My Little Finger

I Absolutely Do Not Own A Thing. I Am Merely Playing In Stephenie Meyers' Sandbox. ThankYou.I will also do requests. If you have a one-shot couple you'd like me to write, please let me know in a review.

Alice POV

Shopping! It was my second shopping trip this week. My first was with Bella, who was in desperate need of new clothes. She hated wearing the clothes I stocked her new closet with so I decided to get her something she liked. Silly Bella.

So, now I was out shopping with Jasper, my love. He tagged behind me, lagging behind since he was bored. He was carrying at least a dozen of my bags. He was so wrapped around my baby finger. I smirked thinking this. His hands were full so I couldn't hold his hand. I held my little black purse in one hand, swinging it back and forth happily.

I could feel stares on me as I passed by the stores in the huge shopping mall. I long ago gave up caring about what the humans thought of me. I knew they were jealous but I pretended they weren't there. I kept the happy smile on my face, heading to the food court to give Jasper a rest.

Jasper dropped the bags onto the table and onto the floor. I rolled my eyes. "You could handle those more carefully, Jazz,"

He gave me a face. "You're just lucky I came shopping with you today, Alice,"

I laughed loudly, the trilling sound causing people to stare. "Oh, Jasper," I sighed. "You would have came anyway,"

He rolled his eyes, wrapping his arm around my waist. I leaned into his side, my head on his shoulder. "We should head to the hotel after this, and then we can head back out," I mumbled, mostly to myself. Jasper groaned. I laughed silently behind my hand.

"Head back out?" He asked me, sounding exasperated.

"Just kidding, love," I said, wrapping my arm around the opposite side of his neck. "There's a sale at the shoe place on the top level that I wanna go to and then we can go back to the hotel,"

Jasper groaned again. "Top level?" I giggled again, batting my eyelashes. "Fine, babe. Last store," I jumped up before he had finished speaking, taking him with me.

"Let's go Jazz!" I took off walking quickly towards the stairs to the level above the one I was on. The mall we were at, in New York, at four levels. I was on level three. One more store and I had an entire three days alone with Jasper at our hotel before we had to go home. I smiled, feeling a surge of happiness sparkle through me. And I knew Jasper felt the same surge go through him.

I was in the shoe store for half an hour. I found four pairs that I really liked. Jasper even gave me his opinions on them. I smiled, carrying my shoe bag out to the car while Jasper lugged the rest. He only pretended that they were heavy; he really had no problem carrying them at all. I would have carried them myself, but Jasper insisted…

I set my bag into the back of my Porsche. Jasper managed to stuff the rest of the bags into the truck and the back seat. I let him drive, climbing into the passenger seat. His hand immediately grasped mine as he started my car. I smiled, leaning against the seat, closing my eyes. I knew I couldn't sleep but it felt good to relax a bit. Jaspers thumb rubbed against my hand in soothing circles.

It was quiet until we got to the hotel. Jasper and I went to grab the bags out of the back of my Porsche. He grabbed most of them, smiling at my pouted face. "I could carry more than one bag, Jazz,"

"Yes, I know," He said simply, leaving me behind as he walked towards the hotel elevator. I rolled my eyes, chasing after him. I couldn't really run in front of the humans that surrounded us but I was fast enough that I got a few stares. I giggled to myself, watching Jasper roll his honey-golden eyes this time. "You should be more careful next time,"

We went to the sixth floor, and I unlocked our room. He dropped my bags on one of the king-sized beds in the room. "Why must you always buy so much stuff, Alice?" He asked, raising an eyebrow when my expression turned mad.

"It's not stuff, Jasper!" I huffed, crossing my arms. "You didn't have to go shopping with me! I'm perfectly content going by myself!"

"Alice," I turned around to face him. "I'm only playing with you. Don't get upset with me." I giggled.

"I'm not upset,"

"What do you want to do now?" He asked me. I sat down on the bed closest to the window, pulling him with me.

"I wanna sit here and watch the sunset," I said softly. Jasper moved behind me and pulled me into his lap. He wrapped his arms around me delicately, as though he thought I would break. I smiled, leaning into his embrace. My stone hands covered his. We sat like that for hours, watching the sunset and watched the moon rise.

My eyes were closed. I wasn't paying attention to anything but me and Jasper. We were the only things on my mind. I wasn't focused on anything else so I didn't hear the footsteps leading to the room, or the sound of the door opening. I did hear, though, when her sweet, musical voice floated down to my ears.

"Oh, my sweet Jasper, what have we here?"

