A/N Stephanie Meyers & Joss Wheddon own the characters; i just like to ponder what would happen if their world's collided

Chapter 10: Sparkle & Fire

Giles nodded in agreement with Xander's question, his curiosity also piqued. "Yes, Jasper, what do you mean by family?" he pressed, his tone firm yet curious.

Jasper took an unneeded deep breath, steeling himself for the task of explaining his complicated relationship with the Cullens'. Giving himself more time, he pulled himself up into a more seated position, with a cushion behind his back for support. "To me, family means... everything," he began slowly, his voice filled with emotion. "They're the ones who took me in when I had nowhere else to go, who showed me kindness and acceptance in a world filled with darkness and despair."

As Jasper spoke, Giles and Spike exchanged a glance of confusion and shock, their minds reeling at the unexpected revelation. It was clear that there was much more to Jasper than they had initially understood. Furthermore, Giles's brow furrowed in confusion at Jasper's mention of being "taken in" by his family. "Took you in?" he repeated, his tone laced with curiosity. "What exactly do you mean by that, Jasper?"

Jasper hesitated, grappling with how to explain the concept of being taken in by a family to someone who likely had no knowledge of vampires and their unconventional dynamics. "I mean... they... they welcomed me into their home," he began slowly, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "They... cared for me, protected me..."

Continuing with his struggle to find the right words, Xander couldn't help but interject, his confusion evident. "But... you're a vampire, right?" he asked, his tone tinged with skepticism. "And they're vampires. Why would you need to be welcomed into their home?"

Jasper's confusion deepened at Xander's question, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of the situation. In his world, vampires did not need to be invited into a home. He glanced around the room, his eyes catching the images of Buffy. He noticed the protective aura Spike had when speaking of her, and his curiosity about their relationship grew. A connection started to click in his mind, like a key in a lock. "Spike," Jasper began, turning towards him with newfound curiosity. "You were with the Slayer, err Buffy, that night in the cemetery, weren't you? Could we... could I see her?"

Spike, who had been following the conversation with a mix of interest and skepticism, raised an eyebrow at Jasper's request. A brief flicker of amusement crossed his face before it settled into a more somber expression. "Ah, mate," he said, leaning back slightly, fingers constantly fidgeting with the lighter, the weight of centuries visible in his eyes for a fleeting moment. "It's not as simple as popping by for a cuppa. There's the little matter of the sun to consider."

Jasper's brow furrowed, confusion momentarily clouding his features. The urgency to meet the Slayer, to connect another piece of the puzzle, had momentarily eclipsed the practical realities of his existence. "But it's overcast," he protested, gesturing towards the window. "Shouldn't it be safe?"

Spike's expression softened slightly at Jasper's confusion, but his tone remained firm. He closed the lighter with a snap and slipped it into his pocket. " Daylight's deadly for our kind, isn't it? We don't exactly tan in the sun; more like burst into flames. And while there's a bit of cloud cover today, it's not worth the risk. Not when the sun could break through at any moment, " he replied, walking towards Giles's desk. "Besides, Buffy's got her hands full during the day. We'll have to wait until nightfall to introduce you properly."

At Spike's words about bursting into flames, Jasper glanced down at his hands, turning them over as if seeing them for the first time in this new context. The blistered welts looking slightly less angry thanks to the salve Willow had applied earlier, served as a stark reminder of the barriers that divided his world from this town's. Tracing the lines and contours as if they were a map to this new, bewildering existence. His hands, once symbols of his strength, now seemed to him beacons of his vulnerability—a tangible reminder of the divide between his past and present. As the reality of his situation dawned on him, the weight of it seemed almost tangible, pressing down with a force he hadn't anticipated. "I see," he murmured, the words barely a whisper, heavy with the realization of his current limitations. "It's just... meeting her, understanding her role in all of this, it feels important."

Then, almost to himself, a soft utterance slipped from Jasper's lips, laced with a mixture of resignation and wry acceptance. "No more sparkle," he muttered under his breath, a fleeting smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

Xander, ever the master of timing and levity, couldn't let Jasper's muttered remark pass without comment. A mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes as he leaned forward in the armchair, elbows resting on his knees quipped, "Vampires that sparkle, huh? What's next, bloodsuckers with a sunblock sponsorship?"

