Sorry it's a day late, but I'm sure you all know about the trouble people have been having logging in and stuff.

Thanks to everyone who read the last chapter and to those who reviewed. It really makes my day to get reviews :). Hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 3

Alice sat cross-legged on the sofa Edward's room. Edward had been pacing the floor in front of her ever since Alice had told him the most vital part of her plan. It didn't dishearten her to see his reaction; a lot of the time, Edward was too rational about things. Well, he tried to be rational, but eventually his impulsiveness would take over and he would do whatever the hell he wanted. This was why Alice was certain he'd give in.

"So, for the last time," he said, looking at Alice in disbelief, "let me get this straight. You want me," he pointed to his own chest, "to court Bella Swan."

Alice sighed. This was the fifth time he'd said it and every time Alice had given him the same answer. "Yes, Edward, I want you to court Bella Swan. Now, for my last time, can I ask why this is so difficult to understand?" Edward blinked. "Is it the word 'court', sweetie?" she asked her most patronizing voice. "Has that confused you? It means.... " She tailed off and rolled her head back, knowing she didn't really have to act like a dictionary for Edward's sake.

"I know what it means, Alice," he scowled. "But why don't you just tell me to date her? It makes more sense."

"Because, it would be cruel to make her think you liked her that much, and then she'd only be more disappointed when you eventually make it clear that you're not interested," Alice explained. She had been thinking her plan through since it first came into her head earlier in the day, so her answers were well prepared for his questioning.

Edward's shoulders, which had been tense, dropped. "How is me making her think that I like her enough to date her, but never actually taking her anywhere any less cruel? It just means that she gets all of the emotional abuse without any of the perks." He slowed his movement and sat on the edge of his four poster bed, his hands clasped together in front of him. He looked at her in earnest, waiting for her reply.

Alice tried to contain the smile that arose when she realized phase one of her plan was almost complete: Break down Edward. He was beginning to listen to her now, to take in everything she was saying and really think about it.

"You know what people in this town are like. Just imagine the scandal it would cause if you asked anyone out, let alone the new girl. It would be too obvious, people would see exactly what we are trying to do and prevent it from happening. " Alice paused to let this information sink in. She knew she was right, and Edward knew it too. When his nod confirmed this fact, she went on, "This will have to be done very carefully. We need to mess with their heads."

Edward's eyes were fixed on Alice, but evidently his thoughts were elsewhere. She waited patiently for his next argument while his eyes stared straight through her.

Although Alice had lived with Edward for over ten years now, he was still very difficult to read sometimes. Like the present. His thought processes were unnecessarily complicated, as, nine times out of ten, Alice could predict exactly what he would end up doing before he even made the decision. This was why Alice was convinced that Edward would eventually have no objection to her scheme. What she didn't know was how long it would take, what he would need to be assured of and how strongly he felt about it. She could see the ends, but not the means.

After another couple minutes of thinking, Edward propped his elbows on his knees. He looked uncertain about something, but still guarded. "But that is just the last part, right? We still have more to do first?"

"Sure," Alice replied, slightly surprised that he didn't have more questions about the part that involved his interaction with Bella, which he seemed to have trouble discussing. "You will have to ease into that, otherwise it won't be believable." Edward smiled in agreement. "We have some slight manipulation and rearranging to do first. For example, her lunch table."

He sat up, already critical. "How are we going to do that?" he asked, his voice incredulous.

"Leave it up to me, Edward. I'll take care of it," Alice said with complete confidence. She had it all worked out in her head, and she wasn't sure it was vital that Edward knew every part of the plan; he had enough to deal with. She stood to leave. "Just you worry about Bella Swan. She will be your main priority," she said in her business-woman voice. "Talk to her, amuse her, interest her. Lay the foundations."

Something in Edward's expression conveyed how hesitant he was about this, but not just that, he also looked scared.

"Alice?" he asked, just as she'd turned his back to him. His voice was softer than it had been before.

"Yes."

"How did you know I'd be speaking to her today?"