My eyes jerked open and, by reflex, I jerked out of Jaspers embrace in surprise. I turned around to face the most gorgeous vampire I'd ever seen. She could give Rosalie a good run for her money. I momentarily forgot how to breathe correctly. Jasper was by my side in a second. I suddenly felt very self-conscience. I was nothing compared to her…

Jasper's snarl ripped me out of my thoughts. "Maria."

I stared at him in shock. Maria? The Maria he had been with for years before me? I stared at her, marveled again by her beauty. Her fair fell to her waist in soft tumbles. Her eyes were a bright red. Her ruby red lips were curved into a sweet smile. Her eyes were staring intently at Jaspers face.

"Why, Jasper, I'm so happy you remembered me," She purred, taking a step towards us. Jasper stood half in front of me, holding my hand tightly in his. "Oh? What's this?" She jerked her head towards me.

"What do you want, Maria?" Jasper ignored her question. "Why are you here?"

"Oh, I've been watching you for a few days now. I've heard stories, in the South, about how you came to fall for this…child," She smiled sweetly at me. I glowered at her, holding Jaspers hand tighter. She noticed this and her smile grew. "I see they were true?"

"Obviously, they were. I'd appreciate it if you would leave, Maria, if you have no other business here," Jasper hissed lowly. His eyes were narrowed into slits as he glared at his former partner. He still stood protectively in front of me. Maria smirked at this, tilting her head to the side.

She stepped towards us. Jasper tensed at this, his knees slipping slightly, as if he were falling into a crouch. I squeezed his hand. I wanted to comfort him, but I didn't know how. Maria was still here, so she must have some other agenda to attend to? My puzzled thoughts started to get clearer as I thought about why she might still be there.

Then it hit me.

Without thinking it, I took my hand out of Jaspers and through my arm around his neck, burying my face in his arm. I never realized before that Maria could be here to take my Jasper away from me. I wasn't thinking clearly enough to realize that, if that's what she was here to do and if Jasper left with her, I would have seen it. I was upset with the new information I had presented myself with.

Jasper felt my sudden change in mood and began instantly worried. "Alice?" He asked softly. "Alice, what's wrong?" He couldn't place my sudden pain and desperation. I shook my head, my hair swishing softly. Maria's smirk grew. Jasper pulled me off his arm and turned around to face me. "Alice?" He asked again.

I couldn't bring myself to answer. As strong as I was physically, I was weak when it came to Jasper. I was afraid to lose him. I knew I couldn't exist without him at my side. I stared helplessly into his honey brown eyes. My bottom lip trembled and I bit it to keep it still. He stared at me, hard, for a good minute. I couldn't bring myself to answer. He hugged me tightly for a moment, before letting me go and turning his attention back to Maria. Her smirk was a full-blown grin now.

"My, my," Maria crooned. "What is your," she paused, thinking of a word to describe me. "Pet thinking of?"

"She is not my pet," Jasper defended. "She is my girlfriend. My soul mate. We have something that no one," he sneered at the vampires. "can break,"

Maria had lost her grin by now. "My sweet, Jasper" she tried. "You cannot tell me that you do not still love me?"

Jasper tensed again. I could see his hands were fists at his sides, the tendons sticking out, shockingly white against his pale skin. I swallowed dryly, even though I didn't need to. I released the breath I'd been holding.

"Yes, I can Maria," He hissed. "I do not love you."

Maria's hand twitched, like she was going to strike someone. "You do not mean that," she seethed. "I need you again, Jasper. I still love you, like I always have," she pleaded, her blood red eyes turning soft. "I miss you,"

"That is a lie," Jasper said. "I can feel that you do not love me, need, or miss me,"

Maria's hands fists now, balled up tightly at tiny waist. "I need you Jasper. I have nowhere else to go, no one else to turn to," she took another step towards up and Jasper snarled. He pulled me closer to his back, standing protectively over me again. Maria stopped, and then took another two steps.

Maria was at least three feet from Jasper now. I wasn't comfortable with that distance, still thinking that Jasper was going to leave me for her. I clutched the back of his jacket with one tiny fist, knowing that if he really tried to run, I'd never be able to hold him with me.

"Jasper, baby," she cooed. Jasper tensed at the pet name. My eye twitched. "Please, come home with me,"

I knew I was right. She was trying to take Jasper away from me! I panicked. I threw myself between them, facing Jasper. If I could cry, I would have been bawling my eyes out right then.

"Jasper, no!" I shouted. "Jasper, you can't leave me! I love you. Don't leave with her!" I was begging him. "Jasper, please, don't leave me,"

"Alice," He looked at me bewildered. "Alice, I was never going to leave you,"

"What?" Maria and I asked at the same time.

"Alice, I was never going to leave you for Maria," He shuddered softly. "I love you far too much to do that to you,"

Maria was seething behind me. I could feel her hot breath against my neck and shivered involuntarily. I turned around slightly to smirk at her. I stuck my tongue out at her childishly. Jasper chuckled, pulling me into his embrace.

