A/N: Thank you all so much for your interest in my little story. I appreciate each and every review, fav, and follow. I'm sorry for the lack of updates to my stories for the past six weeks. Real life has been a real bitch lately, but things seem to be easing up.

I wanted to take a moment to thank the folks who voted Just This Side of Crazy into the Top Favorite Fic Dive Stories for the month of October over at ADF. It means the world to me. You guys are awesome! On another note, I was ecstatic to find out that my story, Elastic Heart, had been nominated in the 2015 TwiFic Fandom Awards. I didn't make it to Round Two voting, but it was still an honor just to be nominated.

I am continually blown away by your continued support.

So, onward. Who's ready to meet Alice?

As always, I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.

EPOV

Sue's cryptic plea sent me into a tailspin and before I could register what had happened, Jasper and I were piling into my car and speeding down the highway toward the hospital. I pressed the accelerator to the floor, pushing my car faster than I ever had before. My heart hammered in my chest as I blew through several yellow lights and narrowly avoided a collision with a garbage truck.

Jasper remained silent on the ride over, gripping the door frame until his knuckles turned white. I expected at least a curse or two about my reckless driving, but if he was concerned, he never said a word. I whipped into the parking garage and came to a screeching halt in the nearest parking space, the harsh sound reverberating off the concrete walls as the smell of burnt rubber permeated the air.

I rushed through the garage entrance with Jasper hot on my heels. We navigated through the labyrinth of back hallways, my heart beating wildly with each step. My shoes squeaked on the linoleum as I raced toward the nurse's station, but Jasper's firm grip pulled me to a stop. "What the hell-"

Jasper pressed his finger to his lips and jerked his head to the side, motioning toward the adjacent hallway where Sue stood just out of sight of the front desk. Her wide eyes shifted in all directions, as if waiting for someone to unexpectedly appear, before finally gesturing toward my office. I was extremely concerned with her odd behavior, but opted to take her silent instruction and pulled Jasper down the hallway after her.

Once my office door was closed behind us, I let out the breath I'd been holding. "Sue, what the hell is going on? What happened with Bella and why are we in here and not with her?"

Sue held up her hands in resignation. "Please calm down, Dr. Cullen. Bella's fine right now. She's been sedated-"

"What happened?" Jasper spat through gritted teeth.

"I wasn't in the room, so I only know bits and pieces," Sue explained, twisting her fingers in a nervous gesture. "Dr. Hunter was making rounds this afternoon with Nurse Stanley. Bella wasn't on his list as she's not technically his patient, so I'm not sure what prompted him to stop in and check on her."

"Why would Malcolm make an unscheduled bed check? That doesn't make any sense," I countered, shaking my head. "He's a stickler for policy."

"Malcolm?" Jasper asked, clearly confused by the name.

"Dr. Hunter. He's been here for almost fifteen years and normally handles all of the new admissions. He also knows the damn rule book frontwards and backwards. I've never seen him step so much as a toe out of line." I sighed and wracked my brain for any reason why he would suddenly decide to break protocol, but came up empty. "Sue, are you sure there was nothing that prompted the bed check?"

"No, nothing," she replied. "Up until that point I hadn't heard a peep out of Bella all evening. She doesn't speak with anyone but you."

Jasper's normally calm disposition seemed to be slipping as he chewed on his lip. "So this Dr. Hunter and Nurse Stanley went in to check on Bella. Then what?"

Sue took a deep breath before continuing. "Jessica…uh, Nurse Stanley… she left the room a few minutes later and headed toward the medicine locker, but before she could return there was a loud commotion from Bella's room. Dr. Hunter stumbled out, yelling for security. He seemed dazed. His lip was split and he was holding his wrist close to his chest." She paused for a moment and gazed at me remorsefully. "He's alleging that Bella attacked him once Jessica stepped out of the room."

"That's complete horseshit!" Jasper shouted, causing Sue to cringe back away from him. Seeing her startled expression, Jasper closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. "My apologies, Sue. It's just that this isn't Bella's first rodeo. She isn't violent and would never strike someone unprovoked."

Sue relaxed a bit at his apology, but still regarded him cautiously. "Be that as it may, Dr. Hunter did sustain injury. The only one that can tell us what went on in that room besides him is Bella."

Fuck, this was serious. An attack on a doctor was never received well. While violent outbursts were often considered par for the course, it also meant additional safety measures had to be put into play.

Restraints. Isolation. Sedation.

Bella's psych hold was originally for seventy-two hours, but Dr. Hunter could petition the court for a further fourteen-day hold given the current circumstances.

Jasper turned and began to pace the room, gnawing on his thumbnail in between curses and mutterings. "Shit fire, this complicates things!" After damn near wearing a hole in the carpet, he finally plopped down onto my sofa and hung his head. "I don't want to do this, Edward, but I have to take Bella out of here. Alice will have my ass for sure, but I can't leave Bella in here any longer. It's too dangerous for her."