Spike, seizing the opportunity for teasing, joined in with a chuckle. "Yeah, imagine that. 'Spike, the face of SPF 1000. Because when you're undead, you've got to protect your assets.'" His imitation of a commercial pitch, complete with a cheeky grin and a pose, drew laughter from the group.

The humour, however, didn't quite reach Jasper. Instead of finding solace in their banter, the jests felt like barbs, each one a reminder of the deep chasm between his past and present. The laughter around him seemed to amplify his sense of isolation, and without warning, frustration boiled over. "It's not like I chose it!" he snapped, the words slicing through the mirth like a cold gust of wind. "Where I come from, that's just... how it is. It's not a joke."

Xander however still couldn't let go of the humour, let one more barb comment slip: "Yeah, nothing says 'deadly vampire' like a bit of sparkle," he quipped, earning a chuckle from Giles and a raised eyebrow from Spike.

Jasper's reflexes kicked in automatically at Xander's remark, and he hissed instinctively, his fangs bared in a defensive gesture.

Spike, seeing Jasper's reaction, walloped him across the back of the head without a second thought, but to his surprise, Spike felt a searing pain shoot through his head, causing him to recoil in agony.

The room fell silent as everyone stared at Spike in shock, the realization dawning on them that something was amiss. Jasper, for his part, was left baffled by Spike's unexpected reaction, his mind reeling with confusion.

~~~

It was Willow who moved first, her actions guided by an innate sense of empathy and understanding – for Jasper's confusion and Spike's shock. She crossed the room with a grace that seemed to push the tension aside, taking a seat beside Jasper. Her presence was like a calm harbour, offering refuge from the storm of emotions that raged within him.

"Jasper," Willow began, her voice soft but firm, a gentle invitation to share rather than a demand. "We don't mean to make light of your experiences. It's just... our way of dealing with the darkness. Humor helps us cope. But I get it, we don't know what it's like for you. Maybe you can help us understand? What's your home like?"

Jasper took a deep breath, the air filling his lungs as he gathered not just his thoughts but the courage to share a slice of his world with those who had become his unlikely confidants. His gaze drifted to a point somewhere beyond the walls of the room, to memories that felt both like a distant dream and a palpable reality.

"The Cullens," Jasper started, his tone reflective. "They're...unique. Not just 'cause of our choice to abstain from human blood, but 'cause of the bonds we share. We're a family by choice."

He glanced down, a faint smile appearing as he thought of each member. "Carlisle, he found me at a time when I thought there was no other way to exist in this world." Jasper's Southern drawl soft and reminiscent. "He showed me there's another path for our kind. The Cullens', they all have this...this hope, this belief in doing the right thing, even when it goes against our nature."

The mention of 'inviting him in' seemed to catch the group off guard.

It was Xander who broke the silence, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait, back up a bit," he interjected, his voice laced with a mix of curiosity and incredulity. "You mean to say they just... invited you in? Like, into their home? That's not how it works with vampires, man. We're talking about creatures of the night here, not a neighborhood welcoming committee."

The question, while blunt, underscored the stark differences between their understandings of what it meant to be a vampire, to exist in a world shadowed by the supernatural. For Jasper, the concept of 'family' and 'invitation' spoke to a deeper, more profound acceptance, one that transcended the conventional boundaries they were accustomed to.

Jasper met Xander's gaze, the earlier frustration replaced by a patient resolve to bridge the gap of understanding between them. "Yes, they invited me into their lives, their world. It's different where I come from," Jasper met Xander's gaze, explaining the Cullens' ethos. "Bein' a vampire... it don't have to define everything about who we are or the choices we make."

The room fell into a thoughtful silence as Jasper's words invited them to reconsider their own preconceptions, to see beyond the shadows of their world and into the possibilities of another. It was a moment of reckoning, of opening doors to understanding and empathy, as they navigated the complexities of their shared existence.

