Disclaimer (READ ALLLLL OF ITTTTT): To my horrible dismay, I do not own the Twilight Saga or any of its characters; I just play with them. Stephenie Meyer (that lucky duck!) owns EVERYTHING. No copyright infringement intended!

To get the optimal effect of the beginning of this fanfic, go to imeem(dot)com and listen to "Clair De Lune" as you read.

(alice's pov.)

A bloodcurdling scream tore through my mind. I cringed, wishing I could close my eyes and escape, but I couldn't. I couldn't.

"Clair De Lune" was playing softly in the background. Edward, shaking violently, was curled on his leather couch, Bella in his arms. Her mocha hair was sticking to her sweaty forehead as another crying shriek escaped her throat. Her wet eyes darted frantically around my brother's face, every so often stroking his cheek with skaky, tortured hands or fingering his eyelids. But that soon stopped-- tears were running like rivers down her face now. Her cheek was pressed to my brother's chest, her arms folded tightly around his back, her trembling legs wrapped around his waist.

Edward kept stroking her hair, cringing into her shoulder. She was prepared-- she was clothed in a thin camisole and cotton shorts, her hair pulled into a now messy ponytail.

"Edward, it h-hu-hurts! It burns so bad-badly, E-Edward!" she screamed. "Help-p me! Help me, p-please! Please, Edward, help m-m-me!"

He sobbed silently, producing no tears. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I'm so sorry." He gritted his teeth and placed his clenched fists around her shoulders. His whole body was shaking uncontrollably. Keeping Bella in his granite arms, he laid down on his side, his calves dangling off the side of the sofa. Hers barely reached his knees. She stuck her tiny hands under his shirt and began grazing her fingers up and down, again and again. My brother's breathing was ragged and uneven. She screamed, animal-like, again, her fingers knotted against his chest. He stroked the entire length of her back with unsteady, quavering palms while sobbing wildly. He kissed her nose and whispered unintelligibly to her.

He sobbed again, tying his gaze to hers. "I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you."

She just nodded and shrieked again, wailing.

Carlisle peeked inside, morosely eyeing the anguished, agonized couple suffering on the couch.

Edward met his gaze with tortured golden eyes. He sighed shakily, Bella's tears staining his face.

"M-M-More morphine... p-please."

I gasped as I floated back down to reality. I was in Jasper's lap on the floor of our room, his arms wrapped comfortingly around my back.

He sighed quietly. "That was a rough one."

I stayed silent and just inhaled and exhaled slowly, taking in his comforting scent and welcoming the feeling of ease into my body.

"Alice, can you tell me what happened?"

I gulped. "Not right now," I whispered.

He didn't respond; Jasper just kept stroking my back.

Suddenly, I could hear a car pull up into the drive-- Edward. I looked up at Jasper with wild eyes.

"He's going to change her," I murmured. "It's definite now. Don't say anything to him."

I caught one glance at Jasper's frantic expression before I bolted down the stairs to meet Edward at the door.

Smiling grandly, he quietly shut the front door-- he was coming in late. Still grinning from ear to ear, he plopped on the ivory sofa, running his hands through his hair. He laughed, looked at me with sparkling midnight-colored eyes, and then patted the seat on the couch next to him. I gulped quietly, trying so hard not to let him pick up on the waves of anxiety that were pouring off of me like a summer rain.

Twiddling my fingers, I dropped down onto the white couch. Should I tell him about the intense vision I had? Shouldn't I?

I smiled faintly and turned to look at his expression-- it was a sweet, innocent one, like a little boy who just found a dollar in his pocket.

"Alice, you'll never believe what happened today!"

I rolled my eyes. "I already saw, Edward. You found silk boxers on sale at J. Crew and yo--"

I was interrupted by a fit of laughter coming from my youngest brother. Was Emmett the one I saw doing that? "Well, yeah, that too, but this has to do with Bella."

Bella. The mere mention of her name sent violent shivers down my spine due to my most recent vision.

Crap. He noticed that. He gripped my tiny shoulders and looked into my eyes. "What's wrong, Alice?"

I worked up by best fake smile and gently removed his grip. "Nothing, Edward. Keep going, I want to hear what happened."

"You don't already know?"

"I didn't have a vision of anything happening." Of anything that happened that wasn't extremely emotional and painful.

He grinned again like a young child. "It was a snap decision-- that's probably why."

I giggled. "Edward Cullen made a 'snap' decision? It's a miracle, everyone!"

Embarrassed, he shook his fingers through his hair. "Well, Bella and I went to the meadow today, and I-- well, I decided... to give in... to her requests." He was having trouble telling this to his married sister. I could hear Jasper, the love of my life, shuffling around nervously upstairs.

Trying to remain upbeat, I decided to embarrass him a little more by playing dumb. "Her requests? What were her 'requests,' Edward?"

He bit his lip while his eyes surveyed the room, trying to think of a way to phrase this appropriately. "Um, well, uh... Bella, um, wants to do something, uh... with me... while she's... still human--"

I chuckled and pushed his shoulder playfully. "I'm kidding. I know what she wants Edward, that's for sure. Keep going."

