Margaret Allie Brandon (Jasper's Mate Story)

Chapter 24

Chapter 24 (Nov. 1st) – Alice's death dream
Margaret's POV:

I was hiding from Alice right now, it was true. I considered her a great friend, but I simply couldn't do anymore online shopping, fashion shows, makeup tutorials, or watch anymore runway shows with her tonight. She had started early this morning and I couldn't do it anymore, especially when all I wanted was to spend some time with Jasper before going to bed. However, I knew it was only a matter of time before Alice found me hiding in the Cullen's guest room. My choice of hiding spot wasn't the best, but I was too exhausted to care. 

I heard the bedroom door open behind me and closed my eyes a bit tighter, hoping that if it was Alice that had found me she would be fooled into thinking I was fast asleep. However, the light chuckle that sounded through the room told me it wasn't Alice that found me but Jasper. I slowly opened my eyes and found him kneeling next to me on the floor, his eyes even with my own and a small smile on his face. 

"What are you doing in here darlin?" (J)

"Hiding from your sister." (M)

"You know this might not be the best place." (J) 

"It will be if you just be quiet." (M) 

"Well then I guess I'll join you for now." (J) 

He let out another chuckle as I nodded in agreement to his statement, before he slowly climbed onto the bed next to me, his arms wrapping around me. He kissed my head as I snuggled closer into his chest, hoping that even if Alice did find us she would just let me sleep. My last conscious thought was that I hoped Mrs. Esme and Dr. Carlisle didn't mind Jasper sleeping in here with me like this. 

Dream*****************
I was standing in a room with what looked like hospital beds, except the patients were strapped down to the beds with straps around their wrists and ankles. A few of them were muttering to themselves, while others were staring blankly at the ceiling  as if they were unaware of their own surroundings. It was like a hospital but not really at the same time and I was confused at how anyone I would know would end up in a place like this. 

I saw a nurse leave the room before a man that appeared to be a maintenance worker walked through the door. He was wearing overall, with a bit of fresh dirt easily visible on the knees of his overalls. I walked alongside him before stopping in a bed that I soon realized had Alice laying in it. I glanced at her chart and saw the name Mary Alice Brandon, as well as the name of Gulf Oaks Psychiatric Hospital on top of the chart. I was even more confused as I thought that Carlisle would never let his family end up in a place like this, especially since I knew Alice didn't belong in a place like this. 

I looked at her now to see her looking ill and worn out on the bed, her normally golden bright eyes were a murky dull brown color, a color that seemed so familiar, yet I couldn't place it as they fluttered gently in her restless looking sleep. I glanced at the man that stopped at her bedside, taking a seat in the chair next to her with a soft smile on his face. His skin was dark but also pale almost as if he too was sick, but that wasn't the oddest thing about him. 

In the dim light of the room I could see that he had red eyes, and not red as in the sense of having been crying but his iris's were bright blood red. The hair on the back of my neck seemed to stand up as I stared at him, but he didn't seem to wish ill intent onto Alice as he smiled gently down at her. I watched as he gently stroked Alice's hand, smiling wider when she opened her own eyes with a smile.

"Kumboh, I was expecting you." (Alice)

"I expected nothing less of you. So what have I brought you today?" (Kumboh)

"A spring of lavender in your right pocket." (Alice)

"Right again." (Kumboh)

I watched their interaction with a small smile on my face, seeing how they cared for another as if they were dear old friends. It was a seemingly pleasant dream at the moment, despite knowing that like Jasper's death, Alice would die within a year of two because she looked virtually the same as she did now even if she seemed ill here. Yet I was confused, where was Edward or Carlisle or Esme. Was she really here in this horrible seeming place alone? 

The dream sped up a few minutes and suddenly the man that I now knew was named Kumboh took the straps off of Alice's arms and pulled her into his arms bridal style. He leaned down gently as if to kiss her neck before I felt the similar burning, searing pain that I had felt with Jasper's death wash through me as it did Alice.

My eyes closed as the fire-like pain spread across me and when I next opened them I was laying in an open, unused grave next to Alice who was also writhing in pain. I felt a scream leave my mouth the same time it left hers and after what felt like an eternity I felt the dream coming to an end just as the sun above us started to rise in the pale blue sky, and as her heart stopped and her pain ended so too did the dream.

End of Dream*******************

My eyes shot open and I felt cold arms around me as a single scream left my mouth, but before I had time to truly panic after being woken from the dream, I heard Jasper's soothing voice in my ear. I felt the echoing vibrations of pain from Alice's death leave my body as I was held in his arms and the sound of his voice calmed my nerves. It was one of the first dreams I had where I woke with someone nearby to comfort me, and I had never been more grateful for Jasper than in that moment.

"Shhhh darlin, it's alright. I've got you, I'm here. It's alright." (J)

I let myself be comforted by him as I clung to him, tears and sobs escaping from me as tears were landing on his soft silk shirt. I felt his hands trace gently circles on my back even as I thought back on the dream. Alice, much like Jasper it seemed, was doomed to die within a year or two. And just like with Jasper there was nothing I could do to prevent it, and it wasn't fair.


Jasper's POV:

I felt her despair come off her in waves as I stroked her hair and rubbed soothing circles on her back. I felt her tears land on my shirt, soon soaking through it, and each one felt like a stab in my own heart. I wanted to help her, to soothe her in anyway that I could but I was helpless to do so as she just kept crying against my chest.

"Darlin, do you want to talk about it?"

"No, I just want......want to see Alice."

"Alice?" (J)

"Yes, please." (M)

I knew that Alice had just gotten back from a hunt, whispering she had a vision that Margaret would need to see her now. I heard her say she was in the living room, and told her in a voice that Margaret couldn't hear that I was brining her down to see her. I scooped Margaret up into my arms and carried her downstairs and into the living room. Alice acted like she was just waking up, some runway show on the tv as she did. 

"What's....what's the matter Jasper? Margaret? Are you ok?" (A) 

I set Margaret down on the couch next to Alice only to watch in mild surprise as she grabbed Alice into a tight hug. Alice looked at me in slight surprise, asking me quietly what happened but all I could tell her was that Margaret woke up after what I could only guess was a nightmare. 

"Margaret, are you ok?" (A)

"I saw.....I saw you die." (M)

"Hey, hey look at me I'm fine Margaret." (A)

"Not now, later, but......your name wasn't Cullen it was....." (M) 

I watched as Margaret pulled out of Alice's gentle hold on her as feelings of confusion flooded from her as she looked at Alice. I sat next to her on the couch, gently running my hand up and down her arm as she looked at Alice in silence and confusion. 

"What was it Margaret?" (A)

"Your name was Mary Alice Brandon, you were........you were in the Gulf Oaks Psychiatrics Hospital. I don't......understand." (M) 

I saw her start shaking her head as more feelings of confusion and fear leaked from her, before I pulled her back into my arms as she started to shake. She buried her head into my chest again as a few tears continued to fall from her eyes. Alice rubbed gentle circles on her back before she seemed to fall back to sleep in my arms, tear stains still visible on her beautiful face even as her heartbeat began to slow as her sleep resumed. 

"What was that Alice?" (J)

"I don't know, but.....I think I'll look into what she said. What is she's like us and has a gift? Wouldn't be impossible." (A) 

I shook my head in agreement, even as I hoped that it was somehow just a bad dream that she wouldn't even have to experience in such a way ever again. I carried her back to the bedroom and laid down with her still wrapped gently in my arms. I heard Alice typing away on her laptop, but I knew that anything she found would wait to be revealed until the family meeting tomorrow night after Margaret had already gone back home.