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.

Based on the characters created by Stephanie Meyer, in her Twilight Saga series of books

WARNING: This story will contains scenes of domestic violence, strong language and other forms of physical violence, up to, and including death.

Chapter 24

Capital Mistakes

Alice sat on the edge of her bed, naked, staring into the closet of her rented room.

"Dress first," she sang, as she reached for the girdle that was laying on the chest of drawers against the wall next to the closet. When she had it in place, in a fashion that appeared to be correct, she reached for the stockings. Rolling them up her legs, she hummed at the feel of the silk against her skin. After attaching the stockings to the girdle's suspenders, she pulled the scarlet flapper dress from it's hanger, and stepped into it. The red silk shoes finished off the ensemble. Alice heard the jaunty music in her head, and she began to bounce around her hotel room, as she watched herself in the full-length mirror. She laughed and shimmied to a tune she remembered from her night out, on Dauphin Island.

Eventually, Alice changed out of her dress, and tried on the pants and shirts. She studied her reflection in the mirror, and considered ways to improve the fit of the trousers. She quickly examined the extra sewing supplies she had purchased, including the different color threads, and began to work on pinning pleats to the front and sides of the pants. She sat back against the headboard of the bed and hummed, as she removed the pants, then sewed the pleats in place. When she was done, she worked on hemming, and tapering the legs. The length and width of the legs of the pants were far too much for a person of her short stature. When she finished with the first pair of trousers, she tried on the second and third, and altered them in the same manner. Alice spent the day altering her new clothing. She smiled and giggled, as she sewed pleats into strategic areas of the shirts, making them more form fitting. When she was done, she dressed in a pair of the slacks and the fitted blue work shirt. She slid thick socks over her dainty feet, then stomped them into the new work boots. She carefully folded and packed the rest of her things into the knapsack, including her old clothes. Alice threw her old boots in the trash basket in the room. They were old and dirty, and no longer kept out the water. She was happy to find that there was plenty of room left in the pack, but it was still not enough room for all the things remaining at her camp across the bay, plus the new things she would need to wash herself on the road. She decided right then, that she would wait until such things were needed, so as to have more time to figure out how to carry everything she wanted to keep. When she was ready, Alice checked out of the hotel, then stuck to the shadows, as she made her way out of town.

Alice made it back to her shelter without incident. After leaving the knapsack at her camp, she set out to hunt. Traveling deeper into the forest, she found a herd of deer feeding in a small meadow. She quickly took down a doe, and drained her, before catching another, just as the herd began to move off too far. While she was burying the two she had killed she smelled something else. A scent she had come to associate with a predator. She tracked the scent trail until her prey's heartbeat became loud and wet in her ears. The roar and growl of the big cat alerted Alice, before she realized the predator was on to her. Not liking another predator in it's territory, the puma had tracked Alice. They met in a small break in the trees near a small rock shelf, and danced a circle around each other, looking for any opening for attack. Finally the cat crouched and held it's ground. Alice leapt, just as the cat pounced for her. She obtained the greater altitude, and swiveled mid-air, to latch on to the cat's back. Her legs wrapped around the cat's haunches, just in front of his back legs, while her arms locked around his chest, forcing his front legs to adhere to the sides of his body. She was feeding from the puma before it hit the ground. After draining the big cat dry, she buried it's body on the higher ground than the deer. When she was done, she smiled at herself.

"I did it," she giggled to herself, as she examined her still clean men's clothing. Then she smacked her hands together, as if to brush the dirt from them, returned to pick up her knapsack and carpetbag, checking to make sure everything she needed was in one of the two bags, and set off for new parts. Christmas was the following week, and Alice wanted to find out what that was all about.

***1927***

It was June 11, and Alice watched as the USS Memphis coasted along the Potomac River. She danced and clapped with all the others waiting for their first sight of the Spirit of St. Louis. Charles Lindbergh was back, and the whole country was having a party. She was dressed in her new bright purple flapper dress, with three strings of beads knotted on her chest, so they didn't fall all the way to her knees. She watched as the ship docked at the Washington Naval Yard, and waited patiently until it's escort of several other warships and the zeppelin, the USS Los Angeles, had moved off. Finally, all the hoopla had quieted down. She peeked at "Lucky Lindy" as he walked off the ship. Alice thought he looked tired, but it was the plane she really wanted to see.

