Howdy all. First, I would like to thank you all so much for the positive reviews. I've never had a story get such enthusiastic replies and it has never made me happier. So for you all, I have written the second chapter ASAP, and it also didn't hurt that the muse of inspiration hit while I was napping. lol

Oh, this is obviously going to make Bella and Alice a bit out of character. It IS Bella/Alice femslash. That said, hopefully you enjoy this next installment. Thanks again all.

Disc: Characters not mine.

By the time Alice returned, Bella had already left. The slight vampire sighed. She knew that Bella would be gone upon her return. But she also knew where the human had gone. She sat down on the piano bench and decided to play a bit more to help her think. She knew she should talk to Bella about what had just happened, but she didn't know if she could do it right now... The grand piano's rich sound filled the empty Cullen home as Alice debated her course of action.

Hours later...

Bella sat on her bed, reading one of her favorite books- Jane Eyre. She sighed for what must have been the fifteenth time that evening. Okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration. Still, Bella couldn't get the events from that afternoon to stop running through her mind. No matter how hard she tried nothing seemed to be enough to distract her. She found her thoughts drifting to the feeling of Alice Cullen's lips on her neck and couldn't understand the strange tingle that coursed through her body. She sighed again. Alice was just hungry, and Bella had been convenient food, wasn't that it? She had been foolish to stay. She shook her head and tried to focus on the lamenting of Jane Eyre, instead of her own troubled thoughts.

She pulled up into the drive of the Swan residence. The lights were on and it wasn't that late. For all her knack for seeing the future, Alice was quite unsure of how this was going to go. She never thought she could feel this nervous, not since her family had taken on James, and even then her nerves had been calmed. She supposed it had a lot to do with Jasper. Jasper.... if her heart could skip beat, it would've that moment. She sighed, and admonished herself for being foolish. She slid the keys out of the ignition and headed for the door.

"Hi Charlie, I realize it's getting late, but I was wondering if I could talk to Bella?" The warm glow from the Swan residence illuminated the stoop where Alice stood, smiling stunningly at Chief Swan.

Charlie was taken with Alice as always. While she had helped Bella with her injuries, Charlie had grown very fond of Edward's tiny sister. "Of course Alice, come on in." Charlie welcomed. "Bella's just upstairs studying."

"Thanks Charlie." Alice stepped inside.

"Yup." Charlie wasn't one for words, and he headed back to the TV to finish watching whatever sports event was on that evening.

Alice made her way up the stairs.

Bella had heard the doorbell ring and nearly ran down the stairs to answer it. Instead, she sat on her bed, frozen, not knowing what to expect.

There was a quiet knock on her bedroom door. "Bella?" Alice's melodic voice called questioningly. "May I come in?"

Bella swallowed the lump in her throat. "Sure." The door opened before she could get the word out. Alice came in gracefully and shut the door soundlessly behind her. She sat fluidly on the edge of Bella's bed and stared pointedly out the window, her brow furrowed in concentration. Bella couldn't help but think that Alice looked like a tortured angel, her beautiful features offset by the intense look of distress.

"You know why I'm here." Alice said. It wasn't a question. Her golden eyes found Bella's and locked onto them.

Bella nodded, not wanting to speak for fear of disrupting. The serious note in the usually cheery vampire's tone made Bella's heart pound.

Alice noted the worry in Bella's eyes. She was trying to hide it. Was the human afraid that she would bite? Or was she afraid for something else? Alice couldn't quite see how what she was going to say would be taken, because Bella hadn't yet decided what she wanted to occur. Alice watched as the future flashed, changing back and forth between Bella's harried mental options. She shook her head and tried to focus on what she had planned to say, tried to focus on the now.

"I am sorry about this afternoon, Bella." Alice's voice came out soft and calm. "I should have never let you stay. I knew that I had to feed, and I regrettably put your life in danger. Do you understand that none of this was your fault?"

Bella nodded, watching regret fill the vampiress's eyes. She cleared her throat and found her voice. "I understand."

