Chapter 2: The Comeback

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated! I've been lazy, and well that's it… Anywho, onto the chapter!

"Let's go tell Esme," I said quietly. "She won't be easy, so Jazz, won't you help me?"

"Of course," Jasper answered.

"And please hold off on all the questions, I'm doing my best here!"

It was frustrating knowing how much my family depended on me, and how a flash decision just might go undetected by me, or it could be too late.

We all ran back to the house to find Esme sitting peacefully on the loveseat looking through a magazine.

"Hello loves, how was school? Where's Edward?" Esme asked.

I cursed Esme's motherly instincts at that instant. Of course she would first notice Edward was missing.

"School was…different," Jasper responded.

"Ah, but where's Edward?"

I moved slowly to the loveseat and held Esme's hand. I looked into her eyes, warm pools of gold that made me truly feel like her daughter.

"Edward had to leave."

I watched those lovely pools grow wide, and Esme broke down into tearless sobs.

"Rose…" I murmured for assistance. This broke my cold, dead heart.

"Oh my poor Edward!"

"Esme, he'll be fine. He had to go to Alaska, Denali I'm sure. He looked a little flustered after school, that's all." Rose said softly

Just then, Carlisle burst open the door, blazing mad. I'd never seen my father look quite this angry. He was usually the peaceful type of person.

"Alice, would you care to explain why Edward came into my office hyperventilating and asking for my car?" Carlisle demanded

I sighed a breath of relief. So he had gone into Alaska, and not to attack this girl. At least I hoped so.

"Edward came out of school panting for breath. Apparently, Chief Swan's daughter has some sort of death wish, because I kept getting visions of Bella being dead, and Edward with red eyes."

"Didn't you see this coming at all?" Rosalie spat out.

"No, I was busy watching Jasper all day Rose" I shot back

Jasper looked down at his feet, "I'm sorry, Alice."

"No it's fine, at least Edward found some control though, but I'd still like to go over and watch Isabella Swan tonight. Just to be sure Edward doesn't do anything stupid."

Carlisle nodded to me, but Rosalie wasn't giving up without a fight.

"Alice, how can you help if you don't see things coming?" Rosalie shouted. "What if we were to be exposed? Hm?"

"Well, Rosalie, you'd be in a hell of a pickle, wouldn't you?" I said low and dangerous. "Jazz, go on and hunt with Emmett, I'm going to the Swan residence. Jazz, you can meet me there when I'm done."

"Alice, when you get back, I'd like to have a talk with you," Carlisle said.

I left the door, and ran to the Swan residence as fast as I could. I perched on top of the trashcan and watched through the kitchen window.

She was a small little thing, funny for me to say. She had a reddish tint to her thick brown hair. Her skin was almost as pale as mine, but wasn't she from Arizona? Her face was a simple beauty, nothing like Rosalie's. It wasn't over the top, but she had a pretty face. She had some fierceness to her, but she looked very gentle. She also looked mature, not quite fitting in with the rest of the Forks student body. Like us.

In observing her, I noticed she was very clumsy. She worked around the kitchen, dropping things, stubbing toes; she was rather amusing to watch.

I suddenly got full view of her eyes. They were brown, but it was hard to tell because they were all red and puffy. Why would she be crying?

Oh, she had just moved all the way from Phoenix. So she was probably homesick.

As I continued to watch, I found nothing sinister at all about this girl.

She didn't look mean--not that that would do any harm to Edward. She looked rather friendly.

The view of the kitchen melted away, and I saw Jasper creeping up on me. Would he ever learn? The small kitchen came back and I decided to play along.

"Boo!" Jasper whispered.

"Ah!" I half shrieked. "You got me, you scary vampire you."

He chuckled and pecked my cheek, "I'm sorry ma'am."

Oh, I loved that Southern accent of his, it was just so cute and made me giggle. But I had more important matters.

"Jazz, I've been watching this girl, and there's nothing interesting about her, except how klutzy she is."

"Why would she make Edward run off like that? It just doesn't make sense."

"Don't strain your brain, Jazzy!" I giggled and kissed him.

That man had the best pair of lips in the whole south. He always knew how to fix my day.

"Guess we gotta report back to Commander Carlisle?" Jasper asked.

"Yes sir, let's go!"

I ran at top speed back to our house. When I opened the door, everyone was already seated in the living room. Wasn't I the psychic?

"Anything special about the measly thing?" Rosalie asked, true curiosity in her voice.

"Honestly…no," I said truthfully. "She can barely walk a straight line without tripping though."

I sighed, I knew now was the time to comfort my family. Otherwise, the tension would make Jasper a crazy man.

"Look, Edward needs space, let's give it to him. He'll come back when he's ready, and he'll tell us everything, and we are going to do our best to help him." I said.

