"When things go wrong, you'll find they usually go on getting worse for some time; but when things once start going right they often go on getting better and better." - C.S. Lewis

Of all the accomplishments today, it was awful to think that the pain looming over our heads would ruin it all.

I tried to communicate with Edward exactly what was going through my mind. I had to concentrate very hard to let him read my thoughts.

Will he...live? I asked him.

Edward shook his head. "I don't see how," he answered in a whisper.

I glanced back at Stephanie, who was leaning over Jared, cradling him in her arms.

"Jared is going to die, Stephanie," Edward said, trying to sound as kind as he could-despite the awful news he was delivering.

"No he's not!" Stephanie wailed. "He's fine!" She sobbed tearlessly for some time, mumbling assurances to Jared, although he didn't seem to be conscious anymore.

"Vampire venom is poisonous to werewolves," I recalled. "So she can't save him."

Stephanie straightened up and stopped sobbing. She slowly turned to me, eyes narrowed and looking lethal. "I can save him," she seethed. "Watch. Me."

Chapter 4: Worse

"I'm worried about Bella," I announced.

Everyone looked up at me. Being the psychic in the family, I was rarely doubted, but, for some reason, they looked doubtful. Edward arched an eyebrow; Rosalie rolled her eyes; Emmett smirked; Jasper paid close attention to me.

"I see Bella looking pained in the near future," I continued. "It makes me very nervous, actually, because I can't see what's upsetting her."

"It might be the move," Jasper suggested.

I shrugged. "Maybe—I can't be sure though."

"How upset?" Rosalie questioned. "Very, or just a little?"

"Very," I answered grimly. "And you too, Rosalie."

Rosalie subtly changed her expression to shock. "It must be serious then."

I nodded. "I've only see you and Bella though. The image is blurry—I think Jared might be nearby. I don't think we're in Forks. The surroundings aren't familiar to me."

"Not at all?" Esme asked. "Are you sure? It doesn't look like Mobile at all?"

"No, it's definitely not in Alabama."

"It must be still in Washington," Jasper rationalized.

"I think so," I agreed.

"Can you see the rest of us anywhere close by while Bella and Rosalie are upset?"

I thought about it. I closed my eyes and tried to call the vision back to me. It was so blurry—but I saw Jasper. He was there, for just a second.

"I see you," I said. I opened my eyes and turned to Jasper. "There seems to be a lot of pain. I could feel it—that's how strong it was."

"We should tell Bella. She needs to keep a heads up for anything that might cause this much sorrow," Esme reasoned.

"I'll go tell Stephanie," Rosalie added. "Come on, Emmett."

"We have to go now?" Emmett mumbled.

"Yes," Rosalie snapped. "Steph needs something to distract her, and this is just the right thing."

"Whatever you say," Emmett agreed reluctantly.

Rosalie strutted out of the room with her usual poise, Emmet trailing behind her, rolling his eyes and grinning.

"Where is Stephanie, anyway?" Esme asked. "I haven't seen her yet today."

"She was upset about making Jared wolf-out and run off," I answered. "She didn't want to bug Jasper with her troubling emotions. Plus she needed some time to think by herself."

"She's seeing Is," Jasper rephrased. "She said she'd be a while."

"Of course," Esme smiled softly. "That's perfectly understandable. I hope she isn't too upset by this."

"I'm glad she's leaving him behind," I blurted. "It will be a relief to be able to see what's going on—finally."

I froze then. Could that be it?

"Alice? Alice, what is it?"

I snapped my head to face Jasper. "I think, whatever is upsetting everyone, involves Jared."

"Jared?" Jasper and Esme said in unison.

"The scene is blurry," I confessed, "which means a werewolf has to be in the mix somewhere."

"But what could upset Bella and Rosalie that involves Jared?"

"I'm not sure," I concluded, "but I'm going to find out."

I spent the rest of the day doing just that, trying to find out what Jared had to do with Bella and Rosalie—and some unknown location. I tried to focus on un-blurring the vision. I could see Jasper more clearly, and caught a glimpse of Edward, who was also rather grim looking. But, after all my concentration, I found no more than that.

It was beginning to darken when Stephanie blasted through the door. She stopped in front of me and stared at me, concentrating very hard.

"You missed something else," she said. "About your vision."

"What?" I widened my eyes. "What could I have...?"

"You're focussing too hard on finding out more about the scene being played out when one of the key factors is already in there," she continued. She paused and sighed, seeing that I was drawing a blank.

"They're all staring at something," Stephanie clarified. "They're all looking at some centre point."

I gasped. "You're right!" I closed my eyes and focused on that—the centre point. "That's where the blur is—that's where..." I cut myself off, not wanting to upset Stephanie with mentioning that I thought Jared was in the core of the problem.

"It's okay," she grinned. "I already know. That must be where Jared is. I just wonder where I am."

"Good question," I garbled. "I know you must be in there. Where else would you be? Or maybe that's why we're upset. Do you plan of running off anywhere?"

She shook her head. "Nope, and I certainly won't now."

"Huh." That didn't change the vision at all.

"Why would I run off? I have no reason to."

