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Assistant: Title: Tale of Years: Stars Along the Way
        Author: Jessica314 Jessica314 
        Chapter: 11/50 
        Summary: Welcome to Tale of Years: Stars Along the Way! This is an ongoing collection of canon prequel one-shots. The first chapter is a table of contents in chronological order. Some are outtakes to certain chapters in my main Tale of Years fics (the main Edward-POV fics, each named for the year it takes place in). Some of the one-shots are little collections of headcanon instead of a narrative. Each of these one-shots can be read alone,  including the outtakes. A few of the outtakes contain spoilers for original content in a main story, so I've put a warning note at the top of those.Some one-shots have two or three installments and those are labeled in the titles (Part 1 of 3, for example). In some cases the installments may not follow directly after each other so the table of contents will be helpful for that. Enjoy and please do leave a review if you have a moment! Thank you for reading 😊
        Contents: Chapter 11: 1950: Arrival (2 of 2)
    

    


  

  
  
    
    
  Here it is! This is Jasper's POV of the last leg of his and Alice's journey to the Cullens, the initial encounter with Carlisle, Esme and Rosalie, and ends when Edward and Emmett return home from hunting. This outtake matches up with Chapter 9 of 1950. That covers Edward's POV of the same day, going much further into the afternoon. I hope you enjoy both sides of the story!

  Jasper POV
Alice had never bothered to try and divine the Cullens' address in New Hampshire, since we hadn't thought we would be joining them at this location. It was sheer luck that we had been this close already. Still, we were running at Alice's top speed, only deviating from our course when Alice saw a human in our path.We stopped only once so I could feed. As we ran, Alice was watching Edward's every move to try and figure out what had happened. Twice I had to lunge and stop her from hitting a tree in her path; after that we ran hand in hand so I could steer her whenever she was running blind.Occasionally she would tell me what she was seeing that was helping her piece together the story. Edward had run out of some medical room, which led to some trouble with his human superiors, which led to a fight at home, which led to his decision to leave, which, if allowed to happen, would lead to a whole new series of disasters. It was like listening to one of those radio soap operas, except I had no idea what was going on.Alice was also watching Carlisle and Esme intently for clues about our direction. She was finally rewarded when Carlisle picked up the next day's mail and began to flip through the envelopes. This showed her their address, which to Alice's surprise, was actually in Vermont. This still didn't tell us where to go, exactly, since neither of us had ever studied the geography of either state in detail. But it was enough for now.When we crossed the border into New York, it was decided that I would stay hidden in the emptiness of the Moose River Plains while Alice doubled back to the highway. She had seen where to find a welcome center and would be able to get a detailed map of New England. I still had about ten dollars left from my last kill and gave everything to her, telling her to buy whatever else might be needed.She liked that: doing things the human way, even though it was so much simpler to kill and feed and take what you wanted. My throat burned at the thought, and it occurred to me that I had plenty of time feed before Alice came back. She was always so understanding when I made a mistake...These were the kinds of thoughts I needed to stop having. While she was gone I hunted again, trying to quiet my thirst as much as possible; we would be getting closer to human settlements soon. The journey had been difficult for me, but at least there hadn't been any accidents. We had been careful to come down on the western side of Ottawa, weaving in and out to avoid the small towns that dotted the land near the U.S. border.I found a little creek to clean myself up in, washing my hair and combing through it as best I could. My clothes were in bad shape, though; the more I scrubbed them, the worse the tears and stains looked. I hadn't replaced my shirt in months, and our mad dash down here hadn't exactly helped. Neither of us had socks or shoes right now. They wore out so quickly, and we hadn't wanted to spend what little money we had on something so useless. At least I had been able to replace my pants with those worn by my prey six weeks ago. But now, as I looked at my reflection in the creek, I could only imagine what the Cullens were going to think of me. My hair was all right, thanks to Alice's constant attention, but my shirt was torn in three places, stained in several more places, and threadbare at my sides, where my arms brushed during running. I had pointed out that she was perfectly capable of stealing whatever we needed, but she liked to avoid that sort of thing. Besides, she hated leaving me alone for any reason, and I didn't much like being parted either. I peeled my shirt off, plunging it into the water and scrubbing it between my hands.The worst part was my eye color. Now that I had hunted just minutes ago, they were a bright, disturbing orange-red. My struggles with the diet were as plain as day. And combined with my ragged shirt and my scars, my appearance didn't exactly inspire trust, now did it? And when they learned about my past, not to mention the offensive power of my gift… it was quite a lot to ask of them.I scrubbed harder at my shirt, trying to at least get the worst blood stain out. The sun came out then and my bare arms began to glitter, the scars jutting out rudely against the brilliance. I blew out a breath of frustration, turning my arm as I inspected it. I had worn my scars proudly back in the day, even after I had grown sick of all the killing. And I was grateful for them now, since meeting Alice; we had been able to avoid contact with other vampires, but if we did run into anyone, my battle-hardened appearance would serve as an effective warning.But now, I tried to imagine what the Cullens were going to think of them. Especially Carlisle, who supposedly abhorred violence of every kind. And Edward, who would be picking my brain even before I walked in the door. There were just so many strikes against me that I couldn't imagine them