Well, folks, I think it's safe to say this will be my last post until next year. :P Thanks so much for your incredibly positive response to the first chapter. I'm glad so many of you seem to be as excited for this one as I am. I can only hope I can make it live up to our expectations!

You might notice as we go along that I'm writing with a mix of the book as well as the movie… and taking a hint of creative license in a few places. No disrespect or copyright infringement is intended to either. :)

And lastly, remember you can follow me on Twitter for updates, teasers, and other general randomness. ;) (a)AnEnduringHope if you're interested. I tweeted a picture earlier today of the incredibly beautiful banner that DazzledbyJake surprised me with. I'll be posting the link to that on my profile page as well if you'd like to check it out.

Enough from me… Enjoy!

Chapter 2

Alice

Later that evening, after the rest of our family had been warned about our coming visitor, I saw that Edward and Bella were on the way over to the house. She'd wanted to use her new freedom to spend some time with Esme.

Edward had been able to successfully convince her to use the vouchers Carlisle and Esme had given her for her birthday and go to Florida with him over the weekend. But it hadn't gone particularly well. It had caused an argument between Bella and Charlie, and she was upset with him now for interfering.

Edward was just relieved. He'd take her momentary frustration with him if it meant assuring her safety in the long run. He considered it a small price to pay for protecting her.

The low purr of the Volvo's engine signaled their approach. Jasper and I were curled up together on one end of the couch as we heard the sound of their footsteps on the walkway in front of the house.

I was a little bit concerned about Jasper just now. It wasn't that I didn't trust him – not at all – but the last time he'd had any contact at all with a human had been on the night when Bella had sneaked over to our house to put her mortality to a vote.

And that had been almost two months ago.

Even still, Jasper's body didn't tense in the slightest against mine when Bella stepped through the door, filling the room with her scent. The smile on his lips was relaxed and genuine as he greeted her. "Hello, Bella." There was no discernable tension to be found in his voice or behind his eyes.

"Hey, Jasper," she greeted in kind. "How've you been?"

"Just fine. Feel good to be a free woman again?"

"Oh, you have no idea," she enthused.

"Bella!" Esme swept into the room just then and scooped Bella up into a tight hug, rocking her from side to side. "Welcome back."

"Thanks," Bella said, kissing her on the cheek and squeezing her tight. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too, sweetheart." Esme wrapped her arm around Bella's waist and led her into the kitchen. "So, tell me all about what you've been up to. How's school going?"

Their voices carried into the kitchen as Esme put a kettle onto the stove to make hot chocolate for Bella. They chattered happily away as they caught up on the last couple of months since they'd seen each other.

Edward smiled contentedly to himself as he listened to them talk. I knew it pleased him greatly that Bella got along with his family so well and that we in return genuinely loved her as well. Somehow, impossible though it ought to be, she just fit with us.

He sat down at the little table on one side of the room where the chess board was left lying out from when Jasper and Carlisle had played earlier before Carlisle went to work. I knew it was Carlisle instead of Emmett because there was only one board sitting out instead of the eight Jasper and Emmett used. I swore those two made up the rules as they went along. No one else understood their complicated system.

Edward toyed absently with one of the pawns, distracted by the voices in the other room. I slid from Jasper's lap, kissing him lightly on the chin, and crossed the room to sit on the other side of the table from Edward.

"Feel like getting beat tonight?" I asked him cheekily.

"No, but you must," he retorted, grinning back.

"Shut it and set up the board," I told him, crossing my arms over my chest and leaning back in my seat.

He did. And right about the time we were getting ready to start, Bella ambled back into the living room, watching us curiously. Edward and I were both watching carefully, though we tried not to make it obvious, as she crossed the room to sit on the opposite side of the couch from Jasper.

I knew that Edward and I were both unable to help recalling what had happened the last time we'd all been in this very same room together. Eight months earlier. At Bella's birthday party. When our worlds had nearly been torn to pieces in one single moment.

But neither Jasper nor Bella seemed to be thinking of that. Neither one seemed to feel awkward being here… sitting on the same couch, no less.

