1. Newborn red and Ice blue
All feelings—good and bad—fused to form two solid emotions: pain and wonder.
Only twenty long seconds ago, Bella was upright and laughing, living. Now she was draped across our long wooden table like a corpse—just that. She was a corpse. Blood covered her bare body, the hands of my brother and Carlisle's.
I had set down candles all around the house—scented ones to keep the smell down—to help keep peace, but it still was the worst sight to see: my best friend, my only human friend lying on our table, drawing ragged last breaths. It hurt, and everyone around me understood that. Two visions played at the corner of my eyes, but I pushed them away, just incase Carlisle or Edward needed me. The smell in the air was an odd combination. It was a mixture of blood, chemicals, my candles and a faint smell of wet dog. Huh.
Everything looks under control, so I decide to play one of the visions, but still keeping my senses on the real world.
Bella crouching against the wall… eyes newborn-red. Beauty that makes super models envy her every aspect. Rose and I standing behind Jasper and Emmet, looking at Bella. Edward and Bella kissing.
I smile. This vision I liked, but something isn't right. I look back at the vision… She was not dressed properly, as usual. I'll give her one of my old blue silk dresses; she'll need it. My smile grew as I envision Edward smiling at her like never before. I give a happy sigh. I pushed the happy vision away and played the other one.
Bella is still on the table, blood dried on every inch of her skin. Still human. No heartbeat found. Everyone was standing around the table, me included. Edwards lifeless, yet pain twisted face staring at his motionless lover. Dry sobs escaping Esme's perfectly curved lips. Rosalie's blank expression, like her brother, mixed with what seemed to be silent fury. Jasper in the other room, sitting on the white coach with his elbows resting on his knees and hands twisted in his hair. Carlisle pacing back and forth.
I threw myself out of the vision. My breath came ragged and not patterned just like Bella.
Bella!
I could hear bones being agonizingly torn apart, snapping. I cringed.
Seconds later the smell of wet dog became stronger. The smell consumes the other scents of morphine and blood. I scrunch my nose up and turn by back to the smell.
Jacob Black comes tearing into the front door; his smell hit me like a blow from a bomb.
"The placenta must have detached!" Carlisle said urgently, but not yelling.
Edward and Carlisle were frantically working over her, trying to fix her.
"The morphine—" Edward started.
"Get him out!" Bella screamed. "He can't breathe! DO IT NOW!"
Edward ignored Bella's plea, and finds the morphine.
"No! Now—" Suddenly Bella's voice cut off as he injected the morphine once again into her blood stream.
If I were able to cry, I'd be on the floor sobbing.
No time for crying, Alice, Bella needs you. I tell myself. She needs you.
On the outside, I composed a mask of calmness, — which I almost believed myself—but on the inside, every inch of me was screaming.
"You stay with me now, Bella!" The dog's voice boomed. "Do you hear me? Stay! Keep your heart beating!"
The dog had a point. I want her heart to stay beating as long as she is human.
"Mongrel," I growled under my breath. I noticed how he said 'stay with me' not us.
Bella reacted with a slight jolt of her body as he spoke. I tried to see Bella, try to see if she was going to make it, but all I got was black. I half-sighed, half-growled. I dashed into the other room to find my beautiful Jasper tense, his body rigid.
"Jasper, I saw—"
"Alice, I know. I felt it in the atmosphere." Jasper sighs. "I really hope it's the first vision, Alice. I really do. I don't want Edward to be as…" He paused. "Lifeless, like he was when he thought Bella had—"
"Shh. It'll be over in three days. Only three. I think we can make it." I interrupt him before he starts blaming himself again when Edward left Bella.
"But we're not sure if Bella will." Jasper finished for me.
"We can only watch and do what we can."
We both sit thinking about what we just said when suddenly Edward's voice breaks the silence.
"Renesmee,"
Renesmee?
Jasper and I dash into the room.
Bella's hands shake as she slowly reaches for her baby. "Let me… Give her to me…" Her voice trails off.
Edward lightly pressed Renesmee into her weak arms, and lightly let go.
