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allicekitty13 · 4 years

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Guess I’ll See You In Another Life

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Alice has never quite felt like she belonged in her life, frequently dreaming of another life. When she meets a mysterious stranger who seems eerily familiar will she finally get some answers?

For Jalice Week Day 6- Reincarnation

Help me, my God, this got messy. Least I got the best seat, 'Cause we put on one hell of a show. Waiting, I just keep on waiting. For the final curtain, 'Cause I just can't let go of your love. - Slow Grenade, Elle Goulding.

Alice Brandon had always been the best history student; her teachers often commenting on how it was almost as though she'd lived it. Sometimes she wondered if maybe she actually had. At the age of thirteen, she'd learned about reincarnation, a subject that had stuck with her. While an outlandish explanation, it would explain the lifelike glimpses of the past that frequently crossed her vision.

Alice Brandon had always felt like she never really belonged. Frequently dreaming of another life far too impossible to be real, yet she felt more at ease in those dreams than she ever had in reality. Everything always felt slightly off in her waking life, as though she was never supposed to be there. Alice sometimes wondered if she was even human, allowing herself to get lost in stories of Ghosts, witches, angels, and vampires.

---

It was a Saturday night, and she had a date with James. They'd been seeing each other for a few months; it had been fun, she guessed. But he seemed to want to move things in a more serious direction, and Alice honestly just wasn't that into him. She'd never been very interested in much more than casual sex with anyone; no relationship had ever felt right. Most things in life never felt right. Not the career she'd chosen as an interior designer, not her apartment. Even her family felt like they belonged to someone else.

Alice suggested she and James go to a club if she would be stuck with him for the night; she wanted to dance. She loved dancing; it felt that off sort of familiar she'd become accustomed to like she'd danced with someone special a long time ago. But she was only twenty-five, too young to have long time agos besides there had never been a someone special.

These were the thoughts flittering through her mind as they entered the club; self-reflection was inherently better than James' ramblings. "Alice, are you listening?" She looked up at his comment, prepared to make a transparent excuse for her actions. However, before being able to get a word out, she became quickly distracted by a pair sitting at the end of the bar, barely able to make out their forms through the wildly flashing lights. There was a man hunched over a glass with shaking hands, having a conversation with the most beautiful woman Alice had ever seen. Her golden hair almost glowed even in the dim lighting. When the woman stood, she was abnormally tall with unnatural grace; truly angelic.

The woman seemed agitated with the man as she strode away, passing Alice as she glode toward the exit, stopping with recognition as her eyes landed on the petite woman's face. "Ah, Alice. It won't be much longer then." It was an offhand comment meant more for herself than for Alice.

"Whatever you say, Rose." Alice stopped in her tracks, causing James to look down at her in confusion. She'd never laid eyes on that woman before, yet she was confident she was called Rose. Not only that, but how had the woman known her name.

"Oh," The woman smiled hopefully, "So it is working." She beamed at Alice before she walked away, muttering, "Damn fool never listens to me."

Alice shook the encounter off, pushing it to the back of her mind to never be thought about again. "Friend of yours?" her date had inquired.

"I've never seen that woman before in my life." She replied, eyes still trailing the woman as she exited the club. James didn't seem to care much about her response, launching immediately into a story about his week at work managing a local bank as soon as they'd taken their seats. Alice tried to listen, but the conversation, much like the man himself, was impeccably boring. She took a sip of the drink James had ordered her, a cocktail she didn't particularly care for, something she'd told him on numerous occasions when the hairs stood up on the back of her neck.

There was a pair of eyes watching her every move; she tried to ignore the feeling and focus on the exceptionally dull conversation, but in the end, whether due to boredom or curiosity, she looked. It was the man from before; his stare bore into her soul. He wore a sad expression, offering her a slight smile. Alice felt a rush under his gaze, as though she'd only just been brought to life in that moment. She was drawn to the man; Jasper was his name. A flash crossed her vision, a glimpse of golden light, of a bedroom that wasn't hers yet seemed so remarkably familiar. She was lying next to the man, just talking and laughing, it was such an intimate scene, and she was disappointed by her inability to hear what was said.

It was strange; she'd only ever seen glimpses of the past. But she'd never met this man; it didn't make any sense. First, the blonde woman, now him, Alice, felt such a personal connection to them both. She needed to talk to that man, more than just in the hopes he may have answers; she desperately needed to be near him. But as she excused herself from the tedious conversation, she caught his silhouette sneaking out the side door of the club.