"You're more than welcome to leave now, Maria," Jasper said, smiling her way. I leaned my head against his chest sideways, looking at her with a pleasant smile on my pale face.

"You cannot abandon me, Jasper!" She screeched. "I have lost everything! My newborns, my friends, my territories! Everything! I need your help!"

"You won't get my help!" Jasper hissed harshly. "I am with Alice. I'll be going home to be with my family in a few days and that is where I'll stay. I'll never leave those who love with for the likes of you,"

I couldn't help the smile that was on my face. Maria, the beautiful vampire who Jasper had spent years of his life with, was being told off by the very vampire she created herself! She noticed my smile and flipped on me.

"And you!" She spat. "You're the one who stole my Jasper away from me! If not for you, he'd be in my arms right now, whispering that he loved me!"

"No, I wouldn't," Jasper spoke. "I left you, Maria, with Peter and Charlotte. I would have left and never looked back. And that's, in fact, exactly what I did. And I'm damn glad I did it too. If it hadn't been for that, I never would have met Alice," He held me tighter.

Maria looked livid. Even so angry, she was beautiful. It made me feel small, inferior again. How could Jasper pick someone like me over someone so…gorgeous?

"How dare you think that you can just steal him away from me?!" She completely ignored Jaspers words, rounding on me again. "I am four times as gorgeous as you, and as strong! Jasper and I could have been happy together! But instead you had to get in our way!"

In her blind fury, she ripped me out of Jaspers arms, digging her sharp nails into my shoulder. In a quick movement, she bit down hard onto my shoulder, sending her venom deep inside my body.

"Ow!" I moved to wretch away from her but she was stronger than me. The next ten seconds happened to fast, I wasn't sure I saw everything. Jasper had torn Maria away from me, slamming her into the closest bed. I was standing behind him, holding my shoulder, rubbing the bite mark that now tainted my pale, snow-cold skin. It stung still. Jasper was in a protective crouch in front of me, snarls ripping out of his chest at Maria.

She returned her glare to me. "Fine. I can see that my travels were wasted. I still cannot believe that you are giving up our dream for this…this…" she struggled to come up with a word for what I was. "For this ugly piece of trash," she settled with. "She should never have been created!"

Jasper stood up, towering over her. "Do not say that again. She is more beautiful than you could ever be," He hissed; his voice low. "I can't even say you shouldn't have been created, Maria. Without you, I never would have met Alice," He smirked. Maria had only herself to blame now. "You can leave, now," He added, gesturing towards the door.

She 'humphed!' and then raced out the door, leaving it swing in her wake. Jasper sighed, running a hand through his messy blonde hair. I caught his hand; brought it to my mouth and kissing his palm. He smiled at me.

"Alice, I'm sorry," He said. I still had his palm against my mouth. I gazed at him with questioning eyes. "I never wanted you to meet such a dark creature from my past,"

I moved his hand and held it tightly. "Don't worry about it Jasper. If I had been paying any real attention lately, I would have seen her coming,"

"No," He shook his head. "Please don't try to blame yourself. Maria was my problem from the beginning. I should have known she would have come back," He stared at the wall, not really seeing it.

"It's okay," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck and holding him close. "I was never afraid of Maria. I was only afraid that you were going to leave me for her," I mumbled into his neck. He pulled me away, shock evident on his gorgeous face.

"What?"

"I mean… I just thought, she's so much most gorgeous than me. Stronger and smarter too. I figured she'd be the obvious choice between us," I shrugged. It hurt me to say that, and I knew Jasper could feel how much.

He clutched me to his body, molding me against him. "Don't ever think so low of yourself," He breathed in my ear. "There is no comparison between you and Maria. The obvious choice was always you, Alice, and it always will be."

I nodded weakly into his chest. "I love you, Jazzy."

He smiled into my hair. "God, I love you too Alice. More than you'll ever know," He kissed my head, letting a wave of love sweep over me. I felt dizzy, my knees weak. Jasper always made me feel this way.

"I'll never leave you," He promised me, staring into my eyes. "Ever. I'm not strong enough to," He smiled. I smiled back at him.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"There's nothing to thank. You were never going to lose me,"

"I wonder what I did to deserve you," I wondered aloud. Jasper rolled his eyes, raising an eyebrow at me.

"I wonder the opposite. How on earth did I find such an angel like you? How did I get so lucky to have you, to love you like this?"

"Jazz?"

"Anything," he whispered.

"Shut up and kiss me already,"

Of course he did as I asked. Just like always. I had him wrapped around my little pinky.