Giles adjusted his glasses, a thoughtful expression etching his features as he processed Jasper's explanation. "You've mentioned a few times now, Jasper, implications that suggest your experiences—and indeed, your very existence—differ significantly from what we know to be true about vampires in our world," he observed, the gears turning visibly as he spoke. "This notion of a 'metaphorical invitation,' coupled with your references to 'your world,' implies a broader divergence between our realities than mere philosophical differences. Are you suggesting you originate from a different... dimension or reality from ours?"

The room's atmosphere shifted, a blend of curiosity and incredulity settling like a dense fog. Spike, ever the skeptic, leaned forward, his interest piqued despite his initial doubts. "Hang on a minute. Are we talking about hopping between worlds here? Because that's the sort of thing that usually comes with apocalypses and hellmouths in our experience."

Willow's eyes widened with the realization, her penchant for the magical aspects of their world drawing her into the conversation with keen interest. "That would explain so much, though," she mused aloud, "like the differences in vampire lore. If you're from a different dimension, that could mean there are entirely separate sets of rules and... oh, wow, the implications for multiverse theory alone are—"

Xander, ever the one to ground their high-flying speculations in reality, albeit with his unique brand of humor, chimed in, "So, what? Sunnydale's not just the hellmouth, but now we're the crossroads of the Twilight Zone too?"

Before Jasper could respond, Willow interjected, her curiosity getting the best of her. "Hold on, before we dive into that... earlier when you asked about going outside, you mentioned something about a sparkle?"

Jasper chuckled softly, a hint of embarrassment coloring his features. "Yes, our skin. It's... different. In sunlight, it has a sparkly sheen, akin to diamonds. It's one of the reasons we live in overcast places like Forks, Washington."

Willow's eyes widened. "So, you're saying you sparkle? Like, disco-ball sparkle?"

Jasper nodded. "Exactly. But imagine my surprise when I stepped into the sunlight here in Sunnydale four days ago. Instead of sparkling, my skin began to burn, and flames appeared. It was... unexpected, to say the least." He glanced down at his hands, where faint welts were still visible. Spike, catching sight of the burns, shivered involuntarily.

"Sunnydale's got its own special kind of sunlight," Spike muttered, leaning back. "Nasty stuff for our kind."

Xander frowned, catching a previous detail Jasper had mentioned. "Wait a minute. You said your family abstains from human blood. What do you mean by that?"

Jasper's expression grew slightly uncomfortable. "We believe in preserving human life, so we hunt animals to satisfy our thirst. It's our way of maintaining some semblance of ethics in a world that often feels devoid of it."

Giles rubbed his chin, skepticism evident in his eyes. "Interesting. But what exactly do you mean by hunting animals?"

Jasper nodded, understanding the need for more information. "We hunt wildlife—bears, deer, that sort of thing. It's not easy, but it's our way of coexisting with humans without harming them."

Giles continued to rub his chin, pondering this revelation. "Fascinating. The idea of vampires abstaining from human blood entirely is... well, it's unprecedented in my research."

Spike rolled his eyes and smirked. "Oi, Watcher, that's what I do. Angel too, for that matter."

Willow glanced at Giles, who raised his eyebrows in surprise. "That's... admirable," she said softly. "I've never heard of vampires choosing to avoid humans entirely. Well other than Spike and Angel that is."

Jasper nodded. "It's not easy, but it's what sets us apart. We strive to coexist with humans rather than prey on them."

Willow looked thoughtful. "So, not only do you have to manage your own nature, but you also have to adhere to a moral code that makes it even harder. That's... wow."

Jasper smiled faintly. "It's our choice. The Cullens' believe in giving us a chance to be more than just monsters. It's what makes us family. We even joke that we're vegetarian vampires."

The room fell silent for a moment as everyone absorbed Jasper's words. The idea of a family of vampires choosing to live ethically was a concept that challenged their preconceptions. And the notion of a multiverse hinted at possibilities they had yet to fully explore.

Willow broke the silence, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Jasper, I think we're going to need a lot more tea. We've got a lot to talk about."

Jasper nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "I'm here for as long as you'll have me."