Jasper didn't seem to be affected at all by her close proximity, and she didn't seem to be even slightly frightened, or remotely concerned, by his.

They were both watching as Edward and I played our game. Jasper's expression was amused. He'd seen the way we played many times before. Bella hadn't, and her face was rather priceless as she watched.

Because of our gifts, Edward and I played the majority of the game inside our minds. Few pieces actually moved on the board. I saw the moves he was planning, he saw my visions and my corresponding moves and adjusted accordingly. A total of two pawns had been moved before I flicked my king over in defeat, conceding this round to him, and slumped back in my seat to pout.

Edward glanced back at Bella who was still observing us wide-eyed and slightly confused. Jasper chuckled quietly at her expression. "It's something to see, isn't it?" he asked her wryly.

She laughed lightly, shaking her head. "I can honestly say I've never seen anything quite like that before."

"Do you know how to play?" he asked her conversationally.

"No," she shook her head again. "I've never had the chance to learn how."

"Would you like to?" Bella looked at him curiously at the offer. "I'll teach you if you want."

"I probably won't be any good at it," she said uncertainly.

He smiled encouragingly at her, winking playfully. "I'll take it easy on you."

"Okay," she agreed a little hesitantly. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

Edward and I relinquished our places as Jasper and Bella sat across from each other at the small table. We were both unable to help cataloguing everything, taking note and analyzing the way they interacted.

I knew Bella had forgiven Jasper immediately when he'd lost control at her birthday party last year. She'd been genuinely concerned for him afterwards, and she'd made it clear that she'd never blamed him for what happened.

But even knowing that, it was still a little surprising how easily she interacted with him now. She didn't seem to have any lingering fear at sitting so near to him. She listened intently as he explained the object of the game, the rules, and how the different pieces could move.

Even her posture surprised me. She leaned in over the board as he demonstrated, not shying back as would have been a more expected response. She asked questions freely when she was uncertain about something, like this wasn't the longest conversation they'd ever had. Any other conversation that would have even come close would have been back when Jasper and I had traveled with her to Phoenix. But that was before everything else had happened. And so much had changed since then.

Jasper didn't so much as flinch back from her. He was breathing normally, his chest rising and falling in an even rhythm. Not a trace of strain was there to be found no matter how hard I looked. And I was very good at reading him. He was completely relaxed, one elbow resting on his knees as he leaned in as well. He answered all of her questions patiently and thoroughly until he was satisfied that she understood.

They played one practice game where he walked her through each turn and then moved on to a real game. Even though I knew he really was holding back and trying not to smother her, there really was no competition. He won by an absolute landslide.

She laughed, bemused, after it was over. "I told you I wouldn't be any good," she said, smiling.

"You did well for never having played before," Jasper told her with a genuine smile. "I've just had a lot more time to learn the tricks of the game."

"That and you're not limited by a weak human mind," she pointed out, tongue-in-cheek.

"True," he chuckled lightly. "Tell you what, one of these days, you and I will have a rematch when it's more even. But I won't be taking it easy on you then," he warned with a smirk.

"You're on." She held out her hand, and he shook it firmly like they were closing on a business transaction.

Bella turned back towards me and Edward, completely oblivious to how closely we'd been observing the two of them. "You'd better take me home before it gets any later," she told Edward a little reluctantly.

"All right. Are you ready now?"

"In just a second. Let me say goodbye to Esme real quick," she said, going back into the kitchen to find her.

Jasper stood and slid both hands casually in his front pockets, crossing the room to stand beside us. "So," he drawled when Bella was out of earshot, "did I pass inspection?" Edward and I both gaped at him, but he seemed amused rather than upset. "You were trying a little too hard to be subtle," he informed us drily.

If it had been possible, my face would have flushed beet red. "Jasper, I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," he cut me off gently, wrapping one arm around my waist. "It's not like your fears were unfounded."

Edward ran an awkward hand through his hair, but he was prevented from saying anything by Bella's reappearance.

"Okay, I'm ready now," she said, slipping her hand into Edward's and leaning in to him. "Bye, Jasper, and thanks. See you tomorrow, Alice."