Alice didn't understand what he was getting at, though she was under no illusion as to who 'she' referred to. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you told me to call her Bella. How did you know that I'd even have to? That I'd be talking to her?" Alice couldn't help the smile that came with seeing Edward so confused. He always underestimated the lengths she would go to to get things done properly.

"Everyone could not stop talking her, and after listening into a few conversations it was more than east to guess her timetable. I figured I would let you know what she preferred to be called, as a precautionary action. Did she appreciate it?"

Edward gave a kind of half smile, so Alice could not judge much from it. However, as long as he was agreeing to go along with everything she had in store, she was not worried.

Skipping down the stairs and into the kitchen, Alice began to help Esme prepare the dinner. The whole time her mother was throwing her suspicious glances, obviously desperate to know what they had been talking about in Edward's room.

After five looks too many, impatience finally flared in Alice. "I'm not going to tell you what we were talking about. It was of no importance to you, so don't worry about it," she said, placing the cutlery on the kitchen table. Little tea candles were lined up along the centre and beside each place setting was a small flower. Alice knew she was overdoing it for a mundane family dinner, but she really couldn't help herself, and it always made Esme happy to see their house looking good.

Alice looked up from her masterpiece of the day and Esme was staring at her from over a pot. The look in her eyes contested that she was offended by what Alice had said, however, the smile playing on her lips exposed her true meaning. Esme was a terrible lair.

"Everything to do with you and Edward is important to me. How could you even think otherwise? Have I not been a good mother?" Esme said with wide eyes and feigned sincerity. Knowing her too well, Alice waited for just a moment. Right on cue, Esme begin to laugh, followed by Alice.

"Don't even try to guilt me into filling you in, it's not going to happen." Alice shook her finger at Esme.

"Can't blame a mother for trying," Esme grinned. "But I honestly do care, and I would like you to tell me something." Removing her oven glove, she stood at the counter and rested her chin in her hands. "Just one little thing," she pouted. "Please?"

Alice sighed dramatically. "Esme, you sure know how to wear me down," she joked. Esme's eyes brightened, excited at the prospect of hearing some real gossip.

Since she could remember, Alice had been shuttled between foster families. She had seen almost every type of parent there possibly was: the doting, the protective, the non-indulgent, the neglecting, the abusive, the "friend" and the unrelenting maternal. Because of her vast range of experiences, Alice had learnt how to be a good judge of character. She was rarely wrong. This also meant that, guessing how people to react to certain situations, she would always know the outcome of her placements as soon as she met the family. She knew which family would last longer, and which one wouldn't.

Esme, Alice had always felt, feel somewhere between the last two types. For someone who had never had their own children, Esme had maternal instincts that were almost unnatural. On the other hand, compared to other mothers, she was relatively young. So, although they did not share the typical mother-daughter relationship, they had something special that Alice preferred. They had a mutual respect for one another.

Esme could talk to her like a sister, but comfort her like a mother. For that, Alice knew she was extremely lucky.

"What do you want to know?"

A wicked gleam flickered across Esme's eyes. "Tell me about the new girl," she said in a hushed voice, clearly enjoying this.

"I already told you everything," Alice replied in confusion. An account of Bella Swan had been included in the daily school update. "She's called Bella and she's Chief Swan's-"

"No, Alice. What about, well, you know...?" She directed her gaze upwards and cocked her head to the side.

"Edward?" Alice was seriously confused now. Could Esme know about her plans? A strange, unknown guilt twisted in Alice's stomach.

"You told me she was pretty. What does Edward think?" The hope on Esme's face almost made Alice's heart break, and her stomach release its knots. Esme wanted to talk about Edward's love life.

Even at the age of 18, Edward had never been on a date with a girl. It was not for lack of offers, though, and this seemed to be a great concern of Esme's. She felt that Edward needed someone to help bring him out of himself, in a way that none of their family ever could.

On the other hand, Alice had always been very independent. She had been on dates, but had never held down a steady boyfriend. It wasn't a main priority for her, and she knew this was also the case with Edward. However, like their mother, she, too, wished he would find someone. Just one girl, not something serious. But he never even came close.

