Hey everybody! Sorry it's taken so long to update - a lack of imagination and free time is to blame I think.
I'm not sure I like this chapter as much as the first one... oh well. It's my own fault I suppose.

Oh yeah, speaking of a lack of imagination - I NEED HELP! (see bottom of chapter)

All these wonderful characters belong to the equally wonderful Stephenie Meyer.

JPOV

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Present
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At least Bella has a worthwhile gift. What good is empathy? She can protect her loved ones. I can just make them feel better. Like she once said - I make people feel all warm and fuzzy about spilling their guts. I'm useless, helpless. A few years ago, Bells was practicing pushing her shield out and she discovered that if she pushes hard enough she can protect her body as well as her mind, making all vampiric gifts useless. She has shut us all out and refused all help. She is alone, and that pains me. But what can I do except watch?

Renesmee is there, with her head on her mother's lap and Jacob is just behind her, surrounded by love and concern for both of them. Love is such a beautiful emotion, a soft light pink. I remember how happy I was when I saw Bella together with this colour, but not aimed at Edward. The moment I discovered she loved me as I love her. She is moving now, for the first time in a week. Turning her head. Her eyes meet mine, and she drops her shield.

The emotions surrounding her are too painful for me to bear, there is a bloodcurdling screaming coming from somewhere I can't quite place. Bella's emotions immediately turn to concern, worry and an undertone of panic. I realise the screaming is coming from my own mouth. I try to stop it but I can't, I just can't stop screaming...
Suddenly, all pain is gone. Bella has closed her mind again, and I start to think, to bring up all the images I had tried to shut out...

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Three weeks earlier
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Bella's birthday. I am trying not to get too close or do anything to make Edward suspicious so I'm staying in the main house with Alice and planning Bella's surprise party. Suddenly, Alice's emotions dissappeared. It had made me panic like mad the first time that happened, but I was used to it by now. It meant that she was not in the right time. Her emotion was as back as quickly as it had gone.

They were different emotions though. Just before the vision, Alice had been happy and excited... almost apprehensive. I put it all down to the party. How stupid of me. After the vision, it had all changed. The bright yellow of happiness had shifted into the silver-grey of confusion. The beautiful orange of excitement had shifted into the deep red of fear. Worst of all, her love towards me turned into the cold, ice-blue colour of hate.
Alice, whom I had loved for so many years, turned on her heel and walked away without a backward glance. It dawned on me that this was probably the last time I would see her.
"Alice?" I tried "Alice! Don't leave me! Please?" My voice had faded away, leaving the last word as more of a question than a real word. She turned, still without a sound, and sent a wave of remorse and love towards me.
"I love you," She said. I knew how she meant it. It was the love you felt for a brother, not a husband. The same love she felt for Carlisle, Esme, Emmett, Rose and Bella. I wasn't so sure about Edward though. Alice's love for him had been changing, softening into the pale pink of partnership love instead of the crude, bright pink of family love.

I hit myself. Of course! Edward's love had been doing the same thing! They would be out of the country by now. Damn. I should have seen...

I raced into our room, ignoring Esme's shock and concern. I didn't have time to explain. Just as I thought, there were two notes on the sofa that was where most people would have a bed. Hands shaking, I walked towards them. The first one was on Alice's favourite cushion and was addressed to Mrs. Isabella Cullen. Odd. None of our family had ever called her 'Isabella' before.
On my favourite cushion lay the other note. I walked as slowly as I could towards it, but I was still there too soon.

The envelope was spotless, with 'Jazz' written exactly in the centre in a black fountain pen to contrast perfectly with the white paper. Always the perfectionist. I smiled fondly, then reached for the envelope. I sniffed it, breathing in Alice's scent for what might have been the last time, and then I took a deep breath and opened it. Just three words. The three words that everyone wants to receive in a letter.

I love you.

And that was it. It was all she had left to say.

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The morning after
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"Bella?" No response. Odd, I thought. I knew she was there. I had become too aware of my brother's wife. I went into the dining room, where she was just sitting at the table and staring into space. Embarrassment crept through her shield, proving my theory on the absentmindedness. I wished I knew her thoughts - it felt like they would be quite interesting at this moment in time. If she still could, she would be blushing. If only Edward could tell me what was on her mind...
Edward.

"Bella?" I asked nervously. She didn't seem to be able to move. I wondered briefly if slapping her would help, then realised that I could never hit something that beautiful and perfect. I started to get scared, feeling my own fear, and then she stirred. She turned slowly to look up at me. Bella Swan. Cullen, rather. The most perfect woman (or variation thereupon) in the entire universe.

"Mmm?" She was still distracted by something. Me, possibly.

I decided to give her the hard, painful truth. "Bella, please concentrate. I am trying very hard to keep it together right now, and you are really not helping."
"Hmm?"
"Edward and Alice left last night."
"What's wrong with that?" It was turning out more difficult than I had imagined. Bella is so impossible - first one to piece things together at one moment, and last the next.
"Together."
"And?"
"And they're not coming back!" There. I had said it.

She suddenly became much more alert, startled by my outburst.
"WHAT?" Her mind flashed through the whole spectrum and more, trying desperately to sort out her thoughts and emotions. I wanted to help, but I could do nothing. As soon as she was far away all of this would come back anyway and it was better that she dealt with it as soon as possible.

"They left a note." My own voice sounded fake. Too lost, too empty. I wasn't either. I was completely blissful by Bella's side. Once I had looked into her eyes I realised that I didn't need Alice.

A wave of emotion swept through her. Sadness, doubt, guilt (Why? I couldn't understand.), anger - but at herself not them, and, finally, relief. Relief is a beautiful emotion. Pale yellow, like the light at the end of a tunnel. Bella had found her light now.

Hope you liked it! Please review :)
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Oh yeah, my problem! Almost forgot to put that in here... oops.
Anyway, yes Bella is going to find Edward and Alice but I DON"T KNOW HOW! I asked in Chapter one but didn't get any ideas. Please help! Deimitri, Alistair or a completely new character? Or do they come back to apologise? Or does Bella find them by herself? Maybe her shield is so developed now that she can find the people she keeps out??? Ideas, people, please!!!!! Mass panic here!
Umm... I think I'd better shut up now. :)