giving me the warm welcome that Alice was obviously anticipating. Her visions couldn't give her a read on their emotions- only I would be able to do that, and not until we arrived. And with so many decision-making minds in the mix, I didn't see how she could get any clear visions at all on their reaction later today. In her naiveté, she certainly had no idea how hard it must be for the Cullens to live in such proximity with each other. Why they chose to stay crammed in a house together was beyond me, but I imagined they had to work constantly at their fragile peace. After all, I loved Alice more than my own life, and yet we both knew how close I had come to attacking her during my accidents. And now we were going to suddenly introduce two new variables into a situation which was unnatural enough, to say nothing of the stressful events the Cullens had gone through in the past two days.We would just have to do our best. I would, naturally, be sending out trust and peace as we approached the engagement. But I had no idea how perceptive Edward's gift would be in terms of the activity of my own gift, and how suspicious that might make him. I knew he considered himself the lookout for the family, and so I would have to be subtle with any emotional assistance I gave. I would have to be careful not to think incriminating things like Good, now I've got them all trusting us. I had been working half-heartedly on controlling my thoughts, in preparation. But it had just been a game, since I hadn't thought that we would be going so soon.Alice had assured me, over and over, of the many good qualities that "our family" possessed, but I was still wary. Alice had never met another vampire besides myself, and she had no memory of her human life; she really didn't know anything about how to interact with… well, anybody. And her visions were always in bits and pieces, and they were often just silent pictures. She watched her "motion pictures" as often as she could, but I knew she wasn't getting everything. She felt sure that she knew them intimately, and could trust them; but really, how much of that was wishful thinking on her part? Were these people really as peaceable as she thought? Would Carlisle really allow a battle-hardened vampire to tread on his territory, come anywhere near his mate? And what if Alice was underestimating Edward's ability? What if he was actually capable of mind control? What if Emmett wasn't really the gentle giant that Alice seemed to think he was? I had fought a vampire his size only once, and I had been lucky to lose just an arm.It wasn't that I didn't trust her visions; I trusted them implicitly. But she didn't actually have very many visions yet of us being with the Cullens. Just a few still shots, like the famous Family Portrait. I was also, frankly, repulsed and bewildered by their insistence on playing human. The younger ones went to school. And Carlisle was a doctor, of all things! Even if that was possible, which it didn't seem to be, what was the point of constantly patching up the humans? They were just going to die anyway. And why did they have to live in a house, and have so many useless possessions? Why did they have to live so close to the delicious humans?I held up my shirt, scowling at it. I had scrubbed it so hard that it was even more threadbare than before. Maybe I could...I sniffed the air, smiling and relaxing as I breathed in the fragrance of Alice's approach. A moment later, I felt her excitement growing closer. I needed to remember that this was the day Alice had been looking forward to for most of her second life: our arrival and acceptance into the family. And while she had been worrying over the Cullens as we ran, she was also getting excited, almost giddy, as we drew closer. As usual, her emotions were exactly what I needed. I inhaled deeply, letting her happiness wash through me as she came into view, carrying a paper sack."I knew you would be all right," she said gaily. "And I got you a present!"I pulled her into my arms and kissed the top of her hair. She pulled a light blue bundle out of the sack. She shook it out, revealing a long-sleeved, button-down shirt that said "I love NY" on one side. I grinned at the appropriateness of her gift."I guess you saw me mangling my old one?"She just nodded, giving me a knowing smile. "And I thought long sleeves might be a good idea. For, you know, the first impression."It took me a second to understand her meaning. "The scars?" I asked. She nodded again. "But I thought you wanted to make Edward a little uneasy. Wasn't that the point, to make him stay because he was worried about the new scary vampires?""Leave Edward to me," she sniffed. "I'm just trying to make our arrival as, mmm, relaxing as possible. Besides, Edward won't be there in the beginning. Come on, try it on!"I gladly tossed my shirt into the brush, donning the new one. A perfect fit, of course. I hadn't worn a brand-new shirt since I was human. It was nice to feel the starchy fabric sliding over my chest. I felt downright polished."They don't sell shoes in the Welcome Center," Alice continued. "Otherwise I would have stolen some."I shook my head, buttoning up the rest of the shirt. "It's all right. I know you hate stealing, anyway."She smiled, her teeth sparkling along with her skin. "Won't have to anymore!"I grinned back, feeling her rising excitement. "How do I look?"She reached up to the collar, giving the right side a tug. "You look amazing," she whispered, pulling me down by the collar for a kiss. I responded by picking her up to my level, but she laughed, pushing herself away after a moment. "None of that! We have to get going, if we're going to get there in time.""In time for what?"Her eyes narrowed. "In time to prevent Edward from making a complete idiot of himself, instead of just a partial one." She frowned up at my rumpled collar, straightening it again. I lifted my hand as well, frowning when I touched the long, jagged scar that I would never be able to hide, unless I wore a scarf. I had a couple on my face, but they weren't near that bad."It's all right," she insisted. She opened the map and passed it to me along with a compass she had bought with the last of the money. I studied both for a moment, and after pocketing the compass, we left the map behind and began running. Alice's excitement was growing with every mile, to the point where she was almost floating over the ground. I hated to bring her back down to earth, but we needed