Disclaimer: Don't own, not mine.

Even though the large two-story house was the only source of light for miles, the glow from the windows hardly extended into the dense surrounding forest. Fortunately for the two that were watching the home from several hundred feet away, the darkness did not bother them.

"Alice, you're sure about this?" The tall blond was staring unmoving at the door of the house. As warm and innocent as it appeared, there were several potentially dangerous unknowns living there.

"Of course I am. Shouldn't you trust me by now?" Alice smiled, completely unaffected by the approaching situation.

"You know I do. It's just that you want me to walk into the home of five unfamiliar vampires." Alice was only thirty years old. He not only had almost a century of experience compared to her, for over twenty years of that, he had actively participated in the wars of the South. He knew how dangerous vampires could be.

"Jasper, they're not unknown to me." Alice turned to him and took his hand. "I know this is hard for you. But these are good vampires. We belong with them."

Jasper stood still for another moment. Maybe if he was still human, he would have sighed or scratched his head. He felt Alice's small hand in his and squeezed it. She had only been in his life for two years, but those years had had as much of an effect on him as the century before her. And one thing he had learned was that when Alice was sure about something, he should trust her.

"Should we go knock, then?" Jasper asked.

"We'll have to. Edward's not home."

Jasper rolled his eyes. "And Edward is…"

"He's the mind reader. Do you want me to go through the names again?"

Jasper just shook his head. He did have a vague idea of who was who; the names were still just a bit fuzzy. Ever since Alice had her first vision about the Cullen family, she could not stop talking about them. Jasper had quickly learned to tune her out when she started on about the humane vampires.

Knowing that he could easily stand in the forest all night, he instead tugged Alice's hand forward and headed to the front door. Front the outside, the house appeared completely normal, if owned by a somewhat wealthy family. A Cadillac Series 62 and a Chrysler Town and Country sat parked in the driveway, and the yard surrounding the house was impeccably cared for right up to the tree line. Jasper pushed the doorbell and heard the chimes go off inside. He automatically prepared himself as he heard footsteps, ready to fight, or run, just in case. He also fully opened the part of his mind that could feel emotions like his eyes saw colors. Alice wanted this to work, so he was willing to try for her.

The door opened, and a woman appeared in the entrance.

"Can I hel—" She stopped mid-word. In a split second, she took in the two people on her doorstep: the tall, lean blond covered in bite marks and the petite, short-haired brunette smiling up at her. Both vampires.

"I hope you don't mind me asking who are you?" While her tone had become more terse, it was still well within the range of polite.

"Of course not, Esme. But you may want to get Carlisle and Rosalie; they'll want to hear as well," Alice answered.

"No need, we're right here," said a male voice from inside the house. Two more vampires, both with hair as blond as Jasper's, appeared behind Esme. The man, Carlisle, placed his hand on Esme's shoulder and drew her to his side. Rosalie stood behind the couple, arms at her side and ready to move if necessary.

Jasper didn't need his empathy to tell that all three vampires were tense. The only one feeling any fear was Esme. Rosalie's anger, most likely at the unwanted intrusion, was obvious. However, none of the emotions were strong enough for him to feel the need to take any action.

"We're all present, so I must agree with my wife and ask to know who you are." Carlisle appeared almost completely calm, as if strange vampires often appeared at his home in the middle of the night.

"Well, my name is Alice. And this is Jasper. Jasper Whitlock." Alice extended her hand to Carlisle and Esme, who both shook it, if somewhat cautiously.

Jasper wished he was wearing his hat so he could take it off in greeting, a familiar gesture that might have steadied him some.

"Pleased to meet you," he said, simply inclining his head. Both Carlisle and Esme smiled at him in response.

"I know this is going to seem unusual," Alice grinned, "but we're here because we hope to join you."

"And how did you find out about us?" Carlisle asked. "You must understand that we are not your…typical vampires."

"I have a gift, you could say. I get visions that show me the future. A few weeks ago, I saw your family for the first time. Since then, I've been seeing and learning more about all of you, including your lifestyle. Jasper and I want to try it. It's what's right for us."