What a sneaky bastard, she thought with a smirk as she navigated her way through the crowds of dancing clubgoers following him into the alleyway. He was leaning against the brick walls, hands in his pockets, a cigarette dangling from his lips. "Of course you followed." His tone flat as he lit the smoke.

"How do I know you, Jasper?"

He smirked in her general direction before looking away, choosing to stare at the rain that fell gently onto the pavement as though his thoughts weighed heavily on him, as though the conversation was causing him emotional agony. "I've lived this film before; I never like the ending. Just... try to stay away, Alice."

"What are you talking about?"

"It's better this way," He approached her, his eyes boring into hers with such affection that it should have made her uncomfortable coming from a stranger. Somehow though, it felt right. It felt familiar. Alice felt like she could spend the rest of her life under his gaze. Was this that feeling she'd been searching for on all those Tindr dates? That feeling she would never get from James? Jasper placed the sweetest of kisses on the crown of her head with the saddest of smiles and simply walked away.

Alice wanted to say something; she was confused; she had no idea what he was talking about. She needed to ask him what had happened. Wanted to tell him whatever it was they could move past it, to tell him that she needed him in her life. That she suddenly felt empty watching him walk away, but he'd fled the scene with no indication of where he'd gone. She left the club immediately, abandoning James after her interaction with Jasper. Informing him over text, she couldn't see him again. Of course, she felt terrible about ending things that way. It was a low move, but she couldn't face him after the life-changing experience.

Jasper had known her name, just as she'd known his. That man knew something about her that she didn't, and she was going to find out what that was. He clearly knew her, but he must not have known her very well. Alice was nothing if not resourceful. She was cunning, a bit manipulative, and made sure she always got what she wanted. All that being said, she was back at the club the next night, sans James.

She sat at the bar, keeping a close eye on the door so as to make sure she didn't miss him if he returned. So she was a bit surprised when the newly familiar voice spoke from behind her like music to her ears. Feeling as though she was breathing for the first time since he'd left the previous night. "You never were good at doing what I asked." He'd whispered in her ear with a smirk.

"That's me, not too great at taking orders." She spun around on the stool to face him, her breath catching in her throat as she looked he came into view, taking a moment to steady herself before continuing. "I kinda, do what I want."

"Come on, Alice." He held out an arm, which she promptly linked her own through, allowing him to lead her out of the loud building into his car. He remained silent as he drove through the streets, devoid of any people at the late hour. It was crazy, getting into a car with a complete stranger, one who became more and more of an intriguing mystery with every word he spoke. He was a puzzle she couldn't get enough of; it didn't matter where he took her. She would follow this man anywhere.

"Rosalie says you remembered her." He finally broke the silence on the highway outside of town; it was a deserted area; the only thing surrounding them vacant cornfields.

"The woman from last night? I wouldn't say I remembered her; I just knew her name. Like I knew yours." She bit her lip, wondering if she should tell him everything. She wanted to, feeling as though she could trust him. Somehow knowing he would never judge or hurt her. "I see things sometimes, crazy as that sounds." She caved, staring out the window. "Glimpses of the past, but it was different than usual when I ran into her. I saw us in an office laughing. And then, with you in the alley. I saw this beautiful golden room exceptionally well decorated; we were lying on a bed talking. It was so intimate..."

"I remember that night."

Alice looked over at him; he was smiling warmly but offered nothing else. "How is that possible? Why do I feel like I've known you forever when I've only just met you? Why do I feel like I can trust you with my life, that I'd do anything for you?" She trailed off, feeling so small as the words exited her mouth, the thought so insane as she knew nothing about the man, yet the honest truth all the same. "Why do I love you?"

Jasper turned down a dirt path into a wooded area. "I'll explain everything soon; I swear." She accepted this response, with the inexplicable blind faith she'd place in this stranger to whom she felt so connected. As though their souls were intertwined.

Jasper stopped the car, not saying a word as he exited the vehicle, coming around to the passenger's side to open the door for her. They were in a clearing surrounded on all sides by trees; a spring ran through on one side, it's babbling sound, giving a calming romantic ambiance to the scene. Looking up, Alice saw the most unobstructed view of the stars she'd ever witnessed. "Beautiful." She gasped out.