to nail down the logistics of our approach."Alice, we need to talk about how much of my past we're going to reveal, when we get there. Have you seen the initial conversation?""Parts of it," she said absently, checking again. She began chewing on her lip, frowning. "Not much of it. There's just too many people, too many decisions involved. But I don't want to start everything off by lying, do you? Carlisle doesn't like it when people lie to him.""I suppose not. It might be best to downplay my, um, tenure in the Wars, though. And the whole executioner thing…""I see your point. We'll tell them eventually, though.""Eventually. Now, what was that you said about Edward not being there in the beginning?"She nodded. "He and Emmett will still be out hunting, if we get there when I think we will. I see us getting there by, what, noon?"I nodded, picturing the map in my head. "That'll be good," I said in relief. They're the two I was most worried about."Alice slowed to a jog. "What do you mean, worried? They're—""I know, our family," I parroted. "Alice... you may know these people—somewhat—but they don't know us at all. Vampires don't always respond well to strangers. And you've never actually…" I was about to say, interacted with anyone except me. Of course, she heard it anyway."It's going to be fine!" she said with a pout. Alice's pout was one of the most adorable sights on earth. She was just so... well, adorable."Yes, but how much have you actually seen about the next few days?""Not as much as I'd like," she admitted. "Everyone's futures are sort of… turbulent right now. Things are a little blurry."I felt her deception instantly. "Alice…""Okay! A lot blurry. But I know it'll be all right in the end. I've still got the Family Portrait. And I still don't see Edward leaving anymore. And I'm almost positive that I'm going shopping with Esme and Rosalie later this afternoon.""Alone?" I hissed."Well, it's not like you can come. Jasper," she sighed. "I know you want to see this as some kind of military engagement, with strategies and escape routes and backup plans. But this is a special day, too. We're joining our family. Let's enjoy it!""I'll try," I sighed. And I did try, as we ran in silence for a while. I tried to guess what it might be like to have a mother. I tried to imagine laughing with my new brothers, or playing pranks on Rosalie like I used to do with my human sister. But I couldn't shake the fear that Alice's visions hadn't told us the whole story. And even if the Cullens were normally peaceable, they might not be that way this week, or once we arrived.But it was a relief to know that Edward and Emmett wouldn't be present for the initial encounter. I would be able to use my gift freely without anyone picking through my mind, and I wouldn't have to worry about Emmett ripping me in half if I looked at Rosalie the wrong way.Our first challenge would be Carlisle, then. Alice had always described him as a gentle soul, and I believed her. But he was still the leader of the coven, and it was his responsibility to intercept possible threats, like us. He would already be on the defensive, if we arrived while it was just him and the females. Not that females couldn't fight; I had only made that mistake once. But it was still good, especially since his mate would be there; he would be much less likely to attack that way. And I would start working on him immediately. I would begin with a shot of peace, before Carlisle even opened the door. And then, as the conversation continued, I would slowly ramp up a feeling of trust. Once we got in his good graces, I would taper off my influence slowly, so that by the time Edward got home, the offensive side of my gift wouldn't be too active. Then Edward would be free to be as suspicious as he wanted, but he wouldn't have anything specific to accuse me of, as long as I kept from thinking about using my gift. And if all went according to plan, Carlisle would already be welcoming us into the family by that time. This would keep Edward around, and Alice would have everything she wanted, and we would all live happily ever after.If it all went according to plan. I peeked over at Alice, who was running and dodging trees with her usual grace. "Alice," I said thoughtfully "That was a good idea you had, about covering up the scars. But I want to add one more precaution, if you don't mind."She peeked ahead, hearing my next sentence. "You want to hide your gift? But it'll be obvious that you're an empath. To Edward, at least.""I don't mean all of it. Just my ability to influence emotions—you know, the offensive part. I think it'll help Carlisle accept us, if he doesn't know about that."She rolled her eyes, leaping over a fallen tree. "He'll accept us, Jasper, trust me.""I do trust you. It's just…"It was hard to put into words. Before meeting Alice, I had never trusted anyone except Peter. I hadn't even turned my back to Maria, the last few weeks I was with her. And the newborns were certainly volatile enough. Forming a friendship with Peter had been difficult for me, after keeping my own counsel for so long. Our alliance was cordial, and conversational, but I wouldn't have said that I trusted him at the time. And he certainly hadn't trusted me at the time; he hadn't confided in me regarding Charlotte. It wasn't until he returned for me that I realized the power of the affection that we felt for each other. And he had taken a huge risk coming back at all, trusting that I wouldn't betray his presence. And I had trusted him in return, leaving with him and Charlotte that very night. But other than that, I had little experience with trust.Until Alice. I had come to trust her visions implicitly, because of how many times they had helped me avoid humans. If she told me to hold my breath, I held it. If she told me to run north at my top speed, I ran. And so when she told me that everything would be all right when we got to the Cullen house, I trusted her… mostly. But this was different from avoiding those accidents. This involved five other vampires, whose temperaments and decisions could change at the blink of an eye. And while I had every confidence in my abilities- both in combat and in terms of my gift- they had the numbers, not to mention Edward's gift and Emmett's strength. How could I protect Alice, if things took a turn for the worse?"It's just that your visions aren't set it stone, love. You know that. And you don't know how volatile our kind can be. I just want to go into