no flip of a coin

"Did you do as I told you?" Mannie looked at his nephew who was back in the kitchen with him helping him with some herbs that needed to be drying. He didn't like buying anything off the Internet, but as it was, Ziggy was looking on his netbook.

"Just read my mind, will you." Ziggy gave Mannie a glare.

"But I told you, it was very important that you smooth things over with Alice." Mannie reminded him.

"So. You know..I'm not..made that way." Now Ziggy was sulking. "You can do what ever you want to me, but its not gonna happen."

"But you made contact with her brother. That went well?" Mannie just wanted a conversation.

"What do you think?" Ziggy scowled.

"Stop it, with the dysfunctional teenage angst, will you?" Mannie carefully laid his herbs out to dry.

"What does it matter? You never let me do anything I like. Its either you..you..you or..that family of ours." He snapped his netbook shut.

"All right," Mannie sighed. He couldn't change him. "Just be careful. You will be careful, won't you?" Mannie looked Ziggy over.

"Yes." Ziggy looked up at him as if he'd never ever do anything wrong.

"I do worry about you, you know." Mannie told him.

Ziggy smirked then.

"But I want you to be happy. I'm just not sure, he's the one. If you know, what I mean. I get the distinct impression, he has no idea what you could do to him." Mannie reminded him.

Ziggy only smiled as if he liked the idea of Mannie being on his side.

which would be worse

"God, must I?" Edward heaved when his sister came back, all so torn. About what, he didn't know. But she wanted him to investigate. "Who would want to be in the Cullin's flower garden?" He couldn't think of a human in these parts to even want to be out here in their neck of the woods. Naturally, he had to do the honorable thing. If he didn't, his so called Dad would be after him.

So he did as she asked. He made a swift pass at the maze, over head. There was nothing, he could see. Not a twig out of place. It was as boring as usual. He had such a boring existence. He had to be the most boring vampire in the entire world. He didn't even smell danger.

Well, he'd report back that Alice was now officially crazy and they, could just send her away. Maybe the alps this time. She'd find her a new something and go mad over, as usual.

But just as his feet touched the damp ground of the dew, he stopped thinking what to do with his sister when he saw him. It was an elated feeling that Ed hadn't had in a good long while. But he didn't dare let that tingling feeling slip from him.

"How dare you torment my sister, so?"  There, that's what was meant to be said. "Who are you? She knows you aren't Jasper. And..and she'd like to know what you've done with him.

"Are you her puppet? Does she do all your thinking?" He seemed much more concerned with that than any of Edward's questions.

"No, of course not." Edward kept a steady eye on the dark hair male. He hugged himself as if he might being bewitched, or something. He could have none of that.

"Liar. You always do what you're told. Don't you?" There was just something uncanny yet familiar about him. Yes, he was practically Jasper's doppelganger. But who could be the evil one out of the two.

"Who are you?" Edward winced hard.

"Ziggy is my name, if you must know." When he put out his hand, Edward knew then what he was. Not a ghost of some kind, but a warlock. How in the world could he be smitten by a warlock?

it can't be true

Alice was thinking of that last smirk Jasper had given her. She just thought he was trying to be funny. It couldn't have been that serious. Not that she thought they'd ever have a full blown vampire fight. They were both just too beautiful for such a thing.

But now his room was empty. She was heart broken.

"It feels so cold with out him," Alice said to ever would listen.

"You were far too hard on him." Edward informed her. "What were you expecting? Having him in the dog house, constantly." Edward sighed as he hugged himself. "Besides, you're much better off with out him. Who needs a mate, tell me that, will you?" His brow furrowed. Alice gave him a festered frown back.

"I love him." She was just sad now.

"You treated him like a child. That's what you did." Edward snapped. "Constantly, harping on him about the right and the wrong in life. How could anyone live without your rules."

"But he was such a newbie." Her lashes fluttered and caught the tears slipping. It was true. She was a wreck without him. "Give him and inch..and..and..he's gone." She was really broken now. Perhaps a quiet walk in the garden would help. But she clearly doubted it. "Just leave me alone, will you?" She looked back at Edward so miserable.  If only times, were different she thought. If only, but they weren't.