"Yes, you are." Jasper stared at her intensely. He offered her a half-smile before walking over to the middle of the clearing lying down. "Do you want to hear a story?"

"Are you always this cryptic?" She was so confused but obliged lying down next to the man staring up mesmerized at the twinkling stars.

"Once upon a time, there was an angel. He graduated with top marks…"

"Angels, go to school?"

"Alice, do you wanna hear this or not?"

"I'm just saying."

"Yes, there's a university and employment options. Anyhow, the angel had a friend who was being promoted. The friend gave him a glowing recommendation to her boss, and he was hired. He had to work with this demon; he didn't like her at first but grew to find her smart, cunning, confident, charismatic, incredibly sexy…"

Suddenly it clicked; numerous flashes of her former life rapidly crossed her vision. Dancing in her apartment, stolen kisses in their office, bedroom declarations of eternal love, that annoying mortal Bella. She saw herself standing before the god of the underworld, of her home refusing to yield. The look of helpless desperation on Jasper's face as Aro smote her. It was overwhelming; she was elated. "You're just listing adjectives now. I'm great; we get it." She chose to joke.

He seemed to understand as a relieved smile crossed his expression, "Why do I love you again."

"You just listed like five reasons, pretty sure you were gonna keep going too."

He continued recounting their story with a chuckle. "It didn't take long for the angel to fall in love with her. But their love was forbidden, and when they were found out, the gods banished them from the afterlife. Unfortunately, there was more to their punishment. The demon was cursed to be reborn every twenty-five or so years. She always finds the angel, no matter how hard he tries to stay away."

"Why would you want me to stay away? I would think you'd be elated every time I come around? Like 'Hell yeah, my girl is back. I love my awesome eternity girlfriend so much because she's basically the best, and I'm lost without her.'"

Jasper turned mournful again, scooting close, inviting her in for a hug that she readily accepted, clinging to the man desperate to do anything that might erase his despair. "You keep dying in the worst ways; that's been my punishment. I've seen it every time, held you in my arms as you faded away twenty-four times. We never get more than a few weeks together."

Alice reached up a hand to stroke his cheek allowing him to lean into her touch. "I'm so so sorry."

"Why are you, sorry? You offered me a way out; I told you I'd never leave you. Now we're stuck in this loop. I can't imagine how it feels to die over and over. I'm the sorry one; it's my fault this happens to you. Sometimes I wonder if you should have taken Aro's offer."

"I might die every few decades, but I get a clean slate ya know. You just have this endless cycle of agony; you don't get to forget. You've just had to live with it all this time. I'd much rather just die every so often than live with that eternal numbness. And don't you dare blame yourself, we both made a choice. One that I don't regret in the slightest, mind you. I'd do the same thing every time, even knowing my fate."

"I would too." He brushed her bangs out of her eyes, "Those seventy-two weeks I've gotten to spend with you have been the highlight of the past five hundred years."

"You counted the weeks? That is the most romantic, sappy dorky thing I've ever heard... kiss me, you absolute nerd." Jasper leaned in, hovering for a moment before their lips connected. Almost as though he'd been longing for this moment for quite some time. Of course, she realized what to her was a sudden desire, for him was two decades in the making. Unable to endure the anticipation Alice closed the space taking her time enjoying his taste, his warmth, the overtly pleasant feel of his mouth on her own. It was unlike any kiss she'd experienced prior; it wasn't enough, it would never be enough. Filled with passion and desire, she hungrily increased the pace pouring her soul into the action, wordlessly communicating every sudden feeling that had overtaken her. She was his, always had been, always would be.

Jasper broke the kiss, one hand rested on her hip, the other wrapped around her shoulder lovingly holding her possessively close as though he feared she would disappear before his very eyes. They remained in the clearing for hours; he caught Alice up on her past lives. He told her about the significance of the spot where they lay, how he'd woken up there after falling from heaven, how he returned to the site every so often to reflect on the choices they'd made.

When the sun began to rise, both realized how tired they were. Jasper drove them back to Alice's apartment. He'd tried to kiss her goodbye at the door, ever the gentleman. She'd pulled him inside, demanding he stay. They had finally been reunited; she refused to be parted again so soon. Of course, as always, he relented, never able to deny her anything.

Alice called out of work before crawling into bed, falling asleep in Jasper's arms, entirely content, able to rest easy for the first time since childhood.