"I don't know, he didn't seem that interested. He didn't even notice what she looked like, even though she was in his Biology class " The disappointment was evident in Esme's features. For her plan to work, he would have to pretend that he did feel more than indifference, but Alice could not lie about this to Esme. "I wouldn't get your hopes up," Alice sighed. Esme conceded defeat and went back to preparing dinner. "Maybe she'll dazzle him with her personality?" Alice tried to lighten the heavy mood which had settled over the room with her blatant optimism. Esme smiled and shook her head.

Somewhere at the front of the house a door slammed. Carlisle called out to an empty living room.

"We're in here, honey," Esme shouted in response.

"Hey, Carlisle," said Alice, walking past him. "What me to get Edward for dinner?" Esme nodded.

Once they were all settled for dinner and the customary conversation had been exchanged, focus again returned to the newest resident of Forks. This time it was Carlisle who brought her up.

"So, what is this I hear about Charlie Swan's daughter? I understand that today was her first day?" Carlisle said cheerfully, passing a dish on to Esme, who was looking expectantly at Alice.

Taking it as her prompt to speak, Alice first cleared her throat. "We weren't talking to her much, to be honest," she told Carlisle, who looked slightly disappointed. "But I think she was welcomed well enough."

"I'd like to hope so, Chief Swan is a good man." When Carlisle spoke these words his voice rang with sincerity.

They had been told numerous times how, when the people of Forks had judged him on his wealthy reputation rather than his abilities and he had been met with mostly disdain, Charlie convinced many to ignore what they'd been told and welcome Carlisle into their community. Despite this, some still kept their distance from the family, but at least they put on smiles when Carlisle was treating them. For this, Carlisle was always grateful and he never let an opportunity to remind them of Charlie's kindness pass.

"I saw her sitting with a few people at lunch, Carlisle." Alice met his stare, trying to ease his worries with her words. "She was talking to people, eating lunch. Really, she looked like she was enjoying herself."

"Yeah, the Hales really made her feel welcome," said Edward, speaking for the first time that evening. His voice was harsh, his eyes focused on the table and an unmistakable bitterness penetrated his words. An unexpected tension fell like dust over the table.

Looking away from her mysteriously sullen brother, Alice found Esme's eyes and could only guess that the look of surprise she saw there was not unlike her own. Esme diverted her gaze and blinked rapidly. She could not stand awkward silences, especially at her dinner table.

"Alice tells me Bella is in your Biology class, Edward," she said, with Edward's name given a little extra volume so as to get his attention. "Were you talking to her?"

Edward looked up, seemingly surprised that the rest of his family's eyes were fixed on him. When Esme's words sank in, he glanced at Alice before he answered. Given his present unpredictable mood swings, she almost expected him to be angry at what she had disclosed, but his face was unreadable and his emotions shielded.

"Yes, she was in my class," he said with an even voice. "I didn't really get a chance to have a substantial conversation with her though, she seemed to have enough friends to be getting on with." He smiled to finish, but when the conversation was steered in a different direction Alice watched it morph into a grimace. No doubt he was recalling Mike Newton's comment. Alice struggled to resist rolling her eyes at him, since she could feel Esme watching them both.

Surviving through dessert with comments about future camping trips and more hospital anecdotes from Carlisle, Esme had just begun to clear the dishes when Alice made her move.

"Edward, I have a Shakespeare essay I'm working on, would you mind looking over it for me?" she asked, trying to keep her voice light.

"Of course," he replied, missing Alice's point and remaining fixed in his chair.

"Now," she said with force, smiling. To avoid any more confusion, Alice pushed herself back from the table and stood. Edward understood this time and followed suit as Alice led him out of the kitchen.

She went quietly up the stairs and directly to her room. Edward walked over to her desk, trying to locate the non-existent piece of writing.

"Where is it?" he asked, his eyebrows knitted in confusion.