"Fine! But don't expect us to be all lovey-dovey when gets back. I have some beef with him!" Rosalie threatened

"Rosalie Hale. Did you not just hear what your sister said? We are going to welcome Edward back. This isn't the same home without him!" Esme said.

With that, Emmett and Rosalie ran off to their room to do Lord knows what. Carlisle walked towards his study, and Esme slumped on the couch.

"Esme, it'll be alright. Don't worry." Jasper soothed.

"Oh I know, but my poor baby!" Esme cried

"He'll be home before you know it, Esme! You'll be the first to know!" I assured her and gave her a wink.

"Oh, my children." Esme pulled us into a motherly hug. She was so wonderful.

For the rest of that week, the house was silent. I watched Edward's piano collect dust, a ghostly reminder of him.

Emmett was unusually quiet, not cracking any jokes, or making any bets. Jasper was constantly out for walks, not being able to stand the gloom of the house.

Carlisle immersed himself in his work, Esme cleaned--excessively so--to the point where each surface was scrubbed three times in a ten minute period. She of course, could not touch the piano, for she would walk away, and pretend it didn't exist.

Rosalie was crabbier than normal. She would complain about stupid things like the shade of the wood, or the dust on the piano, or this and that… Even Emmett got to be fed up with her.

I spent my days watching Isabella Swan. Trying to unfold the mystery that pushed Edward to Alaska.

On Sunday afternoon, I received one of the first visions in a long time.

It was Edward, in Carlisle's Mercedes, speeding down the Alaskan highway, snow falling everywhere. I saw him pull up to our house, as the sun was setting.

"EDWARD!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "OH MY GOSH!"

I ran to Esme, who was drowning the kitchen surfaces in Lysol.

"Alice?" she asked hesitantly.

"Ohmygoshedwardwillbehereattwilight!" I said at vampire speed

"Oh, Alice!" she exclaimed.

We both jumped up and down like pre-teen girls screaming.

"What's all this?" Carlisle questioned.

"Edward's coming home!" I shouted.

By now the whole family had smiles on their faces. I waited by the door bouncing up and down. I could be patient.

I finally heard the purr of Carlisle's car near the driveway.

"EDWARD!" I screamed and ran to the car door.

"Alice, I don't think I quite heard you." Edward said, with a grin on his face.

I ignored his sarcasm and pulled him into the biggest hug I could muster.

"How was Alaska? Did you bring me anything? I would have seen it of course…" I said.

"Hmmm…how about my presence?"

"That'd be enough for me!" Esme said

"Hello, Esme," Edward said quietly

"Never, do that again. We can help if you let us." Esme commanded.

"Sorry," Edward said.

We all moved to the living room to hear Edward's story. He took a big sigh and began.

"I'm so sorry I ran off like that. I really do love you all. I just…I can't believe…" Edward stuttered.

I've never seen him at such a loss for words. He always knew what to say.

"In Biology, her scent hit me like nothing ever had before…like…a wrecking ball. I thought of at least one hundred ways to kill her and everyone in the classroom in that moment.

"I'd lost all humanity I had left of me then. I only wanted her blood, and I wouldn't let anyone stop me. I'd have gladly killed them in the process.

"I thought of you Carlisle. How disappointed you would have been with me, I would never be able to live with myself. I couldn't destroy everyone's happiness here."

Edward looked up to see all of our shocked faces.

"Sorry," he quickly apologized.

"No, no don't. You are safe, and so is Isabella, that's all that matters" Esme soothed.

"Thanks," Edward said, and offered a small smile.

He walked up the stairs towards his room, I followed him and knocked on his door.

"Come in."

Edward was in front of his massive collection of CD's, looking for something classical I guessed.

"I'm proud of you," I beamed. "But…I still don't know why she's so special. I went to her house, and well--"

"YOU WHAT?"

"Edward there was no danger, really. I actually had no desire to bite her. She was cooking." I wrinkled my nose at that. Human food smelled terrible, yet they scarfed it down. Was it that appetizing to me once?

"Hah, that's what you get," he laughed.

"Anyways," I scowled "she wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Besides the fact she's very accident prone."

"I don't know…her scent was just…out of this world…" Edward said thoughtfully.

"In a good way, I hope!" I joked.

"Yes, in a good way," he laughed again.

I was pulled out of his room and into a scene of white. Snow. It was really going to snow. We really loved snow. It was another cold, dead, white thing.

Edward smirked at me, "Emmett's going down."

"You really should hunt, just to be prepared Edward," I suggested. "and maybe try seeing her as a human being? Try talking to her. Now, hunt."

"Might I have the company of Miss Alice Cullen?"

"Hm…you may!"

With that, we dashed out the house towards the midnight black forest. Our eyesight seeing straight through it.

All was right in the world. I had my best friend back. I had my brother back.

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