AN: Hey there, I'm sorry for delays but I have exams at the mo so it can't be helped. But I really wanted to thank those who reviewed my work, it really does mean a lot to me, I swear I squeal like a little kid when I read them! Anyway on with it! I don't know if people read these notes so I'll stop waffling. ^-^
Disclaimer: So I don't own anything yadda, yadda, yadda.

Chapter 3:

"So how was your first day of school?" They were seated around a dining room table. An actual table, the absurdity of trained assassins playing happy families wasn't lost on Alice but she still played along with Esme's fantasy. She poked around the half eaten mush on the plate, seriously if they didn't need to eat human food why were they? Emmett was seated directly opposite and he flashed a toothy grin at her. She felt like a fucking sitcom, it was a suffocating feeling and she felt utterly ridiculous.

"So did you all meet Bella?" Carlisle asked, his eyes focussed on Alice's bored slouched posture. His question was phrased for an open floor but they all knew who he was specifically asking.
"Why is she in pretty much all my classes?" There wasn't a hint of accusation in her voice, she was just simply curious. Carlisle was confused by her unusually subdued manner but nonetheless took advantage of it. "Because you are the best, and of course she seems rather taken with you."
"Yeah 'ol Eddie boy here is jeeaalloouuss!" Emmett guffawed and pounded his fist on the table. Cutlery and dishes were clanging and Alice couldn't help but smirk at Edward's discomfort. The bronze haired vampire scowled at Emmett, who responded by flicking a single green pea at the centre of Edward's pale forehead. It was obvious, Emmett was not the mature one in the family.

"Come on be reasonable." Carlisle reprimanded them as if they were children. Alice's smirk slid off her face, Yes, pretty boy always was Carlisle's favourite wasn't her? Edward turned towards her and gave an apologetic shrug. Stop reading my thoughts Jack-ass! She pinned him down with a steely gaze, grinning in triumph when he broke away.

Carlisle continued, oblivious to anything but the sound of his own voice, "Aro has been in touch. The demons are on the move, a few will be sent here soon..."
"Sweet! It's kick-butt time!" Emmett crowed excitedly.
"Not exactly. If they know we are here, they will send Cerberus and we cannot risk that happening. Things are moving much faster than I had anticipated so we need a plan. Bella is the key in all of this, we must get her on our side." Carlisle finished his speech and looked about the room expectantly, as if some amazing ideas were just going to throw themselves at him. "Let me ask her out, I'll win her heart and we'll gain her trust." Edward looked hopefully at Carlisle. "I'll do it, I'm the one she likes and I think we should just tell her the truth." Alice said, staring at Edward with a savage smirk. Carlisle looked thoughtfully between the two, "Alright, you can both try, but ultimately it is Bella's decision."

"NO, "Edward spat angrily, glaring at them, "she will be MY mate." He rounded to face Alice and crouched so he was face to face with the pixie. "You had your chance, you had your mate and you blew it. Don't ruin my chance."

Alice's blood ran cold. Not in the literal sense but the feeling was still the same. Her body stiffened when Edward's words hit her like a ton of bricks, no one, not even Carlisle, was foolish enough to bring Kate into it. Ever since the 'incident', Alice was never the same. It was a taboo subject that everyone had avoided for the past hundred years and Edward had just slapped her in the face with it.
IT WASN'T MY FAULT! Her fist flew out and punched Edward squarely in the face. He stumbled back in surprise and had barely enough time to recover when a flurry of limbs struck him repeatedly, his body collapsing under the sheer force of her blows. Alice's normally amber eyes were black soulless depths, there was raw, carnal power radiating off her and Edward widened in horror as she raised a hand to tear his head off. At this point, the rest of the family decided to step in, as much as Edward needed to be taught a lesson they didn't want him dead. Emmett pulled the snarling animal off Edward and flung her towards Rosalie, who was frantically trying to calm her down with the help of Jasper's powers. Alice struggled violently, hissing and clawing at any exposed skin until it gradually ceased and she slumped wearily in Rose's arms.