We both wished her a good night and waved as they pulled away. After they were gone, Jasper and I wandered back up to our room. I sank down on the edge of the bed, feeling a little guilty that he'd noticed how we'd been watching him.

"Don't be silly, Alice," he said, feeling my guilt and unease. He kicked his shoes off and stretched out on the bed, propping himself on his elbow. He patted the space next to him invitingly. I joined him on the bed, curling myself into the warmth of his side.

"I just don't want you to think I don't trust you. I do," I said in explanation, tracing my finger over his forearm when he draped it over my abdomen, enveloping me against him.

"I know you do. And I understand exactly why you and Edward were concerned." He tightened his arm across my stomach, drawing me nearer as he searched for what he wanted to say. "Alice, it's just that… every time in the past when I lost control, I regretted it, of course, and I hated that I disappointed you and everyone else… but… when I lost control the last time, it was so much worse than that.

"I didn't just disappoint, Alice, I almost destroyed. I didn't just witness Edward's pain at being separated from Bella, I lived it with him. And with everything that happened afterwards, I almost lost everything and everyone I cared about. My loss of control almost ultimately cost me you. It almost destroyed our family from its very core.

"Going through all of that didn't necessarily change my instinctive reaction to human blood, but, knowing and having experienced the ripple effects of giving in, it makes the temptation of it a lot less appealing," he admitted quietly. "I won't make that mistake again, Alice. I won't," he whispered with deep fervency.

I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms tightly around him, burying my face in the curve of his shoulder. I pressed a lingering kiss to the tendon in his neck, not entirely sure what to say to his quiet confession. I knew – I'd seen firsthand – just how terrible the effects of the last year had been for him. It was only natural that such trauma would influence his thinking now. I hated that he'd been put through that, but if it helped him gain a foothold against his struggles, then maybe it wasn't for nothing after all.

I followed the line of his neck with my lips, searching for his mouth – which he gave readily. My fingers tangled in his hair as my lips spoke without words what was in my heart, kissing him deeply and with achingly poignant tenderness.

"I love you," I whispered into his parted lips.

The rest of the week passed without incident. Jasper and I informed the rest of the family about Victoria's impending arrival, and we all made plans to be ready for her when she came. Edward and Bella flew to Jacksonville on Friday morning, putting them both safely out of harm's way.

I kept a very close watch out for Victoria's approach, constantly zoning in and out of the present as I monitored her every decision. I'd determined that she was set to arrive in Forks during the very early morning hours on Saturday. Two or three o'clock in the morning, perhaps.

When that time came, we were ready. All six of us stood in a cluster deep in the forest as we waited for her to show up. She was close, I knew that, and approaching from the southeast.

I could feel Jasper hovering protectively at my side. I knew he was there, watching over me, even with my attention so completely diverted inside my mind. He was my eyes and my ears – my shield, should I need it – when I was so deeply absorbed.

I knew that the rest of our family was completely attuned to the sights, sounds, and scents all around us in the depths of the woods. We were all waiting on a hair trigger, ready to move at an instant's notice.

"Are you sure this is where you saw her?" As if from underwater I heard Carlisle's question, distant and distorted to my ears.

"She's almost here," I murmured, watching the quick play of pictures behind my eyes, waiting for just the right moment to know she was near enough to strike. She was close. I knew she was. She was almost here…

"On your left," I cried, snapping back into the present when I saw what I'd been waiting for. It only took a fraction of an instant for me to reorient myself to my surroundings, but by that time I was half a step behind everyone else. They were all racing through the woods like they'd been shot from a canon.

Jasper and Emmett raced the farthest in front, running close at Victoria's heels. She changed course when she knew we were pursuing her, fleeing in the direction of La Push. The tell-tale stench of werewolf grew stronger the closer we ran towards the reservation, burning my nose, feeling thick in the back of my throat.

The six of us spread out, trying to surround Victoria, to corner her, or to force her into a pocket, anything to slow her down or stop her. But it was almost as if she possessed some uncanny instinct to know exactly where we'd go a split second before we actually did. She was always one step ahead no matter what we did.