Alice had worked hard at staying in the shadows all day. As the sun began to set, she stepped out into the shadow of the ship, and slipped quietly to the ships gangplank. When heads were turned, she ran at full speed onto the naval cruiser, and ducked into the first hiding space she could find. As night crept up, so did Alice. She worked her way soundlessly toward the hold of the ship. As she neared the place she wanted most to be, she found a single guard blocking her way. A vision flashed in her mind, and a broad smile covered her face in response. She smoothed out her dress, and straightened her beads. Then, placing her hands on her hips, she straightened her back, lifted her chin, and strutted out to meet the marine guard blocking the door to her prize. She sashayed up to him, and looked up into his hazel eyes, and smiled.

"And just who might you be?" the guard asked. His eyes started at her purple heels, and slowly made their way up to her chest.

"Eyes here big boy," Alice used two fingers to guide his eyes up to hers.

"WOW!" his mouth said silently. He gave his head a small shake and straightened his back. "How did you get on board, Ma'am?"

"I had to sneak on board," Alice whispered to him. "Can you believe that." She ran one finger up his uniform covered chest to his chin. "And all I want is to see the Spirit of St Louis." Her finger traveled up to his lips as she stepped closer to him, while the palm of her free hand rested on his chest. "Just a peek?" The tip of her finger tapped his nose, as the last word crossed her lips. "Please?" she breathed into his face, with a big smile, and an exaggerated eyelid flutter.

"For you, my tiny sweetheart, anything. But I have to go with you. I am ordered to do a visual check once an hour. Nothin' said I had to do it alone." He smiled mischievously down at Alice, as he opened the small metal door to the hold. It opened with a loud clang, as he then swept his arm around her waist and pulled her close to his side. "My name's Pete," he said as he flipped a light switch and overhead lighting brightened the room. He quickly closed and locked the door, before leading Alice to the plane she had been wanting to see.

Alice walked slowly around the famous airplane, her mouth hanging open. "How does it feel to be a part of guarding history?" she asked Pete, as her circuit returned her to where he was standing.

"Guess I never thought of it that way," he looked thoughtfully at the plane. They had both spoken in whispers. "Guess it's kind of an honor to be trusted to keep it safe. It's going to the Smithsonian in a few days. Wow! I really am guarding history." Pete's voice carried a large amount of reverence in his last sentence. He looked down at Alice, his expression too filled with awe to smile. "That's why it's us Marines, that do the guarding of national treasures like this," the smile that filled his voice, also covered his face.

"Thank you, Pete." Alice grabbed a hold of his hand, and walked with him out of the hold. Alice took one last look, as Pete switched off the lights, then closed and locked the heavy metal door.

"You better skedaddle on out of her, little pixie," Pete told Alice. "And when you get to the gangplank, tell Calvin I said it was alright." He winked at Alice, as she skipped down the hall.

Once out of Pete's sight, Alice quickly made her way to the gangplank. True to Pete's word, Calvin Bently was guarding the top of the ships entrance. Alice skipped up to him, and pulled gently on the sleeve of his shirt. "Pete told me to tell you it was alright." She tilted her head, as she watched his reaction. At first, he was surprised to see her standing next to him, as if she had appeared out of thin air, but it quickly changed to mild acceptance, as he grinned at Alice.

"Leave it to Pete to find the prettiest girl in port, and already have her on board." He laughed quietly as he leaned toward her ear. "Was the 'Spirit' everything you hoped for?" he asked her.

"Oh, yes," Alice smiled back, "and Pete was a perfect gentleman."

"He better have been," Calvin straightened his back, "or you'll be the last girl he sneaks on board to see some national treasure he's guarding."

"Thank you." Alice stretched up on her toes, and gave Calvin a kiss on his cheek, then danced down the gangplank to shore.