this with every possible precaution. And no matter what, I want you to stay close to me, just in case." It suddenly occurred to me that I had never taught her anything about fighting; how on earth had I never gotten around to that? She was so small and thin, so easily broken… My worry overflowed onto her, and she veered over toward me. We both halted our running and she stood on her tiptoes, planting a kiss on the jagged scar that wound its way up the side of my neck."This is different," she said, the right side of her lips twisting upward with amusement. "I like it.""What?""You, being overprotective. Of me. Isn't it funny?"She was right; she had hit the nail right on the head. Up until now, it had been Alice protecting me. She had protected me from having accidents, from giving up on the new diet, from the emotional hallucinations that my withdrawal had brought me. She had done more than that; she had saved me from the misery that was my life, before her. She had given me a reason to live. But now it was time for me to assume the mantle of being her protector. The power of her gift notwithstanding, it was my responsibility, both as her mate and as the experienced soldier that I was. But I was so used to indulging her every whim, and obeying her visions without question, that it was difficult for me to insist on anything. It was bad enough that I had agreed to do this so soon. Maybe this didn't have to happen. Maybe I could talk her out of it. But she was still smiling, her visions registering no change. No point in trying, then."Just allow me this one favor, ma'am," I said with mock solemnity, drawling out my accent to the extreme.She brought her hand to her forehead in playful salute. "Yes, sir," she chirped, and my heart swelled as it answered her love. "So," she continued, slapping her hand back to her side, "it's okay to tell them that you're an empath, and it's okay to tell them about the Wars, just a bit?""Just a bit. Let's tell them about my gift first, and then once they get to yours they'll be so blown away that they'll forget all about me."She pouted again. "If it makes you feel better. But we really have to get going, if you want time to 'work' on Carlisle, as you put it." Her amusement spoke for itself; she really was just indulging what she saw as a silly worry. I hoped that was all it was, because we were out of time. The sun was climbing fast, and we began our final sprint, racing towards our destiny....We crossed the scent of two vampires in the southern tip of Coolidge State Forest. The scents were fresh; they had passed this way earlier in the morning."That must be Edward and Emmett," Alice mused, sniffing the air curiously. "I wonder which is which?" Her eyes unfocused for just a second. "Ha! They're going to be surprised when they find our scent here later. That'll give us less time." We ran even faster after that.We reached the house all too quickly. I was relieved to see how isolated it was. That would make things easier, if we really ended up staying.The sharp smell of gasoline hung heavy on the air. Alice had one of them must have just come home. I could hear three distinct voices coming from the house. A female- Rosalie, I assumed- was telling the other two about some sort of college application form."You may want to hit Rosalie with an extra dose of whatever it is you're cooking up," Alice said thoughtfully."Why's that?""Mmmm… I just think it's a good idea.""Okay. You ready?"Alice took a deep, quick breath and let it back out. Her excitement was shifting to anxiety now, and she slipped her hand inside mine. "I've been ready since I woke up. You?"I tried to shrug, but apparently I was wound so tight my shoulders wouldn't move. I would need to relax, if I was going to be producing the emotions I wanted to hand out. I glanced down at Alice, taking her hand. She was nervous, as well. Had she looked like this while she waited for me in the diner?"Want a little help?" I murmured, rubbing the back of her hand with my thumb. She nodded, and I took a deep breath, generating every ounce of calm that I could, and wrapping her in it like a cloud. At the same time, I pulled at her anxiety, making it my own. Her shoulders sank down, and she winked up at me gratefully. Now that she was calmer, her excitement was growing again, and she stood up eagerly on her toes, ready to step into the yard."Wait," I said, pulling her back. "One more thing. I want you to let me know when Edward and Emmett are close enough for him to hear us. I'd like to send him a greeting, and that's also when I'll scale back on my influence."Alice leaned closer, her eyes sparkling. "Want to make a secret code?" she teased.I smirked and bent down, kissing her hand. "You're adorable, you know that?""I know," she sang quietly. As I stood back up, she pecked my cheek and bounced up on her toes again. "Now come on."We approached the house hand in hand, and I began sending peace towards it. As soon as my foot hit the first step, the voices inside quieted, and the door opened to reveal a blonde male vampire: Carlisle. I detected a hint of anxiety, but no fear. So far, so good."Hello," he said kindly, and a smile lit his handsome face as he looked down at Alice. Curiosity blossomed, and I answered it with another wave of peace, reminding myself not to pull Alice behind me. "It's not often that we receive visitors, but you are welcome. My name is-""Carlisle!" Alice squealed, shoving past me and bouncing up in the air toward him. I laid my hand on her shoulder and held her down, whispering her name in warning.Carlisle's smile faded, and his anxiety peaked again. "I'm sorry, you have me at a disadvantage. But your eyes!""My name is <PRESIDIO_ANONYMIZED_PERSON>," I said, careful to keep my teeth hidden. "This is Alice. And yes, we are animal drinkers like you.""Carlisle Cullen," Carlisle said, nodding and smiling again. "Please come in, and meet my family." He opened the door wider, motioning us inside. I raised my eyebrows in surprise; I hadn't even started with the trust yet. But Alice was already inside, tugging my hand along with her. I was suddenly aware of my dirt-caked feet, but it was too late to worry about that. We followed Carlisle into the living room, where I saw two females, one with caramel-colored hair, and the other blonde: Esme and Rosalie. Carlisle moved towards the dark-haired one, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "My wife Esme," he said, surging with pride and love. "And our