I was in the car with Jasper on the way back from Seattle. I had dragged him shopping, yet again. He wasn't very happy about it, but he knew that at times like these a new wardrobe was just the thing to cheer me up. I sat back and closed my eyes, my ears ringing with the sounds of Death Cab For Cutie. If I could actually sleep, I'd have probably been out like a light. The singer's voice was low and soothing and the music that accompanied it helped to calm my nerves that much more. We had been preparing for what was ahead. Victoria, Riley, the new borns, the battle. I wasn't exactly looking forward to it, but I was getting used to all of the hub-bub that had happened since Bella stumbled, quite literally, into our lives. I breathed in deeply as my eyes slowly slid back open and peered out the window. I watched the trees as we drove past them at speeds above the legal limit. If Bella complained about Edward's driving, she would have been in tears while in a car with Jasper. He was doing almost a hundred in a 35mph zone and he never really bothered slowing down for the curves. Sometimes he'd drive in the wrong lane, on purpose, so that he could drive faster, when he'd take the turns. Boys sure did love their cars.
"You know, Jas, as long as we've been in Forks, it seems the scenery never gets old. Is it me or does it get prettier as the time passes?"
I turned my head to look at him. I couldn't help but smile sweetly. I had been with him for so long and I still I smiled when I looked at him. I didn't think I could have chosen a more attractive person for my mate. He was perfect in every way possible. As a gentleman, a husband and a lover. I was starting to realize I was thinking everything I was thinking because I was feeling wearier as we neared the fight. We were unprepared and were playing everything by ear. Sure, we had a plan and the pack at our side, but that wasn't enough to ease my nerves. I moved my hand to Jasper's lap and let it rest there. His hand took mine and he interlocked our fingers together, giving it a tight squeeze. He could sense what I was feeling, something a vampire very rarely felt. Fear.
"Well, darlin'," he said with a sigh. "I think I have to agree with you. I think it is becoming more beautiful. You know why?" He asked.
"No, tell me?" I answered, still looking in his direction. My smile was long gone, though.
"Everything we have gone through in the past three years, between Bella, Edward, Jacob and the pack, the Volturi." He paused and continued, his eyes glancing at me for just a moment before returning to the road. "It's given Forks a certain, special meaning to us. I mean, sure the other places we've lived, Alaska, England, Canada, they all had something special, but it was never anything like this. We've never had a human come into our family, accept us like we were one of them, fall in love with one of us, get tracked by one of us. We were never involved with the citizens in any of them. We never lost lives, made friends." He smirked. "Get what I'm sayin', sugar?"
I listened to Jasper closely as he spoke. He couldn't have been more right. We had never really made any kind of connection to the places we had lived in the past. We never had anything to tie our emotions to. Well, as much emotion as us vampires could feel anyway. We'd never gotten involved with the human population. We had isolated ourselves and our existence was rarely made known unless the high school kids were talking about us.
I was getting sick of that, by the way, but it was never going to change.
I nodded in agreement and let my thumb brush lightly over his. My head fell back against the seat again and my eyes close once more. I sighed deeply and adjusted my legs, crossing one over the other. I couldn't seem to sit still. I felt his hand squeeze mine again, almost as if he were trying to keep me awake. It was sweet of him, but I didn't know what anyone could do to calm me down.
"You're scared," He stated matter of factly. I couldn't get around him when it came to my feelings, especially at times like these. It friggin' sucked. "You have nothing to be afraid of and even if you are, you've got me. I know what I'm doin'."
"I know you do, love." I knew he had experience with newborns and had guided armies of them into battle and chaotic riots. I hated to doubt him. I felt guilty for it. I just had this gut feeling, like something was going to go horribly wrong. I opened my eyes again and averted their attention to my husband."I just have an uneasy feeling about this is all. You might know what you're doing, but what about the others? Carlisle? Emmett? Edward? Myself? Esme? I feel like a day or two of training isn't really going to do us much good."
I doubted everybody, but this feeling that had stolen my attention for the last twenty minutes was going to killing me.
"I'm half tempted to try and see into the future right now."
"Why don't you?" He asked, chuckling.
"I'm afraid of what I'll see. If I'm meant to know, it will come to me. If there was anything dire, something probably would come to me. I just hoped it was sooner than later."
"Well, that's your choice, Alice."
I left the conversation at that and snuggled back against the seat. I pulled my legs up and placed my feet on the dashboard to sit a bit more comfortably. I was silent for most of the ride home. My mind couldn't help but to try and force itself into the future. I was doing my best to hold back, but it was inevitable. Within minutes of our conversation I was sent spiraling forward into the future. My eyes widened slightly, something I always had a habit of doing. It was as if it helped me see more clearly. In reality, it did nothing except for make me look like a bug. At least there was one tell-tale way to know I was having a vision. The images started to flood my mind and went in a quick series of events.
The first was all of us, except Edward, in the baseball field. The battle had already begun and we were doing pretty well. The training had done its trick, despite the fact that it had been on very short notice and mildly practiced. I was pleased with this, so I smiled slightly. The next few images were not so great and it took every inch of my self control not to scream or make a sound. It was of Bella and Edward, on what looked like a mountain peak, and Victoria and her sick, little minion along with one of the wolves. It wasn't Jacob though; I hadn't seen this wolf before.