Jasper nodded. "Killing has always been difficult for me. I'd like to try another way."

After taking in the new information, Carlisle smiled. "If that's the case, then we would be more than happy to host you for a time. There are few too many vampires who wish to live like us. I hope you don't mind that we will want to wait a day or two for our final decision. And, of course, the decision will just be short term for the time being."

"I understand," Alice replied. "You'll want a chance for Edward to talk to us, make sure we're telling the truth."

"This will take some getting used to," Esme laughed, and Jasper smiled to himself. He had been thinking that for the past two years.

"So, which room is ours?" Alice asked.

"You're very confident that we'll let you stay," Rosalie retorted, as she finally spoke up.

"I am," Alice answered simply. "Are there any rooms with a view of the backyard? The maple trees are going to be gorgeous with their leaves changing colors."

While Jasper could tell that Rosalie was first annoyed at Alice's reply, he could feel her mind working, thinking of a response, and finally settling on an answer that clearly amused her.

"I always thought Edward's had the best view. And he doesn't need one of the biggest rooms in the house. Come, I'll show you." Rosalie turned and quickly disappeared into the house. Alice gave Jasper a little finger wave before she followed after.

"We really don't need Edward's room. Anywhere is fine," Jasper told Esme and Carlisle.

"No, Rose is right. Edward really doesn't need such a big room, especially because there are two of you," Esme reassured him. "Also, it will be good for Rose to have a girlfriend so close to her age. Now, you must come in so we can get to know each other better."

For the first time that night, Jasper felt confident in Alice's decision, mainly due to the air of sincerity and caring coming from Esme. He followed Esme without hesitation into the home.

-

After Jasper had spent a few hours with Esme and Carlisle, all giving at least an abridged version of their lives and just generally feeling each other out, he had gone upstairs to see just how big their new room was. Alice was half hidden in the closet, on her hands and knees pulling out the last of Edward's things. As soon as Jasper appeared in the doorway, she crawled out with a pair of wing-tips and a belt. He smiled at her and looked around the now barren room. Only a desk, a chair, and a couch remained.

"What are you thinking, Jasper?"

"Edward's going to be rather upset with us."

"He'll get over it. Rose says that he tends to get rather full of himself, so this will be good for him."

So like Alice, to become so comfortable with the Cullens after only spending less than half a day with them. She'll probably be picking out window treatments within a week for their new room. Which was, admittedly, rather empty with all of Edward's belongings piled in the hallway.

"How do you like Carlisle and Esme?" Alice asked. "Isn't Esme just the sweetest?"

"Both seem very nice."

After a pause, Alice sighed and took hold of Jasper's hands, pulling him from the hallway into the room. "What is it, Jazz?"

"I told them about our past. Well, a short description."

"What did they say? Did they mind?" Alice frowned.

"No. They actually seemed rather understanding, even after I told them about the wars."

"Then why are you worrying? You trust me, remember?" Alice led them both over to the couch, where she pushed Jasper down so she could sit in his lap.

"Of course," he replied, resting his head on top of hers. "I just don't understand them. What type of vampire chooses to live like them? Living alongside humans, eating animals."

"We're choosing to live like this, now."

"Can we, though? Can I? That deer we ate two nights ago, I don't know if I can survive on just that for the rest of time."

"It will be hard. But you have me, and I have you. I love you, and I can't stand watching the pain you suffer each time you feed."

"If it wasn't for that hurt, I could never do this."

"I know." Alice turned her face up, silently asking for a kiss. It was slow and caring, a comforting reassurance that both were there for each other. After a moment, she smiled and curled back into his chest. "I'm looking forward to staying in one spot. As exciting as new places are, stability is also nice."

"That will be new."

"And we'll have a family."

Jasper looked down at the tiny girl in his arms. She always looked so fragile, even though she would forever be stronger than the strongest man alive. She had no memory of her biological relatives, and it was only two years ago she found him and was no longer alone. Anything that would make her happier, he would do. The Cullens could give Alice a home in a way he never could. Staring out the window, watching dawn creep through forest, he smiled.

"Yes, we will."