It was full dark at the Washington Naval Yards, as Alice zipped across the docks and into Washington DC, proper. She made her way across the busy capital, to the speakeasy that was the site of the party she planned to attend. She had met a vampire couple, a mated pair, earlier in the week, and they had invited her to a place they managed for the mob. Or so they said. Alice had her doubts as to the honesty of the couple, but she had heard that they threw a great party, and the music was good, so she was happy to attend. She hunted well, before arriving at the door, and gave the secret knock. She spotted the couple, as soon as she walked through the door.

"Alice, my dear child," Tiffany swept her up into a tight hug, "I'm so glad you made it in time."

"In time?" Alice allowed herself to be led to the next door. The one that led to the actual drinking and dancing. Carl, Tiffany's mate opened the door, and ushered the two ladies into the party.

"You are the last to arrive," Carl told her. Alice looked out over the crowd of party-goers, and was able to spot several other vampires. She did a quick count and calculated that there were eight vampires, nine including herself, to eighteen humans. For some reason the count made her nervous. Alice found it difficult to see the future when she was around Tiffany, but she wanted to believe she was imagining things. That there was nothing to worry about. So, she ordered a drink, and skipped off to the dance floor, smiling and laughing.

The night lengthened, and the music played. Alice began to forget her hesitation, until her vampire hearing detected the sound of heavy bolts being slid across the front and back metal doors. Tiffany sidled up to Alice and spoke, in vampire speak, close to her ear.

"We really were afraid you'd be late," she said to Alice. "Carl and I are leaving DC tonight, and we're going out with the best soirée we've ever had here in Washington." Tiffany laughed as she led Alice to the wall behind them. Alice noticed that all the vampires had moved to form a circle around the humans.

"No," Alice shook her head and tried to move toward the door, at the back of the room. "I don't do this. I don't eat humans." She started to panic, but Tiffany held her tight.

"Oh, we know you said that. But it clearly goes against your nature to live on a diet of animals. Carl and I decided we just had to help you become reacquainted with your true nature. Relax, sweetie. It will only take a second. The smell will bring you back to us." Tiffany smiled as she rubbed up and down, on Alice's arms.

"Please don't," Alice begged. "I don't want to do this." She tried to pull away from the determined hostess, but her strength wasn't sufficient to escape from the elder vampire's grasp.

"It will all be over in a moment," and Tiffany gave a diminutive nod as Alice's sanity came to an abrupt end.

The eight vampires each grabbed a hold of the closest human and bit into their soft flesh. Blood began to splatter and spray in all directions. It took the remaining humans a moment to realize what was happening. Then the screaming started. The music from the other room increased in volume, as the screaming escalated. The eight shed themselves of their first kill, and moved into the throng of panicking humans. They chose their second kill and began to feed. Some worked as teams, with two or three vampires biting and feeding off of one human. One of the male vampires shredded the dress of one of the human females. He threw her back down on a table, opened the buttons of his pants, and took his pleasure as he drained her. He then turned to another woman, and slammed her face first into a wall, as he ripped her clothes from her body.

Alice held her breath, as she turned to the wall. She squeezed her eyes shut, and used her hands to feel for the door. Her feet met with some resistance, and she looked down to find a female vampire sucking at the inner thigh of a large man. She looked up at Alice, blood dripping down her mouth, and smiled. "It tastes so good," she growled, and continued with her feeding.

She was almost within reach of the door to the alley, and safety, when a hand reached her shoulder. The surprise of it caused Alice's downfall. She turned to look at the blood covered human hand, and her gasp was completely involuntary, but it allowed the heavily scented air to enter her body. The air that was wet with the taste of human blood brought her eyes instantly to a pitch black with hunger and need. Alice turned on the man, and sank her teeth into his soft throat. The blood flowed eagerly into her mouth, and down her throat. She grabbed his body and held it tightly to her, as she pulled strongly from his neck. She hummed in pleasure, as her eyes closed and she enjoyed her first human meal in almost seven years. As his heart beat for the last time, Alice dropped him to the floor. Blood dripped from her lips, as she looked at the carnage around her. She took a deep breath, smelling and tasting the blood in the air. She smiled and lifted her eyes, in search of prey. A woman was cowering in the corner. Alice flew across the room, and ripped the woman from her inadequate niche. She pulled the woman's arm from her body, and placed her mouth in the gaping empty shoulder socket. Her tongue instinctively found the main artery, and it twirled in the spurting flow that was then sucked into her mouth, and down her throat.

