Into the Dark

Eclipse, Alice's Story

Author: Arwens-light

Chapter 4: The Price of a Bribe

Rating: T

Author's Note: I know, I know… it's been a while. I'm truly sorry. I get horrible writer's block and then all of a sudden, I'll just be able to sit down and write eight pages… like tonight. I hope you enjoy this chapter… things are about to start rolling :)

I want to thank all my readers and especially my reviewers - bmthespian, joayla, and bananafox. Bananafox – to answer your question about Alice's headaches – maybe I jumped a bit with this one. My theory is that when she tries to focus too much on Victoria, she is getting too much interference to see anything properly, which is giving her the headaches. When she tries to see anything concerning the wolves, she doesn't see or feel anything. However, Alice hasn't quite figured that out yet

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Stephenie Meyer owns all. NO copyright infringement intended. Some of the dialog taken from "Eclipse" Movie.

Edward was beyond furious. The moment the words were out of my mouth, I was rewarded with a slur of cruses and then the line went dead. The metal paneling of the Newton's sports good store felt icy-cold, even against my skin. A few seconds later, my phone vibrated and I raised it to my ear silently.

"Alice?" Jasper's voice came through the line. His tone was full of concern. "What happened? Edward just dropped everything and ran off."

I swallowed heavily, my tongue feeling strangely thick in my mouth. "I can't see Bella," I stated simply, trying to keep the emotion out of my voice.

There was a brief moment of silence on the phone. "We'll be there soon," Jasper said calmly.

I hung up the phone and stared at my shoes. How had I let this happen? What could I have done, short of never letting her out of my sight or putting a house-arrest anklet on her? I ran my hand over my brow, frustrated and perplexed. This was not good.

Slowly I stood and made my way to Carlisle's Mercedes. I drove back to our house, trying to pinpoint the moment I couldn't see Bella. But there was nothing that stood out. It hadn't been until I'd consciously looked for her that I knew she was gone. Just like earlier this year, with her little cliff-diving experiment.

A few minutes later I pulled up to our house. Esme greeted me as I entered the dining room, but her smile quickly faded to concern.

"What's wrong, Alice?"

"She's gone. I can't see Bella," I replied flatly.

Carlisle appeared behind me. "Just like before?" he asked calmly.

I nodded, scowling at Esme's blue prints, spread across the top of the thick, oak dining room table.

"I'm sure everything will be alright, Alice..."

"Not when Edward's done with me," I muttered, staring out the large dining room window into the dark surrounding forest.

"You're trying to watch too many things, Alice," Esme said, raising and putting her arms around me in a motherly embrace. "It's too much for a single person."

I shook my head. "But of anything to fall through the cracks, it shouldn't have been Bella… I don't know how I'm going to explain this to Edward."

"We'll just have to come up with a better game plan next time," Carlisle reasoned. He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed a number.

After a few short moments, Edward answered.

"Edward," Carlisle said smoothly, "I think we know where Bella is."

Two hours later, I saw Edward make the decision to head straight for the boundary line rather than come home. But it wouldn't be until the next day that we saw him again.

When I came out of my room, early Sunday afternoon, Edward was standing against the opposite wall. His arms were crossed and there was a slight pinch at his brow. He raised dark eyes to meet mine.

I sighed internally, suddenly feeling defiant. WHAT? How was I supposed to know that Bella would run off straight into werewolf territory?

A deep growl rumbled through his chest. "Come with me," he seethed.

I pinched my lips together. Fine, I thought haughtily. Edward stalked behind me down the grand staircase and out the front door. I picked out the location he envisioned for us to talk and made my way there.

When we finally stopped, we were at a small enclosure. Trees framed in a small space where only ferns and moss grew, thick and velvety.

I lightly sat upon the damp earth, still not meeting Edward's glare.

We stayed in silence for a long time, neither of us speaking. I turned my mind to clothes and fabric and buttons and shoes, so as not to talk to him inadvertently through my thoughts.

Finally, he sighed in frustration and sat beside me, angrily pulling at some weeds.

I dared a glance in his direction and he caught me. I didn't mean for it to happen, I finally allowed myself to think.

Edward sighed again, but this time, it wasn't fueled by anger. It sounded empty, almost defeated.

I turned to face him fully. "What's really bothering you?" I asked more gently.

"She doesn't understand how much danger she's putting herself into," Edward said quietly.

I rubbed my chin, gazing up at the gray sky that peeked through the canopy of green and earthy brown above us. "No more than when she's with you."

The dark glare immediately returned to Edward's stare.

I rolled my eyes. "I've been around the kid, Edward. He wouldn't hurt Bella-"

"Not on purpose," he growled. "But it only takes one second of him not being in control-"

"Like us?" I countered, knowing that I was treading on thin ice.

Edward scowled, but remained silent.

I sighed and shifted closer to Edward and nudged his shoulder. I offered a small smile.

