Fic: Through The Open Door, Ch. 6
Title: Through The Open Door
Author: e-transitions
Characters/Pairing: Cullens - canon pairings
Rating: PG-13
Category: Drama, AU
Spoilers: Includes content from all 4 books + Midnight Sun
Summary: It was just a normal, stressful day. That is, until this Twilight fan walked through a door and ended up in the Twilight-verse. What would you do, if you ended up in Bella's life - if everyone in Forks thought you were Chief Swan's daughter - if nobody, not even the Cullens, knew the difference? How do you live someone else's life when you know what's going to happen?
Chapters 1-3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Oh crap, I thought with an internal whimper. I really hadn’t wanted to get backed into this corner.
“Fine,” I murmured, taking a deep breath and dropping my eyes. I might be able to tell Alice what I knew of her past, but I wasn’t brave enough to look her in the eyes as I did so. I didn’t want to witness the pain I knew I’d see in them as I continued.
“Your name was Mary Alice and I think your last name was something like Bradley or Brandon. I’m sorry, I don’t remember exactly what it was…” I glanced up at her apologetically. She hadn’t moved since I’d last looked up and her expression was utterly unreadable.
“You had a younger sister named Cynthia and, even as a human, you had a gift: you got premonitions - visions. Your… your parents thought that you were crazy. Sometime in the 1920’s, they locked you away in an insane asylum. You have a tombstone in the graveyard where you grew up… the date of your death is written as the same day you were admitted to the asylum.” I had to take a moment to swallow back my own distress and tears over this information. Alice’s face remained expressionless, but I knew my words had to be cutting her deeply. Especially this part about her family - that she had essentially been dead to them when they committed her to that horrible asylum.
“The reason you don’t remember your life is because you spent years locked away in a cold, dark room, leaving your cell only to receive constant shock treatments. That’s why you can’t remember the pain of your transformation. You were tortured for years… a couple days of pain wouldn’t even register with you after that…” My gaze shifted from Alice to Jasper then. Unlike Alice, his expression was very easily read, as a constant stream of emotions flashed across it unrestrained. The common theme among all them was easy to discern: rage.
For the first time, it occurred to me that there was another reason, besides Alice’s feelings, why I shouldn’t be telling this story. While the monstrous parents who had committed her to hell were long dead, there was another guilty party still alive. James. And exactly how long would he continue to go unpunished after I revealed his name? How long before Jasper sought revenge on Alice’s behalf? My guess… mere days.
There was also the worry that, with Edward gone, when Jasper sought this revenge, he would most likely do so alone. Which meant he would find himself outnumbered 3 to 1. Although… Jasper had proven time and time again that he could handle himself. Still, I really hoped such an outcome wasn’t inevitable.
Clearing my throat, I hesitantly continued. “You were turned by a vampire who had been working in the asylum. He cared about you in some way. I’m not sure if it was just friendship or something stronger… You see, a nomad who was passing through had caught you scent…”
Anticipating the rest of the story, Jasper’s eyes blazed with the blackest fury. As I continued to speak, I began to feel waves of his anger seep into me and I couldn’t help but growl out my description of James.
“The nomad was a tracker named James. Once he caught your scent there was no stopping him. When your friend in the asylum realized that he couldn’t hide or protect you where you were, he stole you away. But, James was never more than a few steps behind. Realizing that he wasn’t strong enough to fight off James, your friend saved you in the only way he knew how. He turned you. Once James caught up to you both and saw that it was too late to have you, he killed your friend in an act of vengeance and then moved on. That’s why you woke up alone.”
Jasper’s fury that someone had tried to kill Alice was beginning to consume me as I concluded. The original concerns I’d had about Jasper seeking revenge on James were forgotten. I deeply hoped he would track James down. Better yet, I wanted to be there when Jasper found him. I wanted to help gather kindling for the fire. Someone had to pay for every ounce of pain that Alice had endured and, with her parents already dead, that left only James. We would see him burn for this. We would rip each limb from his body and smile as we did so. We would-“
“Jasper!,” Carlisle said sternly, “You need to rein yourself in.”
Jasper’s eyes continued to blaze; my eyes echoing his at the thought of someone thwarting the slaughter that awaited.
“Jasper,” Carlisle repeated in the same commanding, yet calm voice. “Son. You are affecting those around you. Stop.” When Jasper’s eyes still showed no change, Carlisle continued, “Alice doesn’t need that from you right now.”
At the reminder of Alice, Jasper deflated.
I felt suddenly cold as the burning fury rapidly drained from my body. I realized my breath was now coming in gasps. Feeling unsettled, I tried to take slow, deep breaths to calm myself. I watched Jasper with wide eyes as he shifted his attention to Alice. As my breathing became more steady, I could feel that my body was trembling in the after effects of Jasper’s gift. I’d never felt such raw hatred and fury before. I still felt a little sick with it.
I’d always thought of Jasper’s gift as wonderful and awe inspiring - always seeing the ways he could help people. I’d conveniently forgotten that there were always two sides to a coin. The power to calm a crowd brought with it the power to incite a crowd.
I never thought that I’d find a reason to be upset with Jasper. Even if somewhere down the line, he took a snap at me the way he did with Bella, I would have understood. I wouldn’t have thought less of him, or blamed him in any way. But, right now, as I continued to process the way I had been entirely consumed with his emotions, I couldn’t help but feel a bit… violated.
With a shiver I remembered the glee I had felt at the thought of ripping limb from limb. I had been so overcome by Jasper’s emotions that I probably would have tried to bite James myself if he’d been near. I couldn’t remember a time in my life when I had ever felt such blinding, deadly hatred before.
I suddenly had a strong urge to throw up.