Jazz was in shock, and for that matter, so was I; never once had I given way to tears before. Crying was such a human thing, something I didn't remember, but it was a completely involuntary reaction. I couldn't control it. I clung to Jasper, needing him in a different way to anything I had ever felt. I couldn't even contemplate leaving him; it hurt too much just to imagine the possibility.

We were all assembled in the dining room when Rosalie and Emmett joined us. My sister took one glance at my face then rushed to embrace me, kneeling at my feet. She could be an obnoxious pig at time but Rose was always my big sister and I knew that beneath her rude manner she cared for all of us deeply.

"Alice, what is it? Alice, sweetie?" She stiffened, making a connection. "This is about Bella, isn't it?" She spat the name like it was dirtying her mouth. "Edward, for the love of God, can't you see what you're doing, what she's doing to our family? Why can't you just-"

She didn't complete the hissed question before Edward interrupted. "Yes, Rose. That's exactly what I intend to do. Though not for those precise reasons."

For once in her life, Rosalie didn't have a sharp reply to throw back. She stared at him in blatant disbelief.

"What do you mean?" Emmett demanded. "Carlisle, what's going on?"

"Edward is about to tell us." Carlisle said. Rose and Emmett glanced at each other, before taking a seat, Rosalie keeping hold of my hand.

Esme had still not spoken; she simply watched the interplay between her children, refusing to comprehend what was taking place. Her eyes were trained on Edward as he moved to the head of the table. Rosalie's face was alight with suspicion and doubt. Emmett sat beside her, trying to understand, and Jazz continued to soothe me, his arm round my shoulders. I buried my face in his arm, not wanting to hear what was coming next. I couldn't bear to watch Edward as he began to speak.

"After what happened today, I have decided to leave Bella," he said. No preamble, no softening of the blow. "I will not force my decision on you, but I would like to ask if we could move on again, now. We would have to in a couple of years anyway, and I don't think Forks holds anything we would want to remember. Not without-" He caught himself before he could say her name. "You want to know why," he continued in response to the influx of questioning thoughts. "I'm not going to pretend I don't love her, I'm doing this for her. For her safety, for her wellbeing. She can't have the life she was born to lead with me in the picture. Rosalie, I know you worry about that."

She was born to lead this life, I thought. I couldn't control my voice enough to speak. I saw it before I ever heard her name. I saw you together before you even saw her face.

"That won't happen now." Edward spoke directly to me. "Your visions aren't set in stone, Alice."

Automatically, I searched for Bella's future, a few years from now. I was expecting to see her human now this decision had been made. It surprised both Edward and I to see the same image as always. Edward and Bella, hand in hand, happiness and love adorning both their pale faces, saturating both pairs of golden eyes.

"She was born to lead this life," I repeated out loud. "It hasn't changed, Edward. I still see her as one of us. I still see you together."

"It's not your choice to make, Alice," Carlisle reminded me gently. I looked up at him, my eyes widening. Surely he didn't agree with Edward?

"It may not be my choice, but don't you think Bella should get a say in this? It's her life, Edward!"

"Exactly," Edward said, so calmly, with no doubt in his tone. "It's her life, and I will not end it for her."

There was a long silence. Eventually, Carlisle spoke up. "Edward, as I said before, this is your choice, not ours. I am willing to go with your decision." I made to interrupt, but Carlisle silenced me with a gesture. "Alice, I do, however, believe you have a valid point. Edward, have you considered Bella's right to a choice?"

"She'd want me to stay," Edward said. A hint of the pain I'd seen earlier trickled through, but he controlled it and banished it. "It won't help her move on, if she knew why…"

He trailed off and I jumped at the chance to change his mind. "You haven't thought about that, have you? What are you going to tell her?"

There was yet another pregnant pause. I combed the future eagerly, searching for his choices. The splinters of indecision peppered my view for a minute, before the vision solidified.

Bella, hurt, scared, even. "You don't… want me?"

Edward, his eyes as cold as his skin. "No."

I didn't look up to meet his gaze, instead fixing my eyes on my hand as I reached to intertwine my fingers with Jasper's. "You would lie to her. You would break the bond you share. You would tell her you don't love her," I accused him.