Alice hummed and laughed as she played with the blood that covered her face and hands. She dropped her second victim, then looked around her. No human was left alive. The floor was a mass of dismembered body parts and thickening blood. Several of the those that worked as a team, were now satisfying other needs, as they rolled around the floor in the blood. Tiffany spotted Alice, and flashed to her side.

"This was all for you," she told Alice. "You needed to be reminded of your true nature. Talking about this alternative to human blood-well, it's just not healthy. We blame your sire, of course. He should have been there for you. To teach you the proper way to sustain yourself. Now," she patted Alice's shoulder, as she slipped her arm around her, "Don't you feel so much better?"

Alice's smile disappeared. The horror of what she had done was beginning to sink in. The smell of the blood was still overpowering, but there was nothing left alive; no heartbeat to call to her bloodlust.

"I need to get cleaned up," Alice whispered to Tiffany. "It will be dawn soon, and I have a ways to go, to get to my hotel."

"Never you fear, child," Tiffany smiled and gave her a hug. "We always have extra clothes for our guests. Come with me." She led Alice to a trapdoor, behind the bar. "You'll find a shower down there, and a stack of clothes. Take what you want. It looks like some of our guests will be a little involved for a few minutes." She raised up to look at the remaining party-goers. "You just wait until you are mated, my dear child," she called down to the cellar. "A good feeding like this does wonders for the sexual drive." Tiffany left the trapdoor open while she returned to her mate, laughing gleefully.

Alice refused to turn on the light in the small cellar. Her vision allowed her to find the shower and start the water. Her clothes were soaked with the blood of the humans above. She ripped them to shreds, as she pulled them from her body, and stepped under the cold water, naked. Sobs escaped her, as she scrubbed the blood from her body and hair. "This was all for you," the words echoed in her mind, as she lathered her hair with the cheep shampoo she found. When she had scrubbed her body with the lye soap, she stepped out of the shower stall, and searched for appropriate clothing to leave in. "...true nature..." another phrase that echoed and sickened her. There was a door on the opposite wall that had the stairs to the trap door. Alice checked the new door, and pulled it open slowly. It creaked loudly just as the handle gave way, and broke off the door. She forced her small fingers into the tiny space where the door had cracked open. She was able to force the door open enough for her to squeeze through. She followed the musty, dark hall until she was sure she must be under another building. The bricks that made up the floor of the hallway changed from a dark red to a lighter shade; almost a pink. The hall turned abruptly, and became wooden stairs that opened up to another trapdoor. Alice listened, but heard nothing from the floor above her. She forced the trapdoor open, took a quick look around, then climbed out of the underground passage. The shop was dark and filled with flowers of every kind. Alice inhaled strongly, glad to substitute the small of blood, for the delicate scents of the flowers. She wandered the rooms of the shop, smelling each type of flower and orchid, then reading the tags attached to the stems or pots of the flowers. She smiled as she studied the varying colors and subtle fragrances of some of the blooms.

Alice found herself giggling as she continued to the second room of the shop. It was the work room, where the flowers were combined into bouquets and intricate arrangements. She studied the tools used for this type of work, and admired the centerpieces she found in the room. The beauty of the flowers had restored Alice's sanity, but as she neared the front of the store again, she saw her reflection in a large mirror behind the shopkeepers counter. The red eyes that stared back at her, terrified her. Alice unlocked the front door of the shop, and ran through the early morning darkness back to her hotel. She quickly gathered her belongings, and left Washington DC. It would be years before she would be able to return to the capital city. Years before she would be able to forgive herself for being fooled by Tiffany and Carl. And years before she would tell anyone about her unusual diet.

A/N: I've changed my mind and have decided to have Alice wander a bit, before she finds Jasper. I hope you will all enjoy her travels .