Bella smiled, although it was a weak one, she crooned "Renesmee. So… beautiful,"
Renesmee turned over and rested in her arms, but then bit her on her left breast. Bella gasped wildly.
In a flash, I dashed over to Bella and snatched Renesmee out of her arms. I gave her to Edward; Renesmee twisted and struggled in my arms as I passed her to her father.
"Thank you, Alice," Edward whispered so low so I could only hear.
I nodded.
Jasper touched my arm, and we both head back upstairs. We go into my room and lied down on my bed. I curl up against Jasper, hugging myself to him.
"Alice, she'll be alright. Don't worry. Edward and Carlisle know what they're doing. We can only watch and do what we can." Jasper quoted me.
I smile softly. He was right we could only sit back and watch—watch Bella in her raggedy old clothing! I jump up off the bed.
Jasper sits up, raising one eyebrow at me in confusion.
"Bella's not going to wake up bare-naked, is she?" My mood suddenly became light and airier because of Jasper.
He shakes his head.
"Well I'm going to go find her an outfit." I turn to go into my closet, but then stop and whirl around again. "Stay," I command.
"Yes ma'am."
I dance around my closet, looking in and out of drawers and shelves. I smiled with satisfaction as I pull out my knee length, ice-blue silk dress. Squared neckline, spaghetti straps, with a deeper blue sash around the waist.
I looked at the four shelves of shoes and tapped my foot. So many shoes to choose from. I ended up choosing my silver strappy stilettos. They never did fit me. I drape the dress over my forearm and dance out of the closet to my beloved Jasper, shoes dangling in my other hand.
"Come on, we have a fashion show to put on." Saying that, I dash down stairs.
I made Jasper turn his back to give her privacy as I dressed her. I slip the silky dress down her body, after adding undergarments. I laced the silver stilettos on to her feet, and stood back to admire my work.
I whispered to Jasper to come and see, my voice too filled with joy to speak in normal volume.
He smiled and bent down to kiss me, murmuring how I always know what's best.
I heard Carlisle and Edward talking in the next room. I only heard bits and pieces of what they said; Jasper was distracting me.
"Still no change?"
"None."
"There's no scent of morphine left."
"I know." I heard a sigh.
I tugged at Jasper's sleeve to walk to the side of the room.
Edward walked in beside Carlisle, both of their expressions serious.
Edward put his hand in hers and murmured, "Bella? Can you hear me?"
No answer.
"Bella? Bella, love? Can you open your eyes? Can you squeeze my hand?" He tried again.
Silence.
Edward's expression saddened.
"Maybe…Carlisle, maybe I was too late." His voice broke on the last word.
I tried to see into Bella's future, but everything was blurry for two reasons: One—things were still undecided, and two—the dog was still here.
"Listen to her heart Edward. It's stronger than even Emmet's was. I've never heard anything be so vital. She'll be perfect."
My faith wavered for a second hearing Bella's heart. However, Carlisle was right. She will be perfect.
Edward sucked a deep breath in. "And her—her spine?"
Carlisle turned towards him. He meant what he said. "Her injuries weren't so much worse than Esme's. The venom will heal her as it did Esme."
I relaxed—partly because of Jasper.
Edward seemed like he didn't hear a word he said. "But she's so still. I must have done something wrong." He hung his head in shame.
"Or something right, Edward. Son, you did everything I could have and more. I'm not sure I would have had the persistence, the faith it took to save her. Stop berating yourself. Bella is going to be fine."
"She must be in agony." Edward's voice was just a whisper now. He was so sure that he had killed her. Jaspers arms tightened around me when I sighed.
"We don't know that. She had so much morphine in her system. We don't know the effect that will have on her experience."
Edward felt her heartbeat on the crease of her elbow and her wrist.
"Bella, I love you. Bella, I'm sorry." A broken whisper escaped Edward's lips.
I turned to Jasper and quietly whispered, "Jazz, go and take the dog out for a walk for me, please? I need to see."
Jasper nodded, brushed his lips on mine one more time, and took off.
"No, I'm staying right here." Edward answered Carlisle's thought. "They'll sort it out."