Jasper and Emmett both lunged for her when they were able to get within arm's reach. But both of them ended up on their faces in the dirt before jumping back up and right back into the chase.

The closer we got to the treaty line, the more the stench increased, and, as it did, I noticed that my visions of the immediate future grew more blurry and indistinct. They flickered like a candle left in a draft. I didn't like that, especially not now, not when so much was riding on our success here. I felt vulnerable without my sight. I felt blind.

The thundering sound of pursuit coming from the direction of the reservation caught my attention as well as everyone else's. Only the steps didn't sound human… not at all. We glanced towards the sound, over the treaty line… and my steps faltered for a split second. Jasper's expression mirrored mine almost exactly as the two of us saw for the first time the other party behind the treaty.

Wolves.

Huge wolves… almost as big as horses – and much more fearsome. There were six of them and they were growling and snarling ferociously as they raced after Victoria on their side of the line.

It was just as if she knew exactly where the line lay, and she used that to her advantage, straddling it so that neither we nor the wolves could get too close to her. She danced from one side to the other, just when we thought we might grab her, she'd leap to the other side. And when the pack grew close enough to nip at her heels, she crossed back over to us.

Her evasive dance was incredibly frustrating, especially for Jasper and Emmett. They'd both come so close to her several times, but she was always just out of reach. I could see their scowls deepening, their determination mounting as they raced along as close to the boundary as they could safely get.

I wasn't necessarily worried about Jasper letting his irritation make him careless, that wasn't his nature. The angrier he got, the more deliberate and decisive – and, any other time, deadly – his reactions became. This was familiar territory to him, and he knew better than most how costly one instant of carelessness could be. But Emmett was another story entirely. His movements were getting more hasty, and he was showing less and less discretion as his frustration grew.

I fought to see around the darkness where my visions should be, but nothing was clear. I couldn't see anything definitively no matter how hard I tried. And I didn't like that at all. It worried me.

And it only took a single moment for everything to go horribly wrong.

Any other time I would have seen it coming, and we might have been able to avoid it. But not this time. This time I could only watch on helplessly just like everyone else.

This time, when Victoria darted back over the line, Emmett snapped, tired of dancing around her and avoiding the boundary. He lunged at her… and missed. Jasper, Rosalie, and Carlisle all yelled for Emmett to stop, but it was too late. He went flying over the line and narrowly missing a collision with the big grey wolf, much to the surprise and fury of the others. Immediately Victoria was forgotten as they turned on Emmett, barking and growling like they were possessed.

Everything after that happened almost instantaneously.

Rosalie shot over the line to Emmett's defense, snarling furiously as she raced to his side.

Before this moment, I didn't think I'd ever seen real fear on Carlisle's face – he was always our pillar of unshakeable strength no matter the circumstances. But knowing the potential that this situation had to quickly become devastating – and deadly – I saw a flash of fear, real and unmistakable as it passed over his features.

Heedless of the danger he was putting himself in, he crossed over and threw himself between the enraged wolves and Emmett and Rosalie, throwing his arms out to block them.

Esme's stifled gasp echoed loudly in my ears as she came to a sudden stop beside me, latching onto my arm in her own terror. I grabbed her hand and held to it with all my might as I tried to force my way through the darkness inside my mind. But it was no use. There was nothing there.

Our futures – all of them – had disappeared completely. No matter how hard I tried, there was nothing but an endless void. Fear, thick and choking, lodged itself in my throat. I felt cold and sick. Emmett and Rosalie, Carlisle and Esme… Jasper… they'd all vanished from my sight even though I could see them right there in front of me… but for how much longer if the situation couldn't be diffused? Was there a future for us after this? Or was the treaty about to be broken in a terrible and irreversible manner? I couldn't tell.

No sooner had Carlisle crossed the line than Jasper was right there behind him, stepping also in front of Emmett and Rose. Immediately, a thick blanket of serenity fell over all of us, washing away all of the fear and aggression. It was still there, tickling at the edges of our consciousness, but we were unable to do anything about it. It was as if we were looking at it through a bubble. Insulated against it.

