Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight, but you probably already knew that.

AN: So, this is a story I wrote originally (and never updated) on my old account, which you can find through my profile if you want to read this in its original (and poorly-written) form. I've decided to polish it up a bit and continue it, albeit much less frequently than my other stories (I'm shooting for once a month or so on this one, I just really want to focus on Drown and Rebirth). It got pretty positive reviews despite its quality, so I'm hoping a little revamping (pun possibly intended) will make the readers I directed here happy :) Here we go! As it was originally, the first two paragraphs and the line after that are directly quoted from Breaking Dawn.

I darted through the door, pulling it shut behind me. I went straight to the bookshelf. Alice's scent was fresh—less than a day old. A fire that I had not set burned low but hot in the fireplace. I yanked The Merchant of Venice off the shelf and flipped it open to the title page.

There, next to the feathered edge left by the torn page, under the words The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, was a note.

Destroy This.

Underneath her instructions was an address, followed by three words that made my heart swell with a mixture of familiar warmth and sadness at her departure.

I love you.

The words burned into my retinas, calling forth a million memories of Alice: kissing my cheek, smiling at me, dragging me into store after store, all with the same look of carefree joy in her eyes. It was as if she was trying to remind me that she'd always be there, even though she was now gone.

Gone.

That was another thing I didn't want to think about. How could she just up and leave us, without a word? How could she up and leave me? She was the one that came back when Edward left, the one who saved me from myself and saved me from the darkness that he left behind.

"Bella," his voice called from the door.

"Give me a minute, Edward," I replied, my voice wavering. Nodding, he stood there and watched me patiently. My breathing, though unnecessary, hitched. I tried to quell the memories Alice's words had called to the forefront of my mind as I memorized the address on the note and tossed it into the fire. Edward and I ran back to the Cullen home without a word.

"Any news?" Carlisle asked upon our return. I looked to Edward to explain, not trusting my voice. As he began to relay what I had discovered to the others, I walked over to Renesmee and pulled her into my arms. She placed her hand on my cheek, and showed me Alice's face, questioning.

"I don't know where Auntie Alice is either, Renesmee. I'm sorry," I told her, carrying her upstairs with me to sit at the computer.

I pulled up the address on Google Maps. It was in Seattle, a place I had actually driven by once or twice before.

"Edward?" I called from the room. He was upstairs moments later.

"Yes, dear?"

"Take Renesmee. I found where she is, I have to go, now."

I could feel everyone's eyes on me as I flew out the door, taking Alice's car without a thought.

Speeding down the roads at a speed I'd never known before, I was sure I would catch a ticket—but nobody seemed to notice the blur of canary yellow that was me in Alice's Porsche. I closed my eyes for but a second as I took in a deep breath, Alice's comforting scent wafting over me. I wanted to stay in the little cocoon of her scent for...well, forever, but I was soon arriving at the small building she had sent me to.

I walked up to the door, anxiety seeping into my skin. It swung open before I could knock, in typical Alice fashion. She threw herself at me, her arms fast around my waist.

"Finally," she breathed, trembling as she clung to me tightly.

"Alice," I murmured, wriggling out of her grasp just enough to look her in the eyes. I nearly regretted that decision, however, when I was struck with the pain I saw in those honey-colored depths. "What..."

"I love you, Bella," she said emphatically.

"I love you, too, Alice," I replied immediately. "Why did you have to go? Why so sudden?" She shook her head at my response.

"No, Bella. I love you."

"I..." I didn't understand. What was she saying? Alice, my best friend? Of course she loved me. But she seemed to mean it in a way that went much deeper than friendship. Was that even possible? All the sleepovers, the hugs, the shopping sprees...they were the epitome of friendship, or so I had thought.

I was snapped out of my inner musings by her body shaking violently against mine. Tearless sobs wracked her body, and I pulled her into me instinctively.

"Oh, Alice," I whispered. "I'm so sorry..."

"I know," she got out between sobs.

"I...I love you, too, Alice, but I am in love with Edward..." I hated to say something like that to her. I knew what it would do to her, but she had to know. "I just can't see us...together, like that," I breathed into her hair, closing my eyes. There was something about her, about her genuine love and her trust, that made me wish I did feel that way for her. Something about what she meant to me that made me want to take her pain away above all else. And to know I was the one causing it crushed me.

Alice nodded silently, her sobs subsiding into sniffles and quiet trembling. I ran my fingers through her hair in a way I hoped was comforting. I tried to imagine what she was thinking, but I had never seen girls as anything other than friends or classmates before. But Alice...well, she was beautiful. Anyone could see that. And she had a heart larger than anyone I'd ever known. I felt a sinking feeling in my gut as I realized if Alice had courted me first, I probably wouldn't have married Edward. Even with Jasper around.

"Bella?" She asked quietly, finally looking up at me again. I couldn't help the sadness that seeped into my eyes when I locked my gaze with hers again. I pushed some of her hair back behind her ear that had escaped during our embrace.

"Alice..." I said her name with some hesitation this time.

"Please, Bella," she whispered, "may I kiss you, just once?"

AN 2: Yay, more character development! I didn't like how I sort of had them just fall together in the original fic. There was a lot of emotional development missing, especially considering it wasn't listed as AU or OOC. It's still a bit rushed, but at least it kind of makes sense now lmao. Let me know what you think! Once the original three chapters are rewritten and up, remember that I'll be only updating this once a month or so :P