His dark eyes surveyed me closely. The purple shadows under his eyes were becoming pronounced.

I gently tapped his temple. "Hey, you need to take care of yourself. You can't expect to be Bella's savior if you're letting yourself go."

Edward softly batted my hand away, but nodded. "Carlisle mentioned something to me this morning... about having a better plan."

I nodded, remembering Carlisle's words from yesterday.

Edward picked at some more weeds growing under his feet. "I'll go hunting again this weekend – I'll make sure I feed enough to be tolerable." A small smirk tugged at his lips and then he gazed at me, something unreadable in his eyes. "I'm also willing to make a bargain."

I raised my eye brows. A bargain? "What kind of bargain?" I asked.

Edward nodded thoughtfully. "I'd have to special order it from Los Angeles, but I'm sure we could get it here before I left…"

A flash of yellow blazed through my mind.

A huge grin split my lips. "Oh, Edward," I breathed… "Could you really?"

My brother smiled down at me. "Sure, why not… but of course, as long as you hold up your end of the deal."

I steadily held his gaze. "Which would be… watching over Bella while you're gone," I reasoned.

Edward tilted his head slight. "It would be more than watching. Whenever I have to leave town – you'll need to make arrangements for Bella to stay over. I'd really rather not leave her alone."

"She'll resist," I said evenly. "She'll be very angry with you."

He nodded. "I know. But it's a sacrifice that's willingly made on my part if I can have peace of mind that she's safe."

I bit my lip, chewing on it lightly as I thought. It was for Bella's own good. And I would finally have my beautiful piece of Italian machinery. Determined, I nodded.

Deal.

The next few days past with Edward and I making plans for the weekend. Edward decided that he couldn't have Bella sleeping on his black leather letcus, so he had me help him order a bed set. We finally selected a metal canopy bed, with intricate floral patterns and a soft, golden-orange silk bed set. We express-shipped everything for Wednesday delivery, even though it cost almost as much as the furniture. Edward was able to locate a Porsche dealer in Napa Valley that actually had my Turbo 911, in yellow, on his lot and was shipping it up to a dealership in Olympia for Edward to pick up Tuesday evening.

I was nearly bursting with joy on Tuesday night when Edward pulled up the drive in the Porsche. Jasper and Emmett stared at me in amusement as I bounced up and down in excitement. As soon as Edward stepped from the car, I launched myself into his arms and presented him with a sisterly kiss on the check.

He laughed good-naturedly and returned my embrace. "Now you know you really shouldn't be driving this around Forks."

I pouted, but knew he was right. Rosalie's convertible seemed a little too flashy for Forks – I could only imagine how heads would turn if my Turbo were to cruise down Main Street…

"Just a quick spin?" I pleaded, my foot itching to slam the accelerator to the ground. "A test drive, really."

Edward glanced at Carlisle, who nodded from the front porch. "Just don't head into town. Take the 101 South... but don't go too far."

I saluted like the good, obedience soldier I was and held out my palm for the keys. Edward dropped them into my hand and I twirled over to the driver's side.

Jasper step forward to occupy the passenger's seat, but Rosalie was already at the door, allowing herself in. "Ladies first," she quipped.

I glanced at Jasper and then shrugged apologetically before sliding into the driver's seat. I adjusted the seat to perfectly fit my height and then slid the key into the ignition. I almost squeaked with delight as the Porsche purred to life.

Rosalie smiled at me and then waved her hand forward. "What are we waiting for?"

By the time we were down the lane, I was already in second gear. I took the turn from our hidden drive onto the road at precarious speeds. Rosalie yelled in excitement as the rear tires spun for a moment before shooting us forward. Night began to fall around us as I expertly wove between cars, continuously increasing our speed. By the time we pulled off at a rest stop, we were half way to Portland and had reached a speed of 120 mph on the winding roads.

After a few moments, I turned the car around and headed back toward Forks. Rosalie and I drove in silence for a while, until I ventured to mention this weekend.

She nodded as I explained why Bella was going to stay the night. I glanced at her, concerned when she didn't say anything.

"Are you alright about this? I know you don't particularly like her-"

"It's not that, Alice," Rosalie said, quickly cutting me off. "It's fine, honestly. We'll have a nice girls-night-in while the boys are off hunting."

"Ok," I replied, not entirely convinced.

"What do you have planned?" she asked politely after a moment of silence.

I shrugged, keeping the speed of the Porsche at a more manageable 80 mph. "Oh, I don't know – facials and pedicures? What do girls now-a-days do at slumber parties?"

Rosalie laughed. "How am I supposed to know?"

I sighed, drumming my fingers against my lips. "Well, we could always go to Olympia Saturday… shopping, dinner… oh, dancing would be so much fun! But I supposed we would need the boys for that."

Rosalie smirked at me. "I don't think Bella is ready to go dancing with us."

I laughed. "No, I suppose not quite yet." I nodded to myself. "It's decided then. Pedicures Friday night and then we'll take her to Olympia on Saturday."

