(A/N: This fanfic takes place near the end of New Moon, when Bella first sees Alice after all the months they were separated. Jacob has been completely cut out of this story - just imagine that he was never born, and Bella is exactly like she is at the start for the whole book. Alice left for Forks at the end of NM without telling anyone why she was going, meaning Rosalie never called Edward, and the whole confrontation in Italy with the Volturi never happened. Bella and Alice have spent about a week together, catching up...

I tried to keep this as close to the books as much as possible, so there will be lines from the books you'll all recognise. I've borrowed extensively from Stephenie Meyer's work; I take no credit for any of her lines. When I've used huge amounts from her work, I've made a note of it at the start of the chapter.)

CHAPTER ONE

It had been exactly a week since I had first seen Alice Cullen sitting in my hallway. After so long without having seen a vampire, I still couldn't believe that she was really here. She was like a Band-Aid for the deep fissures in my heart: nowhere near enough to erase the pain, but it helped staunch the bleeding. And I had lost far too much blood over the past months.

We sat on the couch; some chick flick was on that neither of us was really watching. Charlie was working late, and Alice had gone hunting earlier.

She sighed, and I put my head on her neck.

"You alright, Alice?"

She laughed, and I looked at her in confusion.

"Bella, you look like death warmed up, and you're asking me if I'm okay?"

I flinched. "You didn't answer my question."

"No, I didn't. But I'm fine, Bella, really."

Though my world was surrounded by a permanent haze nowadays, I was still observant enough to know that wasn't the case.

"No, Alice, you're not."

She rolled her eyes at me. "I just miss my family - well, I shouldn't complain, I know that's small beans compared to you, but I do miss Jasper especially."

Guilt and embarrassment turned my face red, and she looked at me in alarm.

"I know I hunted this morning, Bella, but try not to blush...?"

Ignoring that, I put a hand on the side of her face. "You're missing your family because of me... I feel so selfish."

She rolled her eyes again. "We can live without each other for a while... Listen, Bella, you're my best friend, and there's no doubt in my mind that you need me right now. So don't feel guilty, okay? I'm here because I want to be."

I shook my head. "But that's not going to last, is it? I mean, you have to go back sometime, Charlie will wonder why you're still here after a while, and even though I can't tell you how much I appreciate having you here, how much it's helping me, it's still not enough." I tightened my arms around my chest at the thought of her leaving again…

She looked thoughtful. "True..." Her mouth twisted as she turned toward the television, but I seriously doubted that she was actually watching it. I had experience reading her face.

"What, Alice?"

She shook her head. "Another time. Promise. Now's not it."

I narrowed my eyes, but acquiesced.

At that very moment, Alice's phone buzzed. She grinned as she opened it.

"Speak of the devil… Hi, Jasper."

I raised my eyebrows. Alice had left in a rush when she'd seen my cliff dive – hadn't told anyone, just got on a plane – and it seemed that Jasper was getting worried. I was surprised that it had taken him this long to call: he was always stupendously and unnecessarily overprotective when it came to his soul mate…

I tightened my arms over my chest, but I turned around to watch Alice's lovely face as she talked to Jasper.

"I'm absolutely fine, Jazz, I promise," she said, with a dainty roll of the eyes. "…I'm at Bella's."

There was a pause, which Alice quickly filled before Jasper could say anything.

"Look, I know he said to stay away, but this time last week I saw her jump off a cliff… No, she's absolutely fine… cliff diving… I know."

I didn't need to have vampire hearing to know what the questions being asked were.

"I am still here, Jasper, because… well, you should see her. She's nearly catatonic. She has trouble sleeping, all she does is scream when she does sleep. She's way too thin, her eyes have dark shadows under them. It's like her world is wrapped in cotton wool… she doesn't hear anything. And she's better since I came, I can't just leave…"

I shut my eyes. She had intended for me to hear this, I knew: she usually talked at vampire speed on the phone.

"Are you sure that's wise, Jasper? You'd be in a house with two humans… Well, okay, that might work… I know, I miss you too."

She looked at me. "Is it okay if he comes here? You don't have to say yes." But I nodded fervently: more vampires.

"She says it's fine with her. When can you get here? Okay, great."

She looked much happier, and so was I. It sounded like Jasper was coming too.

"And another thing… Yes, don't tell them, they can't all come back to Forks and he would rip me to shreds if he knew what I was doing."

I hadn't missed that she hadn't used Edward's name. She'd learned that it wasn't good for me, the first day she came here; it was so easy, with her in front of me, to imagine his pale, perfect form…

Agony ripped though me at the memory, but I pushed it away with difficulty.

"Just leave a note of some sort… Okay, perfect. See you tomorrow, Jasper. I love you."

She closed the phone and gave a happy sigh.