Chapter Three

Carlisle

There was an atmosphere between Alice and Jasper and I'd seen Rose look at her questioningly so I asked Alice if I could speak to her in my study. She came up with bad grace, unusual for her, and slumped in the chair like a discontented teenager.

"Alice we've all noticed you seem unhappy. Is there anything we can help you with?"

She shook her head and sighed looking out of the window.

"Alice that's rude when someone is talking to you."

She looked at me,

"No Carlisle there's nothing wrong. I just need a change. Jazz and I are thinking about going off on our own for a while."

"And school?"

"You can make our excuses. You have for Rose and Em"

"Not in the middle of the school year"

She looked at me, head resting on her hand,

"What does Jasper say?"

"He'll do what I want."

"Yes I know, but what does he say?"

"Nothing"

"He's worried about you"

"Oh? He's been asking you about me?"

"No he just asked Rose if she knew why you were so unhappy"

"I'm not unhappy I'm just fed up here. I think I'll go to Denali for a few months. It will be nice to get away for a while"

"What are you running from Alice?"

She looked at me eyes narrowed,

"I'm not running away from anything Carlisle. I just want a change of scene and you can't stop us going"

"I'm not trying to stop you Alice, just to understand."

She got up and flounced to the door,

"There's nothing to understand Carlisle. I'm just bored."

When she'd gone there was a knock and Esme popped her head round the door,

"Any luck?"

I shook my head,

"But there's something going on, I'm sure."

Alice

I was sick of being the Cullens little girl, I wanted to be me, a grown up woman and I thought a few months with Tanya and the others would give me that chance. When I told Jazz later that night after sex, which had been pretty bad as usual, he was startled. He just didn't do anything for me these days and I wondered how I had ever found his disfigured body sexy. The scarring covering the majority of his torso made me feel sick these days and it was impossible to hide my emotions from him, but I tried. He lay next to me rubbing my arm and making my skin crawl.

"Is there someone else Alice?"

"What? No"

"You aren't attracted to me any longer"

Shit! I had to get out of this,

"It's not that Jazz, it's just I'm feeling so unhappy and confused. I want to get away from here its making my skin crawl being around the others all the time."

"So it's not me?"

"No, of course not"

I forced myself to roll over and kiss him.

"Don't be silly Jazz. I was thinking of going to Tanya's for a while"

"Denali?"

"Yes. I think it would be good for us."

He looked surprised because I'd always acted jealous when Tanya and her sisters made a play for him. This time I was hoping they would, and knowing Tanya it was pretty much guaranteed. That would be the basis for my explosion.

I made him and there was no way another woman was having him if I could stop it. My ace in the hole was that he relied on me, he looked to me to keep him on the straight and narrow and whenever he fell short of my expectations which happened whenever I felt a lesson was needed he was always contrite. Maria had done a brilliant job of destroying his personality and his self confidence and I was always sure to keep it rocky. It hadn't been easy at times when the others got involved but I was always able to come up with a situation which made him drop once more in their estimation. I had wondered as I made my way towards Philadelphia how far I could take my talent or gift, how powerful could it be? Having seen Jazz coming and knowing his history I decided to run an experiment. I wanted total control over my Lab Rat and his weaknesses at the time made him the ideal candidate. I'll admit that when I first set eyes on him I was attracted. He was good looking, even sexy, in a primitive way, which helped and I sent all the love and desire I could at him for the first few years so he became complacent. He truly believed he was my mate and any time he started to get concerned I could turn it to my advantage. Accusing him of making me unhappy, or looking at other women although his eyes rarely left me. I was his anchor in a sea too turbulent for him to survive alone. The Cullens had proved somewhat of a hindrance at first, insisting on seeing only the good in him but after a few manufactured accidents they left him to me. I was his control, the one who kept him stable and able to survive among the humans.

The experiment had amused me and passed some enjoyable years but I was bored now. If we split up and he continued to control himself my efforts would have been seen as less than critically necessary and that wasn't acceptable. I wanted him to return to the wild animal he had been, so I got the accolades, but there was a fly in the ointment, Chief Swans daughter. I'd seen her coming for some time and tried various scenarios to keep him from ever meeting her, but every plan I made seemed to just bring the meeting closer. Even getting him shot wasn't going to stop her coming to Forks so we had to leave. Especially as she was going to become involved with Edward and therefore the family.

Jasper

I didn't want to leave the others but if Alice thought it necessary and she was unhappy then we'd go. Emmett tried to talk us out of it but Alice just brushed him off with excuses. Carlisle had agreed to make up something to placate the school and we were set to go.

"See you at Christmas folks. The family is thinking of coming to visit. If not Rose and I will."

I smiled at Emmett, I'd become close to him over the years, and Rose and I would miss their company.

"We'll see."

Alice said mysteriously.

"Why? You see something Alice?"

Rose was curious.

Alice just smiled enigmatically, she did that a lot and it annoyed the hell out of me. Either put up or shut up I thought.