On Wednesday after school, a delivery was made to the Cullen house with Bella's bed. Edward allowed the delivery men to carry the bedding up the two flights of stairs to his room, but insisted on putting the bed together himself. Emmett helped Edward assemble the posts while Rosalie and I rearranged the rest of Edward's room. Rosalie adjusted Edward's letcus against the north-facing window while I organized his stereo beneath his wall of music. Once the bed had been erected, Edward and I made the bed with the new pale gold bedding.

My brother stepped back once we had finished and surveyed his room. He considered it for a moment and then nodded, satisfied.

Edward decided to leave a day early, as to not leave Bella alone over the weekend longer than he had to. Jasper and Emmett didn't argue and Carlisle rescheduled his hours at the hospital to make the accommodation.

Esme called Charlie Swan while we were at school on Thursday to make the arrangements for Bella to sleep at the Cullen house Thursday and Friday night. After hearing that Edward would be out of town with his father and brothers, touring colleges down in California, Charlie relented.

I borrowed Edward's Volvo and stopped by the Swan residence later that afternoon to gather some of Bella's belongings that she would need for a weekend stay. I collected the necessary toiletries from her small bathroom and then ventured into Bella's room to choose her wardrobe. I frowned as I surveyed her closet, fingering the plaid and thermal shirts that lined the small space. As that was about the extent of her clothes, I glumly made a selection and folded them neatly in a travel bag I had brought with me. I made a mental note to make some purchases at Olympia on Friday to expand the limited wardrobe Bella had.

I quickly stopped by our house to drop off Bella's belonging and then headed toward the Newton's store to pick up Bella when her shift ended at 7. I arrived a few minutes early and began to riffle through the assortment of cd's Edward had stored in his car. I located a band I had never heard of before and slid the cd into the player. I tapped my finger against the plastic case as I studied the cover art for the band Fitz & the Tantrums. I decided I liked it and flipped open the case to read the lyrics.

I had all of the lyrics memorized by the time Bella wandered into the parking lot. I pushed the passenger door open and flicked the volume knob to increase the beats of Fitz & the Tantrums. Bella walked over to the Volvo and slide into the passenger seat.

"Hey Alice. Where's your brother?" Bella shouted, a slightly puzzled expression on her face.

I simply smiled at her, waiting for her to shut her door. After a moment, she slammed the passenger door shut and clicked her seatbelt into place. Bella raised her hands to cover her ears against the blare of the music.

I chuckled and lowered the volume of the music before quickly hitting the locks and turning out of the parking lot quickly.

Bella's puzzled expression grew perplexed. "Alice…" she said slowly, her tone only slightly accusing. "What's going on? Where's Edward?"

I kept my eyes on the road ahead of me as I navigated the streets of Forks. "They left early," I offered.

"Oh," she said, disappointment clearly hanging on her word.

I suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Edward should have said goodbye before he left. It wasn't fair to simply leave her like this. I composed myself, forcing myself to be overly cheery. "All the boys went and we're having a slumber party!"

Bella gawked at me for a moment before repeating, "Slumber party?"

"Aren't you excited?"

I could clearly tell she was not from the glare she threw me. "You're kidnapping me, aren't you?" She snapped, fury causing her face to flush pink.

"Till Saturday," I admitted. "Esme cleared it with Charlie; you're staying with me two nights and I'll drive you to and from school tomorrow." I tried to smile reassuringly at her, but Bella had turned away from me, no doubt to glare out the window.

I tapped the steering wheel with my thumb. "Sorry… he paid me off," I tried to explain.

Bella's jaw clenched. "How?" she almost growled.

I wanted to laugh at how much she reminded me of Edward in that moment, but I refrained, knowing it wouldn't help the situation. "The Porsche." Bella knew which one – the gorgeous Turbo 911, just like the one I had hotwired and driving across the Italian countryside. "I'm not supposed to drive it around Forks, but if you want, we could see how long it takes to get from here to L.A. – I bet I could have you back by midnight!"

"I think I'll pass," Bella seethed.

We fell into silence as I drove the rest of the way to our house. I noticed Bella glance down our line of cars in the garage and hoped, more than believed, that she might have forgiven me for playing along with my brother's kidnapping scheme.

Once we had parked, I hopped out and went to the Porsche, stoking the smooth exterior and glanced at Bella. "Pretty, isn't it?"

"Pretty-over-the-top," Bella muttered. She rolled her eyes. "He gave you that just for two days of holding me hostage?"

I faltered for a moment, hating to lie to her.

Bella noticed. She stared at me, her eyes pleading with me to say it wasn't true. But I couldn't. "It's for every time he's gone, isn't it?" she said through tight lips.

I nodded.

Bella's cheeks were flushed pink again as her face twisted into a scowl. She grabbed her book bag from the Volvo and slammed the door shut, stalking toward the house.

I sighed, running my fingers over my brow. This was going to be a long weekend.