Alice sighed in exasperation. For someone so smart, he could be so dense sometimes.

"There is no essay, I just needed to talk to you without Esme listening in."

"Oh," he replied. "About what?" Alice was sure the uncertainty in his features was now held there for show. Because of this Alice did not reply out loud, but instead glared at him, watching as his face slowly relaxed under her glare and he sank into her chair in resignation.

He cupped his face in his hands and then ran them simultaneously through his hair, expelling a loud sigh.

"I don't know, Alice. I really don't. What is wrong with me?" He pinched the bridge of his nose and ran his forefinger and thumb across his eyes. Alice leant against her desk and crossed her arms.

"You have been acting strange all day. I can't actually believe that this is still about Mike Newton. What is wrong?" The frustration she had felt about his attitude earlier had evaporated, and she was now concerned.

Edward sat for a while mulling over his words, occasionally he would look as though he was about to speak, but this occurred numerous times before he finally surrendered and just shook his head.

"I thought you said Bella was just another girl," Alice said softly, walking over to him. While he was seated on her bed Alice had a slight height advantage over him. "This is not just about the gay thing, it's Bella." As she said this she took up a place beside him. They sat in silence for another few minutes, while Alice waited for Edward to gather his thoughts.

"I didn't even talk to her properly, I made a complete idiot out of myself," he admitted to her. "I just...." He sighed again. "I just couldn't string one simple sentence together. That's never happened to be before. Usually, I choose not to talk. This time, I couldn't."

A question that had been looming in Alice's head all afternoon came to the forefront of her mind. When it had first made an appearance, she had quickly dismissed it. Now, it was beginning to seem like a possibility.

"Do you think," she started hesitantly, as though testing hot water, "that maybe you like her?" It was something she never thought she would have to ask Edward about a girl during their High School years, but here she was, asking.

Edward looked at her like she was crazy. She felt she was, now.

"I don't even know the girl, Alice," he said with a slight edge.

"You know, there is this little thing called physical attraction. Ever thought that might be it?" Alice knew she shouldn't have brought it up and tried to keep any aggression out of her voice.

"It's not that."

"Are you sure?" she asked skeptically. Edward sounded as though he was being honest, but Alice wasn't sure he would be able to recognize if he had feelings for someone himself.

"Definitely," he replied, meeting Alice's eyes with full intensity of conviction. "I just don't understand her."

"What's not to understand?" Alice said, a hint of laughter in her voice. "She's a girl, Edward."

"I know," he said with an angry growl. He stood up now, his shoulders tense, defensive. "I know she's just a girl." His sudden aggression was enough to startle Alice. Although she was still confused, she did not want to push him any farther and chose her next words carefully.

"Look, Edward, if you want to leave out that part of the plan, I don't mind. I have plenty of other things up my sleeve, it was only a last resort," she said, trying to keep herself from sounding patronizing. "I was going to talk to Ben and Angela tomorrow, they seem like the type of people-"

"What?" His words cut across hers with venom. Alice was shocked into a seconds silence.

"I-I mean, it's not completely necessary for you court her, so it you want to just leave it.... " She stopped this time not because of an interruption, but because the ferocious glare in Edward's eyes was truly scaring her now.

"You don't think I can do this." It didn't sound like a question, but his eyes dared her to respond.

"Of course I think you can." She leaned away from him.

He cackled like a maniac. Alice found nothing humorous in the situation.

"Don't lie! You don't think I can," he said, his voice serious again. "Well think again. This girl-" He spat the word- "is no more than annoyance. I can handle her perfectly well." He turned to walk out. "So, don't you worry about what I can and can't do Alice, I'll be just fine."

He slammed the door, leaving Alice in total shock. She had rarely seen her brother this angry, and never before had he seemed so...unhinged.

Sitting with her back to her headboard Alice tried her best to clear her head. He is just having a bad day, she managed to convince herself. It was the best she could do. Once his mind was made up, there was no changing it. She would have to trust him and hope for the best.

Alice had never been so unsure about the future she was now.

End of Chapter 3