Title: Right/Wrong
Rating: K/PG
Pairings/Characters: Alice, Edward. Canon.
Summary: Sometimes the right thing, isn't the easy thing. Edward can't hurt Jacob because he's right.
Disclaimer: S. Meyer own all things Twilight. Thank you to her as always for allowing us to play with her creation.
Notes: A follow up to my story An Altercantion, but can be read as a stand alone fic. On a completely unrelated note, I am searching for a beta to do some editing on a multi chapter twilight fic (Edward/Bella), if anyone is interested or wants more details before committing to it, just say so in a review or you can PM me.
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"You should have ripped out his throat." Alice stated bluntly, swinging from the tree, through Edward's open window.
"You sound like Rosalie." Edward ignored the intrusion, but only because it was Alice, and turned back to his book.
"Rosalie is right." Alice frowned, hoping that didn't get back to her sister. "Sometimes." She tacked on for good measure.
Edward smiled easily, "She'll be pleased to know that."
The frown was so uncommon on Alice's face that it seemed foreign, as were the resentful and hateful thoughts. They might even be frightening if he didn't know that it was only because she was trying to look out for him, and that they were not directed towards him, exactly, but toward Jacob.
There was no denying that Alice was mad at him. She had watched him and Jasper face off with Jacob, she had even seen him lunge at Jacob and then…do nothing. It was almost unexplainable. On top of that, he was almost certain that she had interrogated Jasper into submission, finally getting out of him whatever it was that Jasper might have sensed from him.
"You're not funny." Alice said plainly. "I want to know what's going on, Edward."
"I'm reading Jane Austen, Bella's very fond of her, so I've been brushing up…nothing else, really. And I've been listening to Verdi."
Damn it, Edward, you know I don't want a commentary on your afternoon!
Alice was usually so much more subtle, she must have been quite angry to be so obviously free with her thoughts.
"Edward, I've been behind you for awhile now, and I'd just like some honesty, please?" Alice was sincere, "I would just like to know if I need to be worried."
"About me?" Edward replied flatly. "You don't need to worry about me."
"The dog lambasted you Edward, and you did nothing."
Alice's tone implied that that alone insinuated that she should be beyond concerned.
Edward shrugged. "He's a foolish child, I think I've become mature enough in the last century to not rip his head off in plain daylight."
Carlisle had more control than him, but Alice didn't think that even he could be so diplomatic in Edward's shoes.
Alice struggled with what to say next, she knew that whatever Jacob had thought had to have bothered him immensely more than anything he had said aloud. Jasper had nearly been ill with emotional overload.
Edward ignored Alice's thoughts, electing to instead focus on the predicament that Pride and Prejudice set out in front of him.
"It thinks that its in love with Bella, doesn't it?"
Alice's voice was not kind, and if the subject didn't bother him so he would have laughed because it was so unlike Alice.
"No, its positive that its in love with Bella." Edward told her.
"Someone should correct him."
"No need." Edward said swiftly.
Alice had had it with Edward's avoidance. "I've decided that if you don't tell me the truth, I'm going to track down the dog and make him tell me what I need to know."
Edward forced a smile down. "I don't think Jasper would approve."
"I think that I'd have an answer and a dead dog before he could stop me." Alice said, her tone leaving no doubt in his mind of how genuine her threat was.
Who cares about the treaty, he could hurt Bella. They do it all the time, their kind…are too dangerous.
Edward agreed. He thought it was a painful irony…
"I know." Edward said quietly. "You know that I know that Alice."
"Then why," She pressed, "Why don't you do anything Edward?"
"Because I can't." He was trying to be calm, but it was so hard. It was extremely hard to remain calm when she brought the concern of Bella's safety into this matter.
"Because of the treaty? Because you're afraid it will cause problems with their kind…because Bella is more important than any treaty. Even Carlisle would agree with that."
"Stop it!" Edward finally snapped. "Don't tell me how important Bella's safety is, Alice. I know perfectly well…I will continue to keep her safe."
Alice was quieter, she hadn't intended to sound as she had--as harsh as she had. "If he was gone, she would be safe."
"I can't kill him."
"Because Bella cares about it? She doesn't know what's right for herself…" Alice paused for a moment, "If you're worried about doing it yourself, that she won't forgive you, someone else would do it. I would go, and Rosalie would come along too I'm sure, I think she'd like it. Jasper would help, and Emmett probably would too, you know how he enjoys a fight. Even if he had the pack, they wouldn't be much of a match for the four of us."
Edward shook his head, "Alice, you can't ever think of doing such a thing."
"Bella would forgive me."
Edward considered it, "Maybe."
"Why? Edward, if you don't give me something, I can only keep making assumptions."
"Because he is right, Alice. Okay! Because the dog was right! I abandoned Bella, and she almost…" Edward's voice caught in his throat. "She could have…"
"Edward…" Alice rested her hand on his arm. Her heart broke for him as she realized what he had been carrying around with himself, wrestling with. "Its not your fault."
Edward realized he couldn't say it. "He saved her. Bella is alive because of him."
He watched Alice process it, and could see that she struggled with it as much as he did. To try and be grateful to something that you were designed to hate as much as it hated you…it was difficult.
Alice nodded her head. "I understand Edward."
Her brother could never cause harm to something, no matter how vile, that had guarded Bella's life. It was impossible.