"An interesting situation and I thought I had seen just about everything." Carlisle's face looked confused and thoughtful.
What were they talking about?
Everything seemed so muffled when Edward answered other's thoughts. I never got use to it.
"I wonder what Bella will think—who's side she'll take," Carlisle gave a secretive smile.
Edward chuckled. "I'm sure she'll surprise me. She always does."
Carlisle left, and Edward spotted me for the first time. Shocker.
I danced to Edward's side. It looked like he wanted to talk.
"How much longer?" Edward sighed.
"It won't be long now," I smiled. "See how clear she's becoming? I can see her so much better." I sighed. I'm glad Jasper took care of the mutt.
"Still feeling a little bitter?"
I glared at him. "Yes, thanks so much for bringing it up. You would be mortified too, if you realized that you were handcuffed by your own nature. I see vampires best," I started, Edward annoyed, "because I am one. I see humans okay, because I was one, but I can't see these odd half-breeds and these mongrels because I've never been one! Bahhh!"
"Focus, Alice."
I shook my head. "Right. Bella is almost too easy to see now."
I peeked into the future, seeing Bella's eyes open, glowing red. Her is skin porcelain looking next to my blue dress.
Edward sighed happily. He saw what I saw.
"She's really going to be fine,"
It was not a question, but I answered anyway, "Of course she is."
He raised a skeptical eyebrow at me. "You weren't so sanguine two days ago."
"I couldn't see right two days ago. But now that she's free of all the blind spots," I pictured Black and Renesmee, "it's a piece of cake." I smiled.
Edward glanced at the clock. "Can you concentrate for me? On the clock—give me an estimate."
I sighed. "So impatient," I shake my head. "Fine. Give me a sec—"
I concentrated. The clock—Bella standing with Edward—half an hour.
"Thank you, Alice." He smiled softly. It was so nice to see him happy again. He's been through twice as much as I have.
I looked down at Bella. "She's going to be dazzling." I look back up at him.
Edward growled and rolled his eyes at me. "She's always has been."
I snorted at him. "You know what I mean." I look down at her pale face. "Look at her."
Edward looked down at her, then back up at me, his eyes wanting something…
I pressed my lips together. I force a vision out. I knew he was watching.
Bella is standing by Edward's side hugging him happily, while everyone watches. They kiss, Emmett clears his throat in annoyance, and I chuckle.
Edward smiled, his eyes far away, probably replaying my vision.
I heard Rosalie and Emmett watching TV downstairs. Baseball.
"It's my turn," Rosalie snapped at Emmett.
He growled his response. "Hey, now,"
She hissed.
Emmett was watching baseball, but Rose wanted to watch something lame like a makeover program.
I rolled my eyes silently.
Then suddenly Bella's heartbeat started to accelerate.
Edward's eyes came back to life and said through tight lips, "Carlisle."
I frowned again.
Carlisle entered the room, his expression unreadable.
I danced over to him and told him—so quietly so nobody could here—that everything was going to be fine. I had a vision of it. He nodded.
I followed behind Carlisle.
"Listen," Edward said.
Only silence—except for Bella's heartbeat, pounding like helicopter blades.
"Ah, it's almost over." He said calmly.
We all relaxed.
"Soon," I agreed with a smile. "I'll get the others. Should I have Rosalie…?"
Carlisle knew what I was talking about. "Yes—keep the baby away."
We all stopped and listened to Bella's frantic heart. I bit my lip.
Bella's fingers twitched for the slightest second, but we all caught it.
Nobody breathed.
"Bella? Bella, love?" He squeezed her strained fingers.
Everyone seemed to tense up again. I needed to get Jasper and the others before she woke up.
"I'll bring them right up," my voice came out harder than intended, and then I skipped out of the room to get the others from down stairs.
I could still hear Bella's heart even down stairs. I'd better hurry.
I cleared my throat. Nobody noticed. I tapped my foot.
"It's time." I announced, slightly annoyed.
Everyone looked up, intense. I skipped up stairs with everyone following right behind.
I stopped and turned around swiftly; snarls coming from them directed my way.
"Don't blink," I said simply, and danced off again.