Alice broke their eye contact. Wringing her hands, she stared into her lap. "I never should've let it go that long. I should have stopped when I felt the hunger first taking over." She locked her eyes on Bella's for a moment. "I promise never to put your life in danger again, Bella." The sympathy in the human's caring brown eyes made her feel all the more wretched. She needed to go; she had spoken her peace. Bella and her could no longer hang out alone together. That was what she needed Bella to understand. She didn't want to be a threat to the fragile human anymore. She didn't want to be another danger that was attracted to Bella Swan. All she wanted was for her to be safe, and to reach the ends to those means Alice had to distance herself from Bella for the time being. She stood to go, and Bella instantly grabbed her hand, the warmth seeping over her cold skin.

Bella couldn't just let Alice leave. She didn't want the vampiress to go. There was still something she needed to understand, and she couldn't let Alice leave in such duress. There had to be someway to comfort her. "I could've stopped it too. I'm foolish. I knew I was putting myself in danger, but I didn't want to leave. And once you started, well, I accepted my fate. I knew what could happen. But I didn't care."

A derisive laugh fell from the vampiress's lips. "That is foolish. I could have killed you. I won't let myself make that mistake again." Alice added in a somber tone. "I can't let myself knowingly put you in danger."

Bella winced at the harsh laugh. "You could have killed me. But you didn't."

Alice looked curiously into Bella's eyes. "You really aren't afraid of me? Even after..."

"I'm not afraid." Bella said stubbornly.

Alice shook her head. "That isn't ... wise."

Bella had never seen Alice struggle for words before.

"I should go." Alice said, almost too quietly for Bella to hear, but the human tightened her hold on the vampiress's hand. "Please, don't go."

The pleading tone caught her off guard, although she could easily break free of Bella's weak grasp, Alice just couldn't bring herself to abandon the human. She sat back on Bella's bed and was surprised when the human leaned into her, sighing in relief.

"What did you mean when you said my blood sings to you?" Bella knew she was being foolish, but she couldn't help it. She felt an odd connection to the slight vampiress.

Alice pondered exactly how to explain. "La tua cantante. It means that your blood sings to me. I thought Edward was the only member of our family who was so affected by your scent. But this afternoon...." Alice shook her head. "It shouldn't have happened. I'm sorry."

Bella wasn't afraid; she was content now that Alice had stayed. A calm washed over her, for reasons unknown. "So you're drawn to me for my blood?" Bella asked. Immediately playing the events of the afternoon over again in her mind, the feel of the Alice's cool lips against hers. Was that just blood lust?

Alice tried to keep the pain from her voice. "It means, that I'm attracted to more than just your blood, Bella. It means that I'm much more connected to you then I expected to be." Alice sighed. It was foolhardy to be admitting these things. She knew a great deal of the attraction had been because of Bella's scent, and her own blood lust. Yet, she couldn't deny that there had been a bit more to it than that.

"Oh." Bella breathed, her voice shaking slightly. "Are you going to avoid me now?"

Alice felt the rise and fall of Bella's chest, her heartbeat was at a normal pace, but her breath had hitched in her throat. The warmth that was seeping off Bella against her skin felt amazing, and Bella's scent was making her lose focus. "It would be wise if we spent some time apart."

"I don't want to." Bella's blunt honesty struck a chord with Alice, and she knew that she had to flee before another stupid incident occurred.

Alice stood up abruptly, nearly making Bella fall over off her own bed. She caught herself and stared at the slight vampire. "I'm not a friend or a sister. I'm a monster, Bella. Never forget that."

Bella felt a twinge of sympathy in her heart. The look of anguish in Alice's eyes made her feel like crying, but she couldn't understand why. That anguished look was the last thing Bella saw; Alice was gone in the time that it took Bella to blink. And then Bella sat in her quiet room, letting the emptiness overwhelm her.

Well what do you think? I honestly had no idea where this would go, and am hoping the next chapter will allow for some happier feelings from both of our heroines. I just pretty much let this chapter write itself and think it did a pretty good job. ((Advice from a good friend. : P )) Obviously both Alice and Bella would have some reservations. Next chapter should be more upbeat. Honest. R&R please. There will be more if you do.