daughter, Rosalie," he added, indicating the other. "We have two sons as well, but they're out hunting at the moment."Esme smiled kindly, just like her mate. She was filled with curiosity, having overheard my introduction. "It's nice to meet you both," she said, her voice mellow and warm. "And especially nice to meet others who share our way of life!" Rosalie just stood frozen, and I saw what Alice had meant. She was brimming with anxiety, and no small amount of hostility. But she forced a smile anyway, and nodded to us. I nodded back, sending her a—"Esme!" Alice cried joyfully, running forward before I could stop her. She crashed right into Carlisle's mate, and for one frightening moment, I was sure there was going to be a fight. Everyone gasped in surprise, and Esme stumbled back a step, wrapping her arms around Alice. Rosalie bared her teeth, taking a step closer to them. I hissed in alarm, crouching in readiness for Carlisle's attack. I would need to fend him off first; I just hoped Esme wouldn't bite Alice before I got to them. Though maybe Rosalie would be the fiercer opponent… but Esme's crushing arms simply returned Alice's hug, and her anxiety only spiked for just a moment, settling into mere surprise. I stood back up sheepishly, and put my unused energy into sending a thick wave of trust over everyone. Rosalie settled back onto her heels, though she was still showing her teeth."Alice," I hissed. "Don't do that. They don't understand.""Understand what?" Rosalie asked sharply.Alice finally released her new mother, grinning around the room. "Sorry," she sang. "I'm just really, really excited to meet you all!" Her eyes darted around the house, a feeling of contentment bubbling up to join her smile."I can see that," Carlisle said, sending me a nervous glance. But he turned back to Alice, smiling again. "I think it might be a good idea if we all sit down and explain… whatever there is to explain."He waved his hand toward a low piece of furniture. It was a couch, I remembered- a low platform with cushioning, meant for a pair or group to sit on together. I didn't like the idea of being in such an indefensible posture, but I thought we had better do as he said, after Alice's display. No doubt he was trying to put us in a vulnerable position, establishing his dominance. I nodded, pulling Alice over to the platform. I bent my body at an awkward right angle and sat down, pulling Alice against me and clamping my arm around her shoulders to prevent any further surprises. Meanwhile, Carlisle left the room, leaving the females unprotected; a gesture of trust. I relaxed a bit, but I was also confused. Was he always this foolish?He reappeared a moment later, carrying a wooden chair in each hand and motioning for the females to sit. Rosalie just folded her arms and pressed her lips together, so Carlisle took the chair beside his mate's. Why were we all sitting down?"Alice and Jasper," he began, "it seems that you have some prior knowledge of our family. Are you acquainted with a coven of five up in central Alaska?""Not yet," Alice answered, her smile unchanged. "Though we'd love to meet them. Tanya seems so nice. I don't understand why Edward is always so rude to her. And Carmen is such a sweetheart, and Kate too, although I'm not sure about Irina. And Eleazar… well, I think he's just going to have a field day with–""Alice," I sighed. "I think you'd better start at the beginning. Or better yet, let me start at the beginning." I gave her a pleading look, and she clamped her mouth shut, her eyes sparkling with mischief; she was humoring me again. She leaned back into my elbow, sighing delicately."I think that would help," Carlisle said, his anxiety shifting to amusement. "Would I be correct in guessing that one of you is gifted? It's the only explanation I can think of, if you aren't acquainted with the Denalis."I nodded politely. "We both are. I am an empath, and Alice has visions of the future." I paused a moment, letting their shock subside before I continued. I decided to begin with my human life; it seemed that the Cullens would like that sort of thing. "I was born in 1844, down in Houston, Texas. Like most of our kind, I don't remember much about those days. I do remember that I had an older sister, and that my mother died when I was little. My father and I…" I hesitated, glancing up at Carlisle. Now that the first test was passed, I was beginning to hope in the future Alice had envisioned. What would it be like to have a father again? There was a reason I had run away from home when I was sixteen."Go on," Carlisle said gently. I had hesitated too long, and he was feeling pity now."After my sister married and moved away, things were… difficult. I left home as well, and since I had a horse, I was able to sign up with the Texas cavalry.""You were in the Civil War?" Esme asked."Yes ma'am," I said with a polite nod. "For two years. I rose quickly through the ranks, and I was soon the youngest major in the entire army. On the night that I was changed, I was escorting a group of women and children out of Galveston, because of the battle there. I had just dropped them off in Houston, and was riding back for the next group when they found me. Three females, and I naturally assumed they were stragglers from the group I had just been with. I drew closer to offer my assistance, and the leader, Maria, decided to change me, instead of feeding. She had a sense that I might be… useful, with my military experience."I paused again, leaving out the gory details. "You've heard of the wars in the south?" I asked, watching my audience carefully.Carlisle nodded, his pity growing as he guessed the next part of the story. I spun his pity larger and larger, letting it settle over the whole group. "Maria was one of those who formed armies of newborns. After I had woken up, she wanted me to take part. And I did for a while, but only because I didn't know there was another way. She told me that the wars covered the earth, and that if I were to desert, I would just find myself in another battle somewhere else. Fortunately, one of these deserters returned, and told me the truth. I left that night, and soon discovered that he was right. I was relieved to get away from the fighting.""How awful!" Esme sighed, shaking her head. "I'm glad you were able to escape. Is that when you met Alice?""No, I only met her two years ago," I said, looking down at Alice fondly. "I wandered with my friend and his mate- Peter and Charlotte- for