"As for you, you selfish fucking bastard..."Emmett's features were contorted with rage and he grasped Edward's neck roughly, pinning it to the wall with a meaty fist. A pistol was cocked and all heads whipped around to find a deadly calm Alice with her gun raised at Edward. She had slipped on her mask over her emotions, "If you so much as breathe her name again, I will personally detach that worthless lump you call a head and feed you to Cerberus himself." She lowered the pistol slightly and fired, a sadistic smile gracing her lips as she watched Edward let out an agonising scream, clutching his shoulder in a crumpled heap on the floor. It would be painful for a while but he would be fine and Alice wordlessly left the house. She needed some serious alone time.

As soon as Alice was out of the house, Rosalie confronted Edward. "What the hell were you thinking? In fact, you weren't thinking, if Alice wants this girl then we are going to help her get the girl. Understand? And you mess up again, I will castrate you and mail the crayola sized package to Aro. He'll be pissed if you screw over his favourite vampire." She kicked him in the crotch for good measure, it was grimly satisfying watching the narcissistic fool roll about on the carpeted floor. "Come on lets clean up." Emmett tugged on Rose's sleeve until she followed the hulking man in picking up the shattered remains of their dinner. "Esme, I don't think it would be wise to have anymore family dinners for a while." Carlisle gave his wife a gentle hug, "but I know you meant well."

If they are watching me then they must know something. I have to get closer, but how? Bella was lying, sprawled out on the bed. Her thoughts were running in rampant circles and they kept coming back to a single person. Alice Cullen. Everyone else in their family Bella could figure out but Alice was an enigma, a beautiful, perplexing puzzle that Bella was drawn to like a moth towards a light. She had tried her hardest to get closer to the girl but it seemed her attempts were futile and she had to settle for watching the stoic vampire during their classes. On the other hand, she needed information fast so maybe Edward was the better option. Annoying, chauvinistic pig wouldn't quit following her around like a puppy, it was pissing her off but she could use him to her advantage if she played her cards right.

"Bella! Can you come help me for a sec?" A gruff sounding voice pulled her out of her reverie. She ambled towards the kitchen, hurrying up her pace when she smelt the familiar burning that always came when Charlie tried to cook. "I told you not to cook, the fire department said they're sick of coming round every week." Bella rolled her eyes while surveying their bombsite of a kitchen. Or what was left of it. "I just wanted to do something nice you know? I know how rough our lives can be sometimes and I just wanted to give you a break." Charlie finished his speech with a watery grin and Bella couldn't help but laugh at his antics. "It's okay, we'll clean up and go grab something at the diner."
"Alright, it's a date!" Charlie beamed proudly. They set to work in the tiny yet comfortable kitchen; there was companionable silence that was occasionally broken by shrieks and laughter when Bella turned around only to have her face met with a sopping wet cloth. It was a wonder that they ever got anything done, sometimes Charlie acted more like a child than a legal guardian but Bella was thankful for the light-hearted relief.

She was placed in an orphanage at the tender age of three but with absolutely no recollection of her former life. It wasn't a bad place per say but it wasn't like people were lining up to adopt Bella either. They couldn't understand why, she was cute, quiet and well-behaved but it seemed that there was something disconcerting about her that just creeped people out. After the orphanage had been burnt down in somewhat suspicious circumstances, Charlie, who at the time was in the fire department, had pulled her battered body out of the burning building. No one knew who had set the fire but Charlie had decided take in Bella and for that she would be eternally grateful. Charlie could see that for all of her...differences, she was a good kid and he cared a lot for her. They never stayed anywhere for too long, they had made the mistake once and paid a high price. So thus leading the move to Charlie's hometown of Forks, not exactly the most popular destination but at least they would be safe. But with the arrival of a vampire coven in town, the legend of wolves somewhere on the reservation and the probability of demons coming sometime soon, Bella knew all hell was going to break loose and they were standing right in the middle of it. Oh shit.

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