If I Were A Vampire
Set during New Moon when Alice returns to Forks in order to see if Bella is alive, after her terrifying vision.
Alice/Bella

Chapter One:

My knees trembled for a second, and I nearly fell. Then I hurled myself at her.

"Alice, oh Alice!" I cried as I slammed into her.

I'd forgotten how hard she was; it was like running headlong into a wall of cement.

"Bella?" There was a strange mingling of relief and confusion in her voice.

I locked my arms around her, gasping to inhale as much of the scent of her skin as possible. It wasn't like anything else – not floral or spice, citrus or musk. No perfume in the world could compare.

"I'm…sorry," I blubbered. "I'm just…so happy…to see you!"

"It's okay, Bella. Everything's okay."

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I bustled around the kitchen in a happier mood than I'd been in months. Although it didn't replace the gaping hole in my chest that seemed to rip further at the thought of him. I still didn't understand how he could just leave like that; how he possibly decided that it would benefit my life – I was sure he must've lost his mind, or he truly didn't want me anymore. That was the only realistic conclusion. He was moving on. This hurt too much to even contemplate, so I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to block out the aching inside my body. They'd all just abandoned me.

"Bella?"

I heard Alice's quiet voice from the doorway and spun around to face her; and her calm, bright face soothed me at once.

"Morning." I said glumly, as she advanced to kiss me on the cheek. I was amazed at how her smooth pale lips sparked an adrenaline rush. I felt my heart thud louder with every passing second.

"How are you feeling?" Alice replied, scrutinising me carefully with her warm liquid topaz eyes. They reminded me so much of Edward's, that I forgot to look away and respond to her question. She paused, "Uh…Bella?"

"Huh?" I shook my head and gave her a small smile. "Better…especially now that you're here. I was afraid none of you would ever return."

I took my bowl of cereal from the counter top and followed her into the loungeroom where her sofa bed was set up; which she sat upon, while she spoke.

"We weren't going to," She reminded me, "None of the other family know I'm here…least of all Edward, he'd tear my head off." His name ripped another painful groove through my crummbling heart. "But I had to return, after…well, what I saw…I thought you were dead."

I looked up at her face and was surprised to see her staring at the carpet, twiddling her thumbs absent-mindedly. She was biting her lip softly and I was intruiged to find that I couldn't look away. Her expression and her scent made me dizzy with an unknown anticipation that I couldn't quite place.

"What is it Al?" I asked slowly. She breathed slowly and looked into my eyes as I spooned mushed cereal into my mouth. Once again I was transfixed embarassingly by her gaze and subconciously dropped my spoon into my plate, still chewing.

"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you Bella." She said, her voice silkly, like velvet; suddenly serious. "I honestly don't think I could handle it."

This caught me off balance and I abandonned my bowl, moving closer to her instinctively, to wrap my arms around her and pull her into a warm, tight hug; after all she was the closest thing I knew to sanity at the moment – aside from Jacob who was practically Alice's enemy so it was good to have someone else to be around – another very different type of best friend.

I felt Alice stiffen slowly as I hugged her with exeuberance, relief flooding through every pore, glad that she valued my life more than I did at the present time – but then her body relaxed and she basically melted into my arms, neck still a little rigid in caution.

I felt so safe in her arms, so protected. I knew she was someone I could trust, confide my feelings in, although I wasn't good with the emotional stuff except when it came to Edward. I buried my face in her neck, nuzzling, letting all the pain of the last few months just wash away in the mesmerising scent of Alice's skin. It was impossible to be gloomy around such a cheerful woman.

"It's been a long time." Alice sighed into my hair; and momentarily I thought I felt her kiss my head, "I've forgotton how unbelievably good you smell."

I felt the blood rush to my face as she said this and I drew back to stare into her eyes again. Unimaginable feelings were welling up inside me and I couldn't decide whether it was just plain strong friendship, or unexplained embarassment that she complimented me so decidedly – it had already been enough having one perfectly flawless Cullen make me feel like the luckiest person alive. Alice's flattery was almost overwhelming.

"I-I'm just glad you're here." I stuttered, trying to catch my breath as her stunning eyes knocked the wind of me, "You will stay won't you? We have so much to catch up on."

"I'll stay for as long as you'll have me." Alice smiled her gorgeous smile and I was immediately comforted.

I wouldn't lose her just yet.

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That night, I awoke with a jolt.

Sitting up in bed breathing heavy, I found my singlet soaked with a light layer of perspiration. This night mare had been unlike any other I'd experienced in all the months I'd been alone, away from Edward, trying to recover from the tragic results of his departure.

This nightmare, dream rather; had been one of desire, passion and lust…one I would normally have craved for, just to taste a glimpse of him. Except it wasn't of Edward.

That fact had shaken me more than any other, it'd been of Alice.

And in some twisted way, I hadn't wanted the dream to end.
It had comforted me, to dream of having her hold me so close, regardless of her struggles to not drink my blood, the images of my newly-formed dream flashed across my brain as I closed my eyes and settled back against the pillow – trying to calm my fast-beating heart.

Her fingers gripped my back and pulled me closer, harder against her body.

Her breath against my face almost stunned me; it lulled me into such a state of ecstatic desire that it left me barely breathing. She pressed herself against me, breathing down my neck softly sending a ripple of goosebumps to tear across my pale skin. My stomach twisted harshly as I looked into her golden eyes, her mouth slowly approaching mine with every second. I turned my face away, shy and anxious. But her smooth fingers comforted me and turned my face back to hers and I closed my eyes; as her lips decended upon mine…

The soft scratching of branches against my window pane made me jerk back to reality. I found that my heart was beating again, furiously within my ribcage – I was sure it would wake the whole house. What did it mean?

Why was I having these profound thoughts? Did it insinuate that I was possibly attracted to Alice; or was it just the closeness and relief overtaking my senses and her liquid eyes that reminded me so much of Edward?

What was I going to do?!