a little while, and then I struck off on my own." Alice stirred under my arm, eager to tell her story now."Meanwhile, I woke up in 1920," she announced, and everyone shifted their gaze to her. "I didn't remember anything about my human life, and I still don't."Rosalie finally came to life. "You don't remember anything about being human?" she asked, amazed."Nothing. Anyway, as soon as I woke up, I started having visions. The first one was of Jasper, and the second one" —she paused dramatically—"was of you, all the Cullens. It was sort of like a family portrait, and Jasper and I were in it, our eyes golden like yours.""Amazing," Carlisle sighed. "In 1920, it was only Edward and me. Yet you saw Rosalie, back then?""And Emmett, and Esme. I figured out that the pictures in my head were visions of the future, and that my destiny was to be with Jasper. And that our destiny was to become a part of your family."It was almost funny, how everyone's eyebrows shot up at once. I stirred up the trust again. Alice hadn't wasted any time, had she?"Anyway, I was still a newborn, and I was really confused," Alice went on. "I didn't know what the golden eyes meant, and I didn't know where to go. I didn't even know what I was, for a while. But I began watching Jasper, and you and Edward, as much as I could. I saw the day you changed Esme, and—"Now Carlisle was truly amazed. "You saw me change Esme?""Yes! I had already seen her in that first picture, so when I saw you carrying her into the house, I had already known that she was going to be a Cullen. Edward was all upset, and I could tell how much you loved her already, how nervous you were… it was so romantic!" She sighed, leaning back into my arm again. "No, Esme. It doesn't work like that."Carlisle frowned, turning to his mate. "Did you say something?"Esme's eyes were wide. "No, but I was about to. I was about to ask if she had seen us meeting the first time, back when I was sixteen. How did you hear me, Alice? Was it a… vision?"Alice nodded cheerfully."But you said your visions were pictures," Carlisle said. "You can hear things, as well?""They're pictures when they're farther ahead," Alice explained. "When it's something that's going to happen, say, in two days or less, I sometimes get sound and movement as well, depending on how certain the event is. It's just like watching a movie! Well, sometimes. And only if I'm paying attention, of course, which I am right now. So I heard Esme's question as soon as she decided to ask it. Anyway, Esme, the reason that I never saw you as a younger human was that I only see the future. I don't see anything of the past… not even my own. It took me years to figure out my own name! I was in a department store, and this lady—""Wait a minute," Rosalie interrupted. "Are you telling us that you've been watching us this whole time?""As much as I could," Alice answered. "Though it took me a long time to learn how to control what I saw.""How much, exactly, have you been watching?" Rosalie demanded. She flared with anger, and I stiffened against the sudden change. I sent peace into the room again. It was a good thing we had decided not to immediately reveal the fact that I was capable of "helping" them trust us. Rosalie probably wouldn't like that, either."Oh, I give privacy where it's needed," Alice assured her. "And believe me, I've only gotten bits and pieces. For example, Rosalie, I know that your engagement ring used to belong to Edward's human mother, and I know you got that dress at Macy's last week, but I've never been able to figure out your maiden name."Rosalie's jaw clenched, and her anger flared again. Maybe she hadn't known about the ring. Or maybe it was just hearing Edward's name that did it; Alice had told me how much they liked to bicker. Or maybe getting angry was just a habit of hers."My name was Rosalie Hale," she ground out, self-pity replacing some of the anger. I shoved a wave of peace towards her, and her arms fell to her sides.Alice was delighted. "There! See how much easier it is, when I can just ask? Anyway, Carlisle, after you changed Esme, I was able to figure out the animal diet. What a relief! So there I was, alone, just watching and waiting, until two years ago. I had known that I would meet Jasper in a diner in Philadelphia, and I had always had that vision as a still picture, because it was in the distant future. As soon as the picture turned into a movie, I knew it was time, and so I ran to Philadelphia to meet him.""My turn," I insisted, smiling as her excitement and love enveloped us both. "It was raining, so I went into the diner to get out of the weather. And Alice was there, waiting for me and already loving me. She told me that I had kept her waiting a long time." I pulled her closer, kissing the top of her hair and soaking in the happiness that our love story was giving everyone. Even Rosalie was beginning to thaw, a tiny smile playing at her lips. "It was love at first sight for me, as well. Alice told me everything and introduced me to the animal diet. Though, as you can see, I still… struggle, from time to time.""I'm sure it must be difficult," Carlisle said kindly. "Especially after so many years of feeding traditionally. Making the choice you have made, this far into your second life, is quite an achievement." His heart swelled with pride, of all things. I smiled hesitantly back at him, nodding my thanks."Anyway, here we are!" Alice squealed, slipping out from under my arm and bouncing to her feet. "Which room do you think we should take? Wait, I know!" She zipped up the stairs, leaving the Cullens to stare at me in disbelief and amusement."I apologize," I said quickly. "She's been planning this day for years. We can stay out in the woods, of course, or we could come back another time...""No, no, it's quite all right," Carlisle insisted. "We're just taking it all in. Esme, if it's all right with you…" He looked at his mate with a hint of worry, but she nodded immediately."You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like," she said kindly. Rosalie flared with jealousy and let out some kind of choking sound, but she nodded, as well. I filled the room with peace again, pleased with how things were going. Nobody was feeling afraid anymore, and something strange was growing in Esme's heart. It felt like love, if that were possible already. Though maybe she was just thinking about her other children. It was a type of love I had never felt before. It was so… tender."I think