"Yes," he answered immediately. "If it keeps her safe."

Again, I checked the future. I seemed to be avoiding the present a lot tonight. Looking for Bella, I saw her sleeping. It felt profoundly wrong, watching this; it was Edward who always watched over Bella's sleep. In my head, Bella began to twitch, her face crumpling into a frown before she sat up abruptly and screamed. Screamed Edward's name. I was wondering why Charlie didn't burst in to his teenage daughter's room to check on her when I realised that he didn't need to; he knew exactly what was happening. It was a regular occurrence. As I watched, Bella's eyes snapped open; she had woken herself up. She began again to say my brother's name, quieter now, whimpering, but stopped herself as she doubled over in pain, a mirror image of Edward's future. She was, quite literally, dying of a broken heart.

I dragged myself back to the present, but before I could say a word, Edward stopped me. "She's human. Of course it will hurt, but she will heal. Time heals everything for her kind. She will forget me."

Opening my mouth to protest, I found myself drowned out by the rest of my family. Esme gasped, shocked at her son's uncaring comment. Emmett growled, as did Jasper; both of them had grown fond of Bella. Even Rosalie hissed at this blatant lie. But it was Carlisle's voice that cut above the rest.

"Do you really think so little of her, Edward?"

Father and son stared at each other for a long moment, before Edward sighed. "Of course not. But she has to move on and maybe she'll do that better if she thinks I have, too."

He was skirting round the issue and I could see that he didn't really have an answer. Despite that, he wasn't changing his mind.

I tried one last time. "Edward, earlier I said this would kill you. I was wrong. It will kill you both."

He entirely disregarded my statement, hearing, no doubt, an involuntary contradiction in my thoughts: I knew that wasn't true because even now that vision of the distant future fluttered into my mind's eye. Undying love between an undying pair.

Perhaps, I thought, I would have to make the best of this situation. Let him make this huge mistake, because I knew it wouldn't last. Though I hated myself for it, I finally succumbed.

"When?" I asked.

"Not for a few days. I'll have to make her believe that… I have to make her let me go."

"So we can say goodbye tomorrow, then? Or the day after? I mean, I'm not going to do anything fancy, but…" The look in Edward's eyes made me falter. I started again. "Edward? I can say goodbye, can't I?

He looked away before answering. "Alice, that won't help her. I suggest you leave now. I can at least give her a clean break."

Carlisle was nodding, but I couldn't accept it. "She's like my sister! She's practically family, she will be family one day, and you won't let me say goodbye?"

He didn't answer.

Wrenching my hands from Rosalie and Jasper, I stood suddenly, my chair slamming against the wall behind me. "Damn you, Edward!" I shrieked, pushed past my breaking point. "You can murder yourself, you can cleave Bella in two, but you can't stop me from saying goodbye!"

Not content with storming past him, I pushed him forcefully out of my way as I broke into a sprint. I heard Edward go to stop me, but Jazz restrained him with a low growl.

I was already out of the meadow that surrounded our home. I pelted through the forest, ignoring the cries of my brother as he pleaded with me to come back. The trees seemed to bend out of my way, even though I knew it was merely my vampiric grace that allowed me to forget the obstacles. The wind whipped past my tiny frame until I came to Bella's house. Not hesitating for an instant, I leapt nimbly up the gnarled tree by her window and jumped into her room, as I had seen Edward do so many times.

She was tossing and turning in her sleep, and occasionally she groaned when she leant on her injured arm. I stood, watching my newest sister, for a long time. I couldn't even bring myself to say what I had come to say. Hours passed, and dawn began to threaten the closure of my time with Bella. After all, I had no guarantee that I would ever see her again.

When Edward returned, ready to greet her when she woke, I hissed under my breath without turning.

"I need to be with her, Alice," he said. "You know that."

So why don't you stay?

He didn't answer, and I didn't look at him as I bent and kissed her on the cheek, as I had done so long ago when she had first met our family.

"Goodbye, Bella," I murmured. "And whatever he tells you, you are destined to be together. He will always love you. And so will I."

I straightened up and jumped back out of the window.

I did not look Edward in the eye.