It flashed suddenly to Bella purposely cutting herself to catch their attention. "NO!" I screamed, unable to hold it back. Jasper slowed the car down and I could hear him asking me what was wrong, but the images were still coming wave after wave. I saw Edward in Victoria's grip, the werewolf passed out or dead, and Bella running for her life. I saw Victoria chasing after her. Where was Riley? What happened to Edward? The vision rolled forward and it was us standing in the field, fires blazing. I counted the people standing there and three were missing.
"Oh God." I covered my mouth and if I could cry, I tears would be rolling down my cheeks.
"What?" Jasper pulled the car over, concerned for my mental safety. He wanted to make sure I wasn't going to do anything irrational, which was understandable.
I took in a sharp breath and frowned. My facial features told the story, but my emotions spoke more fluently. I had counted the numbers and recognized the faces. I shook my head in shock and my eyebrows narrowed. I was about to be sick. I didn't know how to tell him, but I couldn't keep it a secret. I knew my emotions were far too strong to keep to myself. I trusted Jasper and I desperately needed his advice. There were only two things that came to mind. Telling the others or keeping it a secret between the two of us. I knew my visions were usually correct and could not be avoided.
" Alice, why are you feeling remorse right now?"
I stayed quiet a moment and waited for him to ask again. It would give me time to muster the courage to say the words without sounding like I was going to hurt everyone on purpose.
"Alice?" He said with a more stern and serious voice. I had to tell him.
"It's Esme and Edward. They're.. they're going to die. Not just them, Jacob too." I watched him as he tried to reach for his phone, but my hand moved, grabbing his wrist. "Don't tell them." I don't know exactly where the words had come from, but they felt like the right thing to say. Instinct, perhaps. He looked at me strangely, like a puppy who may have accidentally peed on the carpet or chewed on a very expensive piece of furniture. "I don't want to tell everyone. Let me talk to Esme and Edward alone first and see what they think."
"What is there to think? We should tell them, stop it from happening before it-"
"Shh, Jas," I said, placing a finger on his lips. "Listen to me, for one second, please?" I pleaded. He nodded silently.
"I hate to say this and I know it is going to make me sound full of myself, but when have my vision's been wrong?" I wanted his honest answer, but I already knew what it would be. I dropped my finger from his lips to let him speak.
"Never as of lately, but you haven't had a vision like this. This could be easily avoided if we come up with a new plan, and fast."
"What was that?"
"Never as of lately," He repeated.
"Do you really think we should continue to mess with fate? We've toyed with it enough as it is and look at where it has gotten us! Edward messed with Bella's and now we're in over our heads and we're never going to recover from it. The entire time we've been playing with it, changing it, molding it. Fate is not meant to be messed with when it comes to two things, love and death. I know that much. I'm sure Esme and Edward will agree as well. I know they will," I said, sounding sure of myself, but that didn't mean I actually felt the same way.
"Did you have a vision about them talking to you?" He had to question me.
"No, but I've got a feeling, Jas. Just like I had a bad feeling earlier, before I got the vision."
Jasper decided it was safe to start driving again so he turned the ignition and placed the car in drive. He was driving a little slower, most likely to give us more time to talk about the vision. He knew I had a point; it was something I could sense. It was time to start doing things differently. Something had to change. I wasn't saying that I regretted having Bella come into our lives. That was the opposite. She was my best friend and sister and she was going to be my brother's mate. When I looked over at Jasper, I could tell he was angry with me. He didn't exactly agree. If I didn't win him over he would tell everyone else. We fell silent again, but he eventually broke the silence. His curiosity was getting the best of him.
"What did you see, exactly?" He brought his hand back over to mine again. This time our hands were sitting on my thigh instead of his.
"I saw Bella bleeding and getting chased by Victoria. Edward was in the hands of Riley. It wasn't until after I did a head count at the end of my vision that I noticed not only Edward was not there, but Esme and Jacob as well. You, myself, Rosalie, Carlisle, Emmett and Bella were all standing around the fire at the end of the battle. We were all quiet and all I could feel was a sickening sense of remorse." I flared my nostrils in disgust.
"Unless we know their exact plan of action.."
"We can't help it?" He finished my sentence.
"Pretty much, Jasper." I frowned.
"When are you going to talk to Edward and Esme?"
He began to speed once again. This meant I was probably convincing him to keep this a secret, at least until I spoke to Esme and Edward.
"I'm going to see if I can get them to go hunting alone with me tonight. I'll speak to them both. Esme will probably take it better than Edward will, and if Edward gets out of hand I know Esme can keep him calm and help him see clearly. I would have you come, but I'm afraid you might .. cloud their emotions for the sake of them not feeling.. well, y'know. I want their honest answers."
"I know and I understand. I promise you I won't say anything. It will be their decision and I will do my best to keep this between you and I. Soldiers promise."
Eventually we reached the house and I got a chance to invite Esme and Edward to go hunting with me. Okay, maybe I set them up. I told them each separately that I wanted quality time hunting with each of them, alone. They would figure out something was up when they met me at our usual hunting grounds and saw each other. I would worry about that later. For now? I had to figure out what I was going to tell them and how. I would have to try and voice my opinion without sounding like I wanted them to die. Maybe I wouldn't have to say anything to them at all about it and they would just accept what was going to happen. That was unlikely though, Esme was married to Carlisle and Edward had been planning on marrying Bella. He wouldn't go without a fight.
It dawned on me that we had to get out of here. If Edward came home and read our minds this would go completely wrong. I tugged on Jasper's shirt and whispered in his ear. He nodded and the two of us packed our things for the night. We would stay at a local motel. We couldn't take any risks.