we'd better go up with her," she added. She went up the stairs first, followed by Rosalie. Carlisle gestured for me to go up before him, and after a brief hesitation, I nodded and began my ascent. It was unnerving to turn my back on him so soon, but I detected no malice. I made it safely to the next floor to find Alice darting in and out of one of the bedrooms, emptying it of its contents. Worry was rising from Esme."Alice, maybe we'd… I don't… that's Edward's room," she finished weakly."I know, but it has the best view!" Alice called from within the room. She reemerged, carrying a load of shirts still on their hangers and balancing a potted plant on top of them all. "Don't worry, he'll get over it. I should know!"Esme looked doubtful, and her worry spiked. "You can already see that? I mean, if you're sure…"Alice handed me the pile of clothes, catching the plant as it began to fall. "Of course he will! Rosalie, want to help?"Rosalie smiled mischievously, her jealousy dissipating. "Absolutely," she said, heading into the room behind Alice."Rosalie…" Esme said in a warning tone."What? She said he would get over it." She began tearing things off the walls, feeling a odd sense of pleasure as she did it. "Where should we put his things?" she wondered aloud.Carlisle opened his mouth, but Alice zipped past us again with another armload. "The garage! Good idea, Carlisle!" She disappeared down the stairs and Rosalie followed with her arms full as well. Her amusement so ridiculously strong that I chucked to myself.Carlisle and Esme turned to me curiously. "I'm sorry," I told them. "It's just that Rosalie is feeling very amused right now. Her emotion was so strong that it affected me, as well. It happens sometimes.""Edward is going to be so glad to meet you, Jasper," Esme said. "He's always wanted to meet an empath."I stiffened at the mention of Edward's return home. How long did we have? I could only imagine what his reaction would be if he met us while we were dumping his belongings out of his room. When Alice zipped past me again, I grabbed her arm."Why don't we do this later?" I suggested, giving her a meaningful look."Oh, we have plenty of time!" she said, twisted her arm out of my hand. "They won't be back until we're in the living room, anyway.""The living room?" asked Carlisle. "How do you-""Saw it!" Alice yelled, her voice echoing in the now-empty closet. "Jasper, come here for a minute!"I left Carlisle and Esme in the hallway, whispering to each other. Alice was standing inside the closet, beckoning to me with her finger. I darted over to her, and she leapt up into my arms, peppering my face with kisses. "We're going to have some good times in this closet, Jasper Whitlock," she whispered. "I've seen it." I sighed in surrender and pushed her back up against the wooden wall of the closet, kissing her soundly, pulling away only when we heard Rosalie's footsteps on the stairs."Told you everything would be fine," Alice whispered in my ear as I set her down. "Three down, two to go!" I couldn't help it; I was beginning to share her excitement. Everything in my life that was worth smiling about had come to me because of my Alice, and this was shaping up to be one of them."Try not to jump on them when they get here," I pleaded, but I was smiling, as well."Where's your stuff?" Rosalie asked, entering the room."Stuff?" I echoed."We don't have any stuff!" Alice sang, twirling around in a circle and flopping backwards onto a black leather couch that ran along the outside wall. "But you and Esme are taking me shopping later. I can't wait! Oh, it's going to be so much fun having a sister!""A… sister?" Rosalie seemed to be chewing on the word, curiosity blending with pleasure. She glanced down at Alice, and bent down to touch the frayed hem of her dress. "You're right, we should definitely go shopping." Then she straightened up, looking at me uncertainly. "I mean, you could come if you want, too, Jasper. You've probably never been separated from your… mate before, have you? You could wear Carlisle's sunglasses, to hide your eye color."I was touched. Not only did Rosalie understand my anxiety, but she was reaching out in friendship, despite her reservations. My new sister and I might get along, after all. "Thank you," I said, nodding slightly, "but it wouldn't be possible. I'm not able to be around humans. Not yet, anyway.""Oh. Then I suppose you won't be joining us in school this fall then?"Alice's eyes opened wide, and she sat up in a blur. "School…" Her eyes glazed over and a huge smile spread over her face. She snapped out of it and bounced right into Rosalie's arms, squeezing her around the waist. "Oh, we're going to have such good times together, Rosalie!"Rosalie smiled uncertainly, slowly moving her arms to return Alice's embrace. I sent yet another wave of peace their way, and Rosalie's shoulders relaxed. "What about you, Jasper?" she asked, releasing Alice. "What should we get for you when we go out later?""Don't trouble yourself," I said reflexively. Rosalie quirked an eyebrow, staring down at my bare feet. "Well… I guess I could do with some shoes. Don't spend too much, though, please. I don't have any… funds at the moment." I was suddenly struck with shame as I realized how much I hadn't been able to give my mate before now: a roof over her head, possessions, female companionship, new clothes, shoes even! Mostly human needs, but there was no mistaking the happiness that Alice was buzzing with right now. For the first time, I was glad that Edward had started this whole mess two days ago, just so that Alice could be here now. If he hadn't, there was no telling how long I would have put this off.Rosalie waved her hand dismissively. "If you're going to be a Cullen, the first thing to learn is that Carlisle provides for his family." She felt a flash of guilt, but then smiled again. "Now sit down, please." She motioned to the couch, and I sat obediently. She picked up my dirty foot, measuring it against the length of her arm. Then she held her arm against mine, measuring that as well, and eyed the width of my waist, and then my chest. She felt a brief moment of frank admiration as her eyes swept over me, but it was soon gone. I took the opportunity to study her, as well. She was just as beautiful as Alice had described her, and more. But she didn't compare to my Alice. Not even close.Esme entered the room then, smiling at all of us. "I was thinking, Alice, why don't Rosalie and I take you shopping