He smiled shyly. "Anyway, I decided that I was... going to do it with her today. I mean, it was a beautiful day, the flowers were all bloomimg, I was in a good mood, she was in a good mood because I was in a good mood, and yeah... um, I... started kissing her, and then you know what she said?"

I loved Edward. He was still so naive and innocent. I smiled. "No. What did she say?"

He positioned himself so he was sitting on his knees. "She said that she wanted to do it 'the right way.'" He used air quotes. Edward chuckled and continued, shaking his head in disbelief. "She almost stripped herself down the other night and now she wants to wait!" He smiled again and laughed.

I grinned. "She's a piece of work."

"That's an understatement."

I sighed and took his long fingers in mine. "Edward..." I began.

He frowned slightly and his black eyes were now worried. "I knew something was wrong," he whispered.

I attached my gaze to his. "I had a vision today, and I think you should know about it."

He stayed silent while his expression became hard and emotionless. I summoned Jasper down from upstairs, who was immediately at my side, waiting for any violent reaction from Edward, just in case. I watched his anxious eyes dart from face to face, but he still stroked my leg reassuringly since my hands were occupied with my brother's.

Edward spoke up again, his voice slightly shaky. "What happened, Alice?"

I did my best to keep my expression composed. "I saw that you have made a very important decision, even if you don't know it yet."

He responded by continuing to glare at me.

"Bella and y-you were in your room, on th-the couch... a-and you, um, j-just... turned... her."

Suddenly, he sighed, and gently removed his hands from mine. His lips trembled almost unnoticeably. Not meeting mine or Jasper's gaze, he turned solemnly and trudged up the stairs, from where I could hear his bedroom door close quietly.

Jasper climbed onto the couch with me. He gave me a kiss and rubbed circles with his thumbs on my hands.

"I wasn't expecting that," he murmured. "What do you think he's doing? What do you think that quiet little departure meant?"

"I don't know," I whispered. "He's obviously troubled. I really want to know what went on in that meadow today."

"Me too. Was he planning on turning her?"

"Maybe. I'd have to ask him."

"Go ahead. I'll wait outside the door for you."

"I love you, Jasper."

He smiled. "I love you too, Mary Alice. Let's go."

He took my hand and I led him up the stairs to our brother's room. I knocked quietly and waited for any kind of response.

"Come in, Alice," he whispered. His voice was hurt.

I turned the crystal doorknob and entered his dark room. Edward was sitting crosslegged on the floor, fingering a pile of CDs laid out in front of him.

I stepped over to his leather couch and sat down daintily, clutching a throw pillow. His back was to me.

"Did you need something?" I could hear the clatter of the CDs being shuffled around.

I ignored his nonchalant greeting and got down to business. "Edward Anthony, tell me what happened in that meadow today. I mean everything-- even the gritty details."

"I'll tell you," he mumbled, laying down on the couch. It was long enough that it could comfortably fit both of us. He began to whisper. "But I don't want anyone overhearing, especially Emmett."

I gasped and adopted his quiet tone. "You don't want anyone overhearing?! Edward Cullen, are you less of a goody-two-shoes than I think you are?" I laughed mischievously.

He was angry now. "Bella and I didn't do anything, Alice. You wanted to know everything, right?"

"Every single detail."

He sighed. "Well, as I said, I took Bella to the meadow today. It was a really stupid idea-- I haven't hunted in ages... but anyway, I told her that my deal was off-- that I would s-still turn her, we didn't have to be married before we could... well, y'know. I figured that Carlisle could give her lots of morphine so that when she was... changed, it wouldn't hurt as badly. I started kissing her-- I really meant what I said. Bella pushed me away, so I was really confused. I told her that, um, that I finally wanted to give in to her demands. She said that she wanted to be responsible and go 'in the right order.' Bella explained that she was following all of the rules. So yeah, Alice. We didn't do anything. I promise."

I chuckled. "Edward, this is you and Bella we're talking about, right? You definitely did something."

"Okay, I'll admit it was something."

"So, I suppose it's official now, right? She's is going to be a vampire with us." I was more than eager for Bella to join the Cullen family. She was my second sister-- my best, truest friend.

Suddenly, he sat up and wrapped his arms around his knees. I scooted down the sofa and rested my head on his shoulder.

"What's wrong, Edward?"

He shifted his ebony eyes towards me quickly and returned his gaze to his socked feet. "I'm just a little unnerved. I was hoping that Bella and I could find some other way to be together forever without turning her into a soulless monster, but I guess there's no other way. I mean, you had a vision about it, so it's basically inevitable, right?"

I turned my body so that he couldn't avoid my black gaze. "My visions aren't perfect, Edward, but if Bella becomes one of us, she'll be with you forever. She'll stay at your side for all eternity."

He smiled slightly. "I'd like that," he whispered.

"We're not soulless monsters, brother. The Volturi are." I hoped they heard that.

He chuckled quietly and wrapped his arms around me. A hug. "Thank you, Alice," he whispered.

I kissed his forehead and hugged him back. "I love you, Edward. Talk to me if you need anything. I mean it."

He released me and I began walking to the large, double-door entrance to his bedroom.

"Love you too, Alice."

I smiled and shut the door, and my worries, behind me.