The pair awoke only a few hours later to the ringing of Alice's cell. She begrudgingly extracted herself from her position curled up around Jasper, immediately missing the comfort of his warmth. As she glanced at the caller ID, she was livid; James' name was shown across the screen. Furious that she'd left the safe comfort she'd awoken in for this? She declined the call and furiously tapped out a short message alerting James in no uncertain words to not contact her again.

"Who was it?" Jasper asked, voice heavy with sleep reaching out for her, pulling her small body back in as he pressed gentle kisses to the nape of her neck.

"Just a clingy ex."

"Want me to beat him up?"

"Not worth the jail time." She laughed, shoving the fact that time wasn't something they had an abundance of if her past twenty-four incarnations were any indication. "What do you want to do today? Because if you think you're spending it without me, you've got another thing coming."

"Sounds to me like you're the clingy one."

"Oh shut up, you love me." His response came as a series of teasing kisses, causing her to smile widely at the surality of how her life had changed overnight. Just yesterday, Alice had felt lost as though she didn't belong anywhere, and now here she was waking up next to this man who adored her. She finally had the answers to a lifetime of questions; everything had fallen into place in peaceful bliss.

Jasper had to reluctantly pull away when his own phone chimed from the bedside table he'd left it on. He quickly replied to a message before turning his attention back to Alice. "How about coffee?" She agreed readily, scurrying out of bed to dress.

She found him waiting in her living room when she'd finished, keys in hand, ready to leave. He took her to a coffee shop only a few blocks down the road from her home. Inside, an anxious Rosalie sat waiting with three cups on the table in front of her.

"Rosie!" Alice rushed forward in excitement, embracing her former partner.

"It's so good to see you, A. You look fab as always; I'm pleased to see five hundred years hasn't impacted your sense of style."

"You've been checking in a lot recently Rosalie, are you going to finally tell me what's going on?" Jasper asked after he and Alice had taken their seats at the table.

"Not yet, not until things are set in stone. But it's looking good at the moment. Have things been going better than usual on your end?"

"Yes, actually." He smiled fondly at Alice. "It's been amazing."

"I'm tentative to say this... but if Maria is successful, you may get to come home."

"The gods will never allow that, at least not without sacrifices we aren't willing to make."

From Jasper's side, Alice nodded aggressively in affirmation. "I won't concede. Not now, not ever."

"Things are changing," Rosalie spoke in hushed tones. "I've already informed Jasper of that. Neither side is happy with what's happened to you; it's far too cruel. Carlisle and Aro were trying to set a standard to scare us from making the same choice, but it's had the opposite effect. Maria has a plan, but it has to remain of the utmost secrecy; she and I are the only two who know the details."

"Sounds sketchy; I mean, Maria is the best of the best if anyone has a chance of executing whatever the underworld you two have planned, it's her. Just... don't put yourself in harm's way for our sake." Alice reached out as she spoke to squeeze the angel's hand. "You're important to me too, partner."

"I promise, we'll stay safe; besides, we're in too deep to back out now. It should come to a head by the end of next week... Just." She looked at Alice very seriously. "Stay alive until then, okay?" Alice nodded with a newfound fierce determination. If Rosalie and Maria were risking it all to save them, she would do whatever it took to help on her end.

Rosalie seemed to accept that response as she stood and promptly exited without even a goodbye. Leaving just Jasper and Alice alone with their coffee and their thoughts. They sat in comfortable silence, holding hands across the table, words not needed. Alice saw James only a fraction of a second before he saw her. As he noticed, her hands intertwined with Jasper's, a fury set over his expression, and he stomped over to their table. Seeing the murderous look in Jasper's eyes, she squeezed his hand, hoping the action would communicate that she had a handle on the situation. Still, his glare as James arrived would strike fear in even the boldest of demons. She kind of liked this protective side of him.

"Don't even start," She cut James off before he'd had a chance to open his mouth. "I'm not your problem anymore, James. I told you from the get-go I wasn't serious about our relationship. I'm sorry about how I ended things, that was cruel, and I could have handled it better. But we were never exclusive, and I've told you that I'm not interested in moving forward with you in no uncertain terms. What I do with my time is up to me; please leave me alone."