later on today?" Alice and Rosalie collapsed into giggles, and Esme looked at me in confusion."You'll get used to it," I told her with a smile....Once we had emptied our new room of Edward's belongings, we retired to the living room to wait for him and Emmett. Alice and I sat on the couch again."So, Carlisle," she said excitedly, "I've been dying to hear about you. You've lived a long time, haven't you?""I'm afraid I still don't understand how your visions work," he confessed. "Don't you already know everything?""Bits and pieces, remember," she replied. "I've picked up tidbits about your past from conversations that I've overheard, but I've never really heard much about what you were doing before I woke up. I know you're from England, and that you've been a doctor for a long time, but that's it. I don't even know what year you changed Edward in.""It was 1918," he replied, his heart surging with love and pride. "I myself was changed back in 1663.""Sixteen sixty-three?" Alice and I echoed together. I had no idea he was that old. It seemed that Alice hadn't either. "Tell us everything," Alice urged. "And I promise not to peek ahead!""Very well," Carlisle chuckled, "though it will take a while."He began talking, taking us back to the seventeenth century. It was a fascinating tale. He had woken up like Alice, alone and confused, though with his memories intact. Both Alice and I were shocked to learn that he had never fed on human blood before. I considered myself an expert on newborn behavior, but I couldn't fathom the idea of a newborn with such self-control. He didn't seem to be lying, though. He continued his story, bringing us to the current century, and his decision to create a companion. When he spoke of finding Edward in a Chicago hospital, and of his change, I observed a curious mixture of love and guilt arising from his heart.Soon after that, Alice nudged my shoulder. I glanced over to her, and her eyes darted meaningfully toward the window. They were coming, then. I began scaling down my influence slowly and watching the Cullens carefully as I did so. They didn't seem to notice the change. I didn't really understand everything about how my gift worked, even after all these years. Would the peace and trust I had been emitting stay around for a while, hanging in the air like a scent? Or would the Cullens immediately begin feeling uncomfortable around us, once I stopped artificially boosting their trust? I should have done this earlier, so that I would have time to observe the effects. Now wasn't the time to experiment, not with two extra vampires just coming to stir up the mix. I would continue to emit peace and trust through the day, then. I could probably do it without conscious thought; I had done it often enough with Maria. But now I needed to stop thinking about it, since Edward was approaching. I decided to send him a greeting, to put him at ease ahead of time. How did one speak to a telepath? I concentrated on forming words in my mind. Edward. I don't know if you can hear us yet, but don't be alarmed. My name is Jasper, and my mate's name is Alice. We are not hostile.I turned my full attention to Carlisle after that, refusing to think about anything involving the emotional climate of the room. After waiting a while, I sent the greeting again. Four seconds after that, Alice perked up beside me. "They're almost home," she announced cheerfully. She turned to me, her eyes sparkling with that "I'll humor you" look again. "He heard you," she told me. I nodded my understanding."Amazing," breathed Carlisle. "Simply amazing. Jasper, can you sense them yet with your gift?"I shook my head, trying not to think about it. "Please, go on," I urged him. He smiled and continued his tale. He had skipped over the part about Edward leaving home, though he had glanced at Alice curiously, when he got to the part he was omitting. He must have been wondering how much we knew. He had moved on quickly, and was just getting to Rosalie's change when Alice sat up straighter, and we all heard a footstep on the porch outside. I felt their curiosity before I saw them.The door opened and a slender male vampire with bronze-colored hair all but fell through the door as another one shoved his way inside. The second one was huge—at least two inches taller than me, and twice as big, his biceps thicker than my head. Emmett, without a doubt. My instincts bristled and I ached to leap up in front of Alice, but I reminded myself not to appear hostile. Besides, I had to keep Alice down, or she would no doubt do something unexpected. To my dismay, she jumped up anyway, right toward Edward. I followed her instinctively, reaching for her shoulders to pull her back. But she was too quick, as usual, and threw herself right into Edward's arms, feeling right at home."Hello, Edward! I'm Alice! Well, you already knew that, because we told you. It's so good to see you, in person I mean! Oh, isn't it wonderful?!"Edward was shocked, to say the least. He set her down, only to be shocked again when Alice dove for Emmett. Seeing her so close to such a huge vampire made me feel a little sick. He could snap her like a twig! I swallowed nervously, but his huge, friendly smile spoke for itself. He boomed out a laugh as his huge arms enveloped her easily. I sighed in relief, relaxing my stance. He really was a gentle giant."Sorry," I told Edward and Emmett. "She gets like this sometimes. She's harmless, though.""I doubt that," Edward replied with a smirk, and all the others laughed. The room filled with theiramusement and the increasing curiosity of the two younger males. Alice had been right all along; this had gone even better than I had dared to hope. I still didn't know what manner of people the Cullens were—not really—but it was obvious we weren't in any immediate danger. I took a deep breath and let it out, soaking in the positive emotions that were surrounding me. I relaxed some more, smiling hesitantly and watching Alice with pleasure as she laughed. I finally laughed right along with her, unable to resist. Once again, Alice had brought me into a whole new world, and I loved her for it.'
User: Summarize the chapter based on the content provided, ensuring to follow the set format and emphasize key aspects within the specified length.
User: Summarize the chapter based on the content provided, ensuring to follow the set format and emphasize key aspects within the specified length.
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