She went to the garden, among the trees and little flowers trying to bloom. But it was a nasty over cast. Fog, at that. How would she ever sparkle now? Alice sighed, almost feeling faint. Honestly, she was beginning to neglect herself. Suddenly, she thought she saw some one very familiar. Could it be Jasper? Had he come back.

Well, the figment was gone now. But his stature so lean and neat. It made her heart quicken. He had to be here. Wasn't he? She turned around as if he might sneak up on her. She moved to the right. Then the left. Oh, he always liked the left, didn't he?

There he stood in the maze. She ran to him. Then he was gone.

"JASPER! What are you  doing! Come quickly! Show your face! You know you are a coward!" Alice lunged into the path where she expected him to be.

Then she heard his laugh. Behind her. It gave her a shiver.

"Where are you? Please, stop playing games with me Jassie?" Alice quickened her step as if she might be the spy this time, but no, someone was there right, behind her. When she turned, she saw his face. He was identical to Jasper in ever way. Except for the dark satin locks. He was not pale. Just human.

"Who are you?" She demanded, trying her best to hide her teeth that couldn't help but want to fang him.

"Who are you?" He said right back with an open smile. "Do I know you?"

"Jasper, is that you?" She blinked. She reached to touch him, expecting he might be a just a ghost. But he was very alive. She could feel his pure pulse instantly, and they hadn't even touched.

"No. I'm not Jasper." His dark eyes stared at her deeply.

Alice suddenly feared him. She ran. Terribly, she felt so cold. It was as if he could have stabbed her with  his eyes. She feared to look at him long.

not a jolly old time

"You gave her pig's blood," Ziggy said in distaste as he helped his grand uncle clean up the mess afterwards. That was all he was good for, Ziggy was beginning to think.

"She hardly noticed." Mannie remained on task. It was like he had a plan of some kind. Still, Ziggy wasn't sure where he played into this, other than being boy Friday or some nonsense.

"What is it you want from me, again?" Ziggy hated washing dishes. There wasn't even a dishwasher in the old farm house. How did these people live. Well, they had feasted on Bella's Dad that he'd mixed in with the pigs blood. Mannie was very good at making things appear to be something different from what it really were. But still there was the manual labor to tend to, Ziggy got that part.

"Why, there is Alice, of course." Mannie smile so devilish then.

"Another one?"

"She's a vamp, you twit." Mannie made a face.

"What if I don't like her? Will you use magic on me?" Ziggy gave him a sullen look.

"If I must." Mannie didn't look to happy about it. "Just charm her. That's all I'm asking."

"And?"

"Well, I'm not saying she'd, eat you. That family very well thinks they can save the vamps of the world. Some shit like that. I just want you to make her forget him. You know, you're fresh meat." Now Mannie was being silly and Ziggy just couldn't get into it. Didn't Mannie know girls, were icky to him?

delectable

Bella woke up in a fog. She seemed to be doing that, a lot lately. Always in a dream state.

"Shouldn't I be in school?" She winced. Her head hurt, or was she just light headed? If she were a balloon she would have drifted off into a cloud. Of course, she felt gravity pulled her back to be in such an old ruffled thing she was in. She snarled her nose up at that.

"No, you're on holiday, silly." Well, Jasper was pleasant enough. It usually took just one kiss to put her in dreamland, but she didn't want a kiss. She didn't want to be sent into another orbit. She was beginning to think he'd abducted her. Is that what he'd done?

But..but..they were at her house. A wave of ugliness seeped in. Where was her father?

It was troubling.

"Everything is OK." He was all grins. It was as if he could sense it, and he wouldn't dare let her get too far away from ...his grasp.

His uncle had brought a feast before them. All of her favorites. A Thanksgiving spread of sorts with turkey and cranberries. Mashed potatoes. These were things she missed. Not that her mother ever made them. Nor her father, either. But it would be something she believed her grandmother would have made..if she'd ever gotten a chance to eat her meals. Well, that was another story. Her parents weren't in to grandparents. Her parents weren't even in to each other.