Jasper and Alice sat in tension, waiting for him to get upset, to yell, or protest. In the end, he only smirked, leaving with a comment about how he'd been seeing someone else for weeks anyhow. Evidently, he hoped the statement would cut at her pride as he glanced back to see how his words had affected her. Had the confrontation occurred yesterday, it may have worked; she would have questioned what was wrong with her, how she always messed things up. But everything had changed; as she sat now in a hopeful bliss, she gave up no reaction.

The next two weeks were the best of Alice's life, time spent with Jasper never seeming to be enough. Going back to work the next day was a struggle; she spent most of the day fanaticizing about the man who had suffered so many years just for her waiting back at her apartment. Not actually making any progress on the interior design project due in only a few days. They spent their time cuddled on the couch watching movies, playing video games, and engaging in some of the most mind-blowing sex Alice had thought possible.

Every day was tenser than the last, both expecting her untimely demise to come any day. Jasper took advantage of every second, stealing a kiss at any opportunity, always had an arm around her when possible, expressing his love in every conceivable way whenever he could. Her heart went out to the man; Alice imagined she'd likely do the same in his position. If she knew she'd have to live every day for two decades awaiting his return, she knew she'd savor every second.

Alice had crawled into bed one night knowing something was wrong, his sadness so intense she could feel it radiating off of him. She'd settled into his arms, as usual, placing delicate kisses across his bare chest. She'd hoped that a comforting touch would be enough to lift his spirits. When it didn't help, she scooted up in the bed to brush his hair out of his face, "What's wrong, babe?"

He didn't respond at first, choosing to gently brush his thumb over her shoulder in lazy circles. She'd learned over the past week not to be offended by his long silences, that he liked to think his responses through before speaking. So she enjoyed his closeness while she waited until he eventually spoke. "I'm afraid, what if Rosalie fails? I'm terrified that I've gotten my hopes up and this won't work. I don't want to lose you again." It was a topic she'd been avoiding but knew was inevitable.

"Then we find each other again next time, we keep finding each other until something does work. Look to the possibilities of the future, not the pain of the past. Just promise you won't try to stay away from me ever again. That you'll always come find me as soon as you can. Swear to me that you'll never give up even if it takes all of eternity."

His reply had been simple as he pulled her tighter against him, "Okay, I promise."

Rosalie had been right on schedule; she'd texted Jasper precisely two weeks after their last meeting. Her relief evident as she laid eyes on Alice, still breathing, still in one piece, still alive. Her appearance was in shambles, as though she'd been through a harrowing experience. "Your free, both of you." She exclaimed on the verge of tears. "We did it! You can come home."

"What are you talking about, Rose?" Jasper gaped in disbelief.

Rosalie explained how after learning of Maria's loud protests of the punishment Jasper and Alice had received, she had approached Maria. The outspoken demon had been working behind the scenes to convince the demons of how Aro must have ulterior motives; after all, seduction is a sin, so wouldn't seducing an angel, the purest of all beings, be considered quite an accomplishment? Something to be celebrated?

Rosalie had wanted nothing more than to help her friends; the punishment was unjust and didn't fit the crime. She'd felt so betrayed by Carlisle for doing this. Angels were pure beings of goodness and kindness; it didn't make any sense that her friends had been cast out for love, the purest thing in the universe. Angels were meant to be forgiving; why had Carlisle offered Jasper no opportunity to repent. There was so much Rosalie didn't understand, but she knew there was no way she could trust the gods.

So the pair hatched a plan to create an army of demons and angels who wanted a change. They staged a coup, dethroning both Carlisle and Aro. Maria had seized the throne of the underworld for herself, her first action being to release Alice from her eternal sentence of death and rebirth. The angels had set up a democracy of sorts; Rosalie was in charge for the time being. The angel had blushed profusely upon telling her friends that she was God now, and they could return home without conceding their love.

"Okay, what are we waiting for!" Alice had exclaimed, beyond ready. Elated at the concept of going home, of being free to spend all of eternity with the man she loved. The man she'd suffered for, who'd suffered for her in equal measure.

They were greeted to cheers, hugs, and tears, both awarded a much-needed vacation before going back to work. Returning to the office where the entire ordeal had started.

"No way, she's still here?" Alice gaped at the file sat on her desk as Jasper looked over her shoulder in equal bemusement. Alice shook her head as she snapped her fingers, summoning the mortal soul they were meant to sway.

"Hello, again, Bella."

#jaliceweek20 #Jalice #alice cullen #jasper hale

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