To My Dearest Alice

Jasper strode across the living room to the chair where Alice was sitting. As he approached, Alice stood up. "Do you really have to leave?" she pouted. Jasper, Emmett, Edward, and Carlisle were about to go on an all guys' hunting trip, and they wouldn't be back for three days.

"Yes, love, I do," Jasper sighed. He was happy to spend some time with the guys, but he knew how miserable he'd be without his Alice.

Alice didn't look happy to be away from Jasper, either. Her eyes were touched with sadness. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy spending time with Esme and Rosalie, but Jasper was her life, and even spending a little time away from him was painful. "Okay," she said. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Pixie," Jasper cooed. "I love you." He wrapped his arms gently but firmly around Alice's small frame.

Her expression softened and she held Jasper closely. "I love you too."

"Come on, Jasper!" Emmett yelled, full of impatience. "We're all out here waiting for you! We're not getting any younger!"

"You're not getting any older, either," Edward reminded him.

"Shush," Emmett snapped.

Jasper and Alice laughed. "You'd better go," Alice said. "If you delay any longer, I foresee Emmett giving you grief."

Jasper sighed again. "All right." He kissed Alice tenderly. "I'll be back before you know it." He touched the tip of Alice's nose with his fingertip.

Alice giggled. "Okay. Have fun!"

"I'll try."

A few moments later, Emmett's Jeep barreled down the driveway. Alice frowned. It was very hard for her to conceal her sadness at the fact that she was going to be apart from her true love, even if it were for just a short time. Esme noticed her daughter's sadness and tried to comfort her. "Alice, he's only going to be away for a little while. You're both going to be just fine," she said soothingly. "Besides, this gives us a chance to have a little bit of girl time together."

"Yeah, you're right," Alice said. "I'm just not used to being without him."

Alice, Rosalie, and Esme spent most of that night watching chick flicks and talking. At one point, Rosalie asked, "Alice, did you get the packages you were expecting?"

Alice suddenly remembered that she had ordered a ton of new clothes from a catalog. She foresaw that they would arrive earlier that day, but she was too wrapped up in Jasper leaving that she didn't even have the presence of mind to think about them. She made her way out to the front porch to check for her deliveries. They were all there, but Alice noticed that one of them had a folded piece of paper on top of it. Upon closer inspection, she saw the words My Love written on it. It was definitely Jasper's handwriting. He had perfect penmanship. He wrote in cursive, and each letter was meticulously formed and slanted ever so slightly to the left. She opened the piece of paper up, and read the words contained inside.

To my dearest Alice,

I just wanted to take this opportunity to tell you how much I love you. When I was worn out, when I had lost all hope, you appeared to me in the diner in Philadelphia. Ever since then, you have been the reason that I survive. When the pain is so intense that I feel like I can't carry on, you're always there to comfort me. When I slip up, you tell me that I'm not a monster, that I will be able to improve my self-control eventually. You see my scars not as a deformity, but as a reminder of everything that I went through to get to you. You are not disgusted by them, but instead thankful for them, because it was better that I escaped my previous lifestyle scarred than not to escape at all. You somehow are able to see me as physically beautiful, which I don't understand. I mean, my skin is ravaged by thousands of scars, my hair is uncooperative even on good days, I'm tall and very thin, and my face often shows nothing but pain. I believe most people would agree that my appearance pales in comparison to one so magnificent as yours, yet you don't believe that. You boost my self confidence that way, by making me believe that someone like me is worthy of someone perfect like you. Also, if it weren't for you, I think that I'd be nothing more than a pile of ashes in someone's fire pit by now. I know that's a morbid thought, but it's completely true. You're my little angel that saved me from my own personal Hell. On second thought, I suppose it's very short-sighted to call you little. What you're lacking in stature you make up for in spirit, in strength, in bravery, in heart, in intelligence, in creativity, and in love. Those are qualities that make everyone who comes in contact with you admire and envy you. Believe me, I would know. They are qualities that are found in the bravest heroes, the greatest men and women, and the most brilliant people ever to grace the earth. I feel such pride to know that you are such a gifted individual, and that you are my wife. That I have your heart for eternity and you shall have mine. I wonder every day just what I did to deserve you, and I cannot find an answer. All I can figure is that we were fated together so that we could help each other heal from the trauma we've experienced. That I can be your protector, and that you can be the life raft that keeps me from sinking. I hope that I can fulfill my role as well as you fulfill yours. You're my partner, my crying shoulder, my muse, my counselor, my best friend, my everything, my love, my Alice. I look forward to every perfect day of eternity I will get to spend with you in my arms. I love you more than the world and everything in it. I don't ever want you to forget that. I will never, ever, ever stop loving you.

