Bloody Mary // J. Hale

The calm before the storm

"How much longer are you going to wait?"

"Just a few more minutes!" Alice chirped, her tone as light as her posture was rigid with anticipation.

Jasper rolled his eyes, shifting against the wall where he leaned, arms crossed in a show of impatience. Alice, perched near the top of the stairs, tilted her head as though tuning into a station only she could hear, her eyes distant and focused. She was rifling through her visions again, fine-tuning the perfect moment to sweep downstairs and greet Bella.

Edward's human girlfriend was finally being formally introduced to the family, a momentous occasion for Alice and Esme, who had seized the opportunity to prepare like they were hosting royalty. While Esme scrubbed every surface in the house to a gleaming perfection, Alice had raided everyone's closets with merciless determination.

Jasper had barely escaped with his dignity intact. Now he stood in the hallway, scowling at the tailored blue button-up she'd selected for him. He'd protested, of course, but Alice's disapproving stare had been enough to silence him. Still, he wasn't above subtle rebellion—he'd left the top buttons undone and tousled the neatly styled hair she'd spent an hour perfecting. It wasn't much, but it gave him some semblance of control.

"How long do you plan on waiting?" Jasper asked again, his voice flat as he watched her with faint amusement.

Alice didn't respond immediately, her gaze flicking back and forth as she sifted through the threads of possibility. "Hm..." she murmured, before suddenly straightening with a triumphant smile. "Now! Now is perfect!" she declared and, in a blink, skipped down the stairs.

"Bella!" Alice's voice rang out, warm and vibrant. Jasper didn't need to follow to know she was already beaming at Edward's guest. She'd been pestering him for weeks, eager to finally meet the human girl she'd seen herself befriending in her visions. That kind of excitement was so quintessentially Alice that Jasper couldn't help but smile faintly despite himself.

Watching her now brought a memory rushing back, unbidden but vivid, as though it had happened yesterday.

It was 1948, a dreary, rain-soaked day in Philadelphia. Jasper had been travelling alone for some time, needing space away from Peter and Charlotte—two lovebirds whose constant togetherness only reminded him of what he lacked. He wasn't accustomed to being out in the daylight, but the downpour gave him the perfect cover.

Then, she appeared.

As he stepped into the dimly lit diner, his senses tingled with a sudden, undeniable energy. Before he could even register her presence, Alice leapt from her barstool and walked straight toward him, her eyes locked onto his with an intensity that caught him completely off guard.

"You've kept me waiting a long time," she said with a teasing smile, her voice bright and sure.

Alice was like a ray of sunshine—something one would never associate with a vampire. Her energy was contagious, her confidence unwavering, and she seemed utterly unbothered by the darkness that surrounded them. She had been waiting for him. For thirty years, she had envisioned their meeting. It wasn't just fate; it was destiny, and she knew it.

Jasper was taken aback by her bubbly, almost childlike enthusiasm. In that moment, she felt like a breath of fresh air—like someone who had the ability to make him feel alive again. For the first time in what felt like forever, he wasn't just a wandering soul, trying desperately to find meaning in a world that had long since lost its lustre.

Alice had seen so many possibilities for their future together—different versions, different paths. In one of her visions, they even fell in love. But, as with most things in his life, that had never happened. No matter how much joy he found in her presence, something inside him remained incomplete.