Her clumsy fingers came across the sweets. She picked up a chunk of fudge. "I don't like chocolate." She scowled.

"Who doesn't like chocolate?" Mannie shrieked back so playfully. She couldn't help but smile.

"She doesn't like chocolate, Uncle Mannie." Jas then looked at his uncle who looked all the more like a country doctor in his thin bow tie and black vest. He was like something out of an old western TV show.

"Doesn't like chocolate?" Mannie laughed. "Well, she should try one of these." Suddenly, there was a plump fresh strawberry dipped in something white. "Try this, me lady."

She hesitated, but once she tasted the delightfully sweet hazelnut, it was brilliant. Possibly she was having a foodie orgasm right now.

Suddenly, she breathed in the beauty of the food all around her. It was wonderful. It was spectacular. Execpt, an odd after taste. Was that blood on her tongue? It was. She looked at the red flesh of the strawberry. Could it be?

She looked at both of them, smiling back at her. She just couldn't disappoint them. She was hungry. Very hungry.

come closer

Jasper couldn't stop staring at Zigmond. It was so fascinating to see time practically stand still.

"How is this possible?" Jasper was still startled by the thought of seeing himself purely human. It was almost frightening.

"Well, you always were a lady's man, back in your day." Mannie bit a grin. "What can I say. I've kept the family together, pure and simple."

"You could have warned me." Jasper's eyes narrowed as he looked at his uncle.

"What? So you could have turned him, while he was still a boy?" Mannie gave Jasper an ugly glare as if not to cross him.

"Ye with little faith." Jasper festered a face then as he went to check on the one still asleep. She was practically a babe in the womb he thought.  Really, he knew it was evil work he did. It would be remarkable if she gave a fuck about him. Unlike, so many others.

"Well, she's not yours." He was quick to point out to Ziggy who had to take a look too.

"I'm not here to be any trouble. Really, I'm my uncle's assistant." Ziggy looked Jasper in the eye.

It pained Jasper to see his kin so fresh and not at all weary of what might become of him, some day. Mannie informed Jasper quick enough that Ziggy was a warlock, first and for most. "When the time comes, of course, I'll turn him. But hopefully by then he'll be wiser than the both of us."

"When have we ever been wise, dear uncle?" Jasper found himself laughing then. Hadn't they always gotten by on their good looks? Jasper wondered just what they needed Ziggy for.

not just a dream

"I'm still not sure where I fit, into all this?" Zigmon Hale pulled out a shovel out of the back of his trunk. He'd finally made his way to where Mannie had sent him. As it was, he did his uncle grunt work for him. Mannie's way of making sure he put in his dues if he wanted to learn everything Mannie knew about being a warlock.

It was always, "I'm afraid you're not there yet, me, lad." This was the line Ziggy had been hearing since he was practically a baby. This was his first road trip.

"Oh, you will my boy." Mannie gave him a slap on his shoulders. "Its time you met an ancestor of yours, my dear son."

Ziggy wasn't sure he was ready for this. It had mainly been just Mannie and him as long as he could remember. His uncle had raised him. He wasn't quite ready to share his uncle with just, anyone.

"Will you need the shovel?" Ziggy's dazzling dark eyes glared at Mannie.

"Only for protection. Keep it handy, just in case a foe finds his way in." Mannie showed him through the house. Ziggy kept the heavy shovel with him.

It was there in the parlor he took a glance of someone who could have been his exact self. Except he was blonde and kind of odd, like a ghost from a nightmare. He couldn't quite grow the edgy slim sideburns that Ziggy sported, who's hair was dark with satin curls.

"What did I tell you." Mannie smiled. "Like night and day."

"What do you mean?" Jasper winced.

"He was always a little dim witted." Mannie chuckled, giving Ziggy another pat on the back. "Come, meet your flesh and blood."

Ziggy sighed as a startled Jasper looked at him.

"I know its been a long time, but you really should get to know your great-great-great, oh hell, a really great grand-son." Mannie smiled then.

Ziggy winced hard almost with the laugh, "Isn't he suppose to be really old, Mannie?"