close a couple times as if he wanted to say something but thought better of it.

"What do you think you should listen to?" he asked after a couple of fleeting moments.

"I've always listened to my head but I can't ignore my heart any longer. But what my heart is saying doesn't make any sense. I can't remember that life time anymore and so I don't have to listen to what my heart is telling me." I frowned.

"Then listen to your head. What is it saying?"

"That everything is fine and that I should just wait and live life."

"Then listen to it and enjoy the life you have. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

I lifted my head and nodded. Anthony leaned over and kissed me on the forehead before getting up and disappearing around the corner. I sighed and stood up, brushing off my jeans before heading into the cafeteria again.

The lunch continued in a silent manner as the rest of our large family piled in and filled the table with soft almost silent chatter. My last two classes passed in a daze and I came out of my thoughts at my locker while I was mechanically putting my books in my school bag.

My phone buzzed as I shoved my biology book into the crammed space of my bag. I pulled it out of my pocket and smiled as I read the text from Anthony.

Follow ur head and don't let a moment pass without a smile. C u tomorrow3

I smiled and shoved my cell in my pocket again, shutting my locker and escaping to the parking lot.

Live life; be happy, I was going to follow my head.