Love always and forever,

Jasper

Alice looked down at the note, hands shaking. She suddenly realized that she was sobbing hysterically, but she didn't care. Her Jasper had poured his heart and soul out, and she felt so lucky to be the one that he had poured them out to. She also felt so glad that she hadn't been in the right frame of mind to foresee Jasper writing this note. Alice wasn't used to being surprised, and out of the few surprises that she'd ever had, this was by far the most wonderful. She felt overwhelmed with love and joy, the very emotions that Jasper most liked to feel emanating from others.

She stood there crying for several minutes. She didn't even notice Rosalie and Esme, who had heard her sobs and were standing in the doorway between the porch and the living room. "Alice?" Esme said, concerned.

Alice jumped, startled. "Y-yes?" she sobbed.

"What's going on?" Esme asked.

Alice reluctantly handed the letter to Esme to read. Rosalie read over Esme's shoulder. By the time they were done, Esme was also on the verge of tears. "That… is the single most beautiful thing I've ever read," Esme stated, her voice thick with the tears that wouldn't come.

Rosalie nodded, though she was so envious that her skin should have been a deep jade color. She had never thought of Jasper as a romantic, but more of a protector. And she'd never received anything as sweet as the love note from Emmett. He was a big believer in "actions speak louder than words". Of course, Rosalie was too, but she suddenly realized how lucky Alice was to have someone as adoring as Jasper.

As Alice cried, she thought about the time she'd spent with Jasper. When she foresaw him for the first time, she had vastly underestimated just how sweet he was going to be. She knew that he would love her, but she didn't realize how much. Her Jasper was the first person she learned to trust, and the one that she felt the deepest connection to. Knowing that he loved her this much, that she was everything to him just made her love him even more. She didn't even know that was possible, but suddenly her heart felt like it was going to burst.

Esme put her arm around Alice's tiny shoulders. Alice reached up across her chest and squeezed Esme's hand. "I… feel… so… loved…" she sobbed.

"You should. I think that was just the way Jasper had intended for you to feel," Esme said.

"But now I want him. I want him here with me. Now."

Esme smiled softly. "I know, sweetie."

"He won't be back for almost three more days!" Alice complained.

"Hey, look on the bright side," Rosalie interjected. "That means we have three days to figure out what you can do for him in return."

"That's right," Esme confirmed.

Alice grinned widely and then started to giggle. "What can I do for my sweet, sweet Jasper Muffin?"

Esme and Rosalie laughed. "Jasper Muffin?" Rosalie asked, amused.

Alice grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, that's one of his many nicknames…"

Everyone laughed. They all moved back into the living room and started to plot. The three days went by more quickly than they had expected. Alice had foreseen that the boys would return at 7:31 pm. By that time, the girls had everything set up. After a long wait, Emmett's Jeep sped down the driveway and into the garage. The boys entered the house. "Welcome home," Esme said. Carlisle gave Esme a hug and a peck on the cheek. Rosalie and Emmett kissed, and Edward stood in the doorway, disgusted.

Jasper looked around, confused and somewhat hurt. "Where's Alice?" he asked.

"Upstairs," Esme answered.

"Thank you," Jasper replied. He ran up the stairs as quickly as his legs could carry him. He caught Alice's scent coming from the room that he shared with her. "Alice, what…" He opened the door and was stunned into speechlessness.

The entire bedroom had been transformed into a diner. There were stools with red upholstery, there was a long counter that extended from wall to wall. There was even a cash register and a few coffee cups on the counter. Alice was sitting on a stool with her back to him. She was wearing a long black skirt and a lacy, ivory, high-collared blouse just like she had that day in Philadelphia. She stood up slowly and turned to face Jasper. "You've kept me waiting a long time."

Jasper was stunned by the beauty of this moment. He hadn't anticipated that she would do something of this caliber just because he told her how he really felt. His Alice looked so magnificent, just like an angel. The angel that she was. He scooped her up into his arms and kissed her passionately. "I'm sorry, ma'am," he whispered, overcome with emotion. He knocked the cups out of the way and lay her on the counter and they finished off the rest of their evening together in complete bliss.