Unable to feel anything other than the calm that Jasper was producing, we all relaxed our postures. The wolves straightened from their aggressive stances, blinking several times, confused and not understanding the alien emotions that overtook them nor where they came from.

Esme eased her grip on my arm as the tension vanished. Carlisle glanced quickly at Emmett and Rosalie, ensuring that they were unharmed. I heard that he was speaking, attempting to soothe the wolf pack and assure them that we meant them no harm, but the words barely registered to me. I couldn't make myself stop fighting against the darkness that chained my mind. The longer I went without being able to see anything the more I wanted to worry… only I couldn't quite do that with the blanket of peace that Jasper still kept wrapped around us all.

Not taking his wary eyes off the wolves, Jasper laid one hand on Emmett's arm and one on Rose's, motioning them back to the other side of the line. Neither of them argued as they crossed back over quickly. Esme released me when they came closer, squeezing Emmett's hand and wrapping her arm around Rose's waist, angling herself so that she was standing slightly in front of them, shielding them. The more distance there was between them and the wolf pack, the better it would be.

When they were safely on our side of the line again, Carlisle and Jasper slowly backed over as well. Gradually, Jasper released his hold on our emotions, removing the bubble of serenity he'd placed us in. He came to stand in front of me, arms slightly spread to block me from the wolves' view. I clutched tightly at his outstretched arm with one hand, fisting the other into the back of his shirt, feeling decidedly less fearful now that he was right here.

I still couldn't see anything at all, but at least my loved ones were gathered in a tight cluster around me and not staring directly into the wolves' bared fangs. The danger seemed to be over for now.

With the manufactured calm no longer in place, the pack resumed their warning stance, though it was slightly less menacing now that there was a safer distance between us and them.

Somehow Carlisle was able to convince the alpha wolf that Victoria was still our main priority, that she posed as much of a threat to us as she did to them… and to the people of Forks. Even though I was standing right there, I still couldn't believe that he was able to convince them to continue the pursuit – and to let us continue alongside them – but he did, and we all set out to follow her scent again.

But by this time, Victoria was long gone, having taken full advantage of our distraction. The whole affair from before had lasted no more than two minutes, but that was more than enough for her to put a sizeable distance in place. We followed her trail to the cliffs of Makah, but that was as far as we could go. Her scent disappeared into the water.

Not willing to give up the chase that easily, Jasper attempted to persuade the Quileutes to allow just Emmett and him to pass through only long enough to track her down. But they would have none of it.

They bared their teeth, growling low in their chests. Their body language left no need for an interpreter. It was all too clear. She was gone. And we were done for now. There was nothing we could do except return home.

So we did. Reluctantly, we left the end of the trail where it was and made our way back home, frustrated and thwarted. No one more so than Emmett and Jasper.

Emmett swore furiously under his breath the whole way back to the house until Esme finally turned to him with a quiet, "Emmett, enough." He didn't say another word, but his scowl didn't lessen.

Jasper said absolutely nothing. Yet his face said everything.

I glanced at him, taking in his livid expression – the taut line of his jaw, the muscle there twitching in his repressed anger, the firm, unyielding set of his lips, the hard, angry glint of his eyes. He didn't look at any of us. And when we got back to the house, he made his way straight upstairs. His footsteps sounded heavily on the stairs, and the door to his study shut with a resounding slam as he sequestered himself away to fume in private.

Everyone else scattered to various corners of the house, needing time to ourselves to regroup from the failure of the night. I trudged up to my room, sinking down on the edge of the bed. Once we'd left the wolves behind, my sight had finally returned, but I was still shaken by it's total disappearance earlier. I hadn't realized just how much I relied on it until it was taken away. I'd felt like I was missing a limb without it. Seeing everyone I love completely disappear into a black void was one of the most terrifying things I'd ever experienced.

Yet the worst part of the whole mess was that it was all for nothing. Victoria was still out there somewhere. We were no better off now than when we'd started.

And before we could put the whole fiasco behind us, we still had to tell Edward.