I gasped again as the vision came again, this time clearer and we were all there—except I couldn't see Stephanie, but I was convinced she was in the centre of the blur. I could see that we were all upset—and there seemed to be purple smoke behind us.

"Alice?" Jasper asked. "What do you see?"

It took a second for Jasper's voice to reach me; I was so involved with the scene. I could tell that even I was there, equally distraught as everyone else.

"We're all there..."

"Even Stephanie?"

"Maybe..."

"Where are we?"

"I...I'm not sure. There are trees. Purple smoke."

"Are we the only vampires there?"

"We are now," I answered solemnly. "I think there might have been more, before..."

"Before what?"

Before I could find an answer, I saw Stephanie, with wild eyes, glaring at Bella. Then, she snapped around, and—I lost it.

I sighed and shook my head. "I have no idea what the problem is now."

"Did the blur go away?" Stephanie questioned, still peering into my memory. "Oh."

"What?" Jasper demanded. "What changed, Alice?"

"Stephanie is mad at Bella," I explained. "I don't know why."

"Are you holding any resentment against Bella?" Carlisle asked, entering the room with Esme.

All of us looked at Stephanie, fully knowing what she could possibly hold against Bella. Stephanie stared at the floor, seeming strangely nervous, and look angrier by the second. I could see Jasper tense beside me; Stephanie's emotion must be getting to him.

"I know what all of you are thinking," Stephanie communicated calmly, taking some Herculean effort on her part. "I don't need to be a mind reader to know that you think that I resent Bella because of what happened."

We had never really talked about it, we had let it slide. Now I knew that Stephanie was still sore over the whole thing. But did she resent Bella?

"I love Bella like a sister," Stephanie assured us. "More than a half-sister. And I think of Edward like a brother. All of you are family; I don't begrudge family."

"But if something came up, if the situation changed," I started, really not wanting to be the one to say it. "Would you rather be with Edward? Would you push Bella out of the way?"

"No," she snapped. "I would never interrupt their happiness."

Jasper didn't un-tense. I had thought that was a good enough answer, but perhaps something in her emotion was enough to convince Jasper otherwise.

I stormed out of the house. I couldn't believe that they doubted me! After all I had given up, they thought I would change my mind in the tough-stuff came along? I loved Jared; I wasn't going to say "Whoops a daisy, I think I love Edward again!" I had made up my mind—more for their sake than mine—and I was happy with the set up. Everyone had someone to love; there was no need for me to begrudge. I had no conflict with any of them. Why did they doubt me? Did they not consider me family as I considered them?

I heard Rosalie chasing after me. I stopped, knowing that she would want to explain that Alice was just covering the bases.

"You have to admit, there was something there," she said quietly.

"Something where?" I snapped.

"Between you two," she clarified. "You and Edward."

I bit my lip and stared furiously at her. She doubted me to. How could Rosalie—Rosalie—turn against me too?

"Listen to me, Stephie," she said, smiling assuringly at me. "I know that you don't want to admit it, but Jared isn't right for you and—somewhere deep down—you know that Edward would be your better match."

"Edward has Bella, Bella had Edward. End of story."

"But what if you don't have Jared anymore?"

"I do," I mumbled. "Jared loves me. He'll wait."

"I'm sure he will," she agreed. "But will you?"

I looked up at her, wide-eyed and terrified. What was she saying? Was she implying that she preferred me to be with Edward? Or was there something more she was hinting to?

"I didn't find Emmett right away," she continued lightly. "But I found him eventually, and we've been inseparable ever since. I think you're Emmett hasn't come yet. We're always gaining some new vampire family member. If you're patient for a hundred years or so, you might get lucky."

"I might," I hinted. "But I might not."

"All I'm saying is that you shouldn't tie yourself down," Rosalie said calmly. She looked worried, like an older sister would be if the younger was freaking out. "And, to be honest, I already know what the big upset is about. I know what happened in Alice's vision."

I gasped. "How—how do you know?"

She shrugged. "It's obvious."

"Then what is it?" I questioned. "No, we should go tell Alice right now."

"I can't say," she mumbled. "It's awful, but it has to be true."

I rolled my eyes. "Let me guess, you think Jared is going to launch some sort of werewolf attack against us because he's seeking revenge against me or something?"

"No, not that," she snapped. "I'm more reasonable than that."

I sighed. "You're right, Rose. Forgive me. You're so nice to me, and then I go crazy."

"That's alright," she smirked. "I expected you to go crazy at some point or another."

"That's really encouraging," I laughed. "So, are you going to tell me what's so upsetting or not?"

She frowned and stared me directly in the eye. "You won't like it," she warned me. "In fact, you might hate me for figuring this out."

"Rose, please, tell me," I begged. I could feel it coming—I could feel the conviction behind her tone.

"It is about Jared," she said simply. "But I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"There's something you have to do first," she answered.

"What do I have to do?"

"I know you said you weren't going to run off, but you kind of have to," she continued. "You need to track Jared down now."

"Why?" I was truly puzzled now. Why did Rosalie want me to seek out a werewolf she hated?

"You need to say goodbye," she whispered. "And you should do it before it's too late."

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