Sighing deeply, I went to my dresser and grabbed my cell phone. For a long moment, I stood there and glared at the small silver phone as if it was the cause of the whole mess before reluctantly pressing the button to speed dial Edward.

With the time difference, it was midmorning in Florida, and I could see that Bella and her mom were out of the house, taking a stroll on the beach and leaving Edward to work on his fabricated term paper in their absence. A little bitterly I noted that now my visions were unhindered… now that it wasn't so vital. It just figured.

Edward picked up on the first ring. "Hello?" he said, his voice hopeful.

"Hey," I responded quietly, and, undeniably, somewhat glumly.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. "That doesn't sound promising," he sighed resignedly.

"It's not. She got away," I told him reluctantly.

Once again, there was silence from his end. And then he swore fervently under his breath. "Sorry," he apologized a moment later for his crass language.

"Don't be. You should have heard Emmett on the way home."

Edward snorted. "I can just imagine. What happened?" he asked, sounding tired and discouraged.

"We had a bit of excitement."

He picked up on the hint of hesitation in my voice immediately. "Is everyone all right?" His voice was worried.

"We're fine. We just had a little bit of an… encounter… with the wolf pack tonight."

"Oh no. Tell me everything," he said intently, suddenly all business. And I did, leaving nothing out. "I guess we don't have any other choice but to write this one off as a loss and try again another time," he said when I finished, sounding resigned. I knew as bad as we all hated that she'd managed to get away, he hated it even worse.

"You still haven't told Bella anything." It wasn't a question.

"She has enough on her mind to worry about without adding to it unnecessarily," he insisted stubbornly. "Victoria will never get close enough to hurt her. We won't allow it. So there's really no reason to scare her."

"Edward, she's going to be pissed as hell at you for lying to her. Do you really want – "

"Alice," he cut me off, his voice quiet and undeniably earnest, "all I want is for her to be safe and to be happy. And I'll do whatever I have to do to see that she stays that way. She's giving up far too much to be with me as it is, I don't want to take away any peace of mind she has left. She's in no danger, and I won't worry her needlessly. If she gets angry with me for that, then so be it. I may not be able to protect her from it indefinitely, but I still have to try."

"Edward, I know you mean well, but I still think you need to tell her before this ends up coming back to bite you later. And trust me, it will. It always does."

"Then I'll deal with that when the time comes."

"You are so stubborn." I chuckled under my breath. "And you know what?" I asked him drily, "I didn't really think it was possible, but you might just be even worse than Jasper with your need to protect."

"I have to be," he said with a smile in his voice, though there was a distinct note of sincerity to his words. "You're not mortal. Bella is."

"Still, though, that's pretty bad. Tell her, Edward," I insisted.

"No, Alice."

"Then don't come crying to me when it blows up in your face."

"That's not even a physiological possibility," he teased, trying to distract me.

"You're a jerk," I told him, unable to completely keep my lips from twitching in a smile.

"I love you, too, Alice," he dead-panned.

"Yeah, yeah," I sighed dramatically. "Don't you have a paper to write or something?"

"Very funny. I'll see you tomorrow when we get home."

"Okay. Hug Bella for me."

"I can do that."

With that, we disconnected the call, and any momentary lightness that our bantering had caused there at the end of our conversation faded away immediately. I felt unsettled and discouraged once again – both about Victoria and my failing sight.

I'd known before that I wasn't able to see the wolves, and I knew that Bella's future had disappeared when her wolf friend had saved her from drowning back in March. But I hadn't known that it could affect my ability so completely… that it would nullify it altogether. I hadn't ever thought that I'd see everyone's future disappear at once. Seeing my whole family vanish like that wasn't a feeling I was likely to ever forget even if I could.

My inability to see bothered me much more than I wanted to admit… especially if it continued to be a problem in the future. We all depended on it far more than we should… I depended on it more than I should. Now perhaps more than ever.

I felt restless and anxious. Tired and worried. And there was only one person who would be able to help.

I needed Jasper.

Thanks so much for reading! I hope you all have a safe and very happy new year! See you in 2011! :)

Xoxox

Nik