I was startled by his declaration, but managed to maintain my calm façade despite the panic rising up in my gut. "You want me to release her to you in her current condition?"

"Yes sir, I do," he affirmed, before looking in Sue's direction. "Miss Sue, if it's not too much of an imposition, would you be so kind as to gather the necessary paperwork to have Bella transferred to my care?"

Sue breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, turning for the door. As soon as it had closed behind her, I lost all composure. "What the fuck is going on, Jasper? And no more goddamned riddles! I want answers! You said Bella's in danger here. Why?"

Jasper sighed reluctantly and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Bella saw something the night she was brought in. Now, I don't have all of the details, so don't ask. She only briefly mentioned it yesterday before she was escorted back to her room. I asked her to keep quiet for the time being until I could talk with Alice. Even Alice agreed that the timing wasn't right, but does Bella listen? No, 'course not."

"I don't understand-"

"I know you don't, doc, and I'm real sorry about that, but I can't discuss it here." Jasper looked down at his phone and squeezed his eyes shut before pressing a button and holding the cell phone to his ear. He was silent for a long beat and then cursed quietly under his breath. "Damn it, Alice. The shit's hit the fucking fan and I sure could use some words of wisdom here. Now, I don't know why you're not answering your damn phone, but I need you to call me back. It's worse than you thought and I'm having Bella released to my care, but I don't know where to go. We're not set up for long term yet-"

"I've got a place," I murmured. "I mean…I've got a guest house. You can all stay there until we figure this out." Logically, I knew I should just let Bella go. Jasper could sign her out and take her back to Arizona where she'd be safe. My head knew this, but my heart refused to accept it and squeezed painfully at the thought of Bella being gone. "You say that she's not safe here, but she's safe with me. I…I'd like to see this through."

Jasper stared at me, stunned and slack jawed. It took a moment before he regained his composure and, with a quiet chuckle under his breath, turned his attention back to his call. "Touché, darlin'," Jasper whispered into the phone. "We'll be staying with the good doctor. I'll text you the address." He disconnected the call and watched me inquisitively, like he was waiting for me to say something.

"What?" I snapped.

He shrugged one shoulder and cocked an eyebrow at me. "Nothing." He paused for a beat before continuing. "You sure you want to take us all in? I realize you work in a mental institution, but what you're offering…" He sighed and shook his head. "Well, let's just say you haven't truly witnessed crazy until you've sat through an evening with my Alice."

"Are you saying your wife's insane, Jasper?"

"I said nothing of the sort, doc," he snickered in return. "Just remember…I did ask if you were sure."

Our odd conversation was interrupted by Sue's soft knock on my office door. She stepped inside with Bella's file in one hand and transfer papers in the other.

"Dr. Cullen, you'll have to sign off on these," she said, placing the papers on my desk. "There is a slight complication, though. The papers require a supervising physician's signature."

Fuck, there was no way I was going to get that signature. Dr. Hunter had surely reported the incident with Bella and, given the severity of his accusations, that meant Bella would more than likely be stuck here for at least another fourteen days. I shared a knowing look with Jasper before signing my name on the first signature line. Taking my cue, he grabbed the pen and scrawled his own name on the line next to mine, leaving the third signature line at the bottom blank.

Sue looked between the two of us, her forehead scrunched in confusion. "Who's going to sign off-"

"Sue, I need you to do me a favor," I said as I slid the incomplete transfer paperwork into Bella's file and snapped it closed. "I need you to put this file back behind the nurse's desk and then park a wheelchair right outside of Bella's room."

"Dr. Cullen-"

I held up my hand to halt her question. "Please don't ask," I begged. "Just do those two things for me." I was already deeply regretting the fact that she was involved at all, but I needed help in getting Bella out of here. The less Sue knew, the better. Plausible deniability and such.

A look of understanding crossed her face and she nodded in agreement. She picked up Bella's file and headed for the door, but turned back toward me with a kind smile. "You're a good man, Dr. Cullen. I'll have the wheelchair outside her room in five minutes." I nodded my thanks as Sue closed the door behind her with a soft click.

"You sure about this, doc?" Jasper asked, his voice tinged with regret. "You know what this means-"

"Of course I do, Jasper." I sighed and ran my hand through my hair roughly. I was essentially releasing Bella to Jasper's care with incomplete paperwork. It could very well cost me my license, but deep down I believed Jasper when he said Bella was in danger here. "She's worth the risk."

He merely nodded with a tight smile before heading for the door. I took a few deep breaths and followed behind him.

We slipped quietly down the hallway, trying to avoid running into any of the other staff. A quick glance toward the nurse's station confirmed that Sue had cleared the area of all employees, probably sending them off one at a time on mundane errands and effectively leaving the hallway clear for our escape.

"We need to hurry this along, doc," Jasper whispered. "Not sure how long our luck's going to hold out."

"I know, Jasper!" With one last look to make sure the coast was clear, I darted around the corner and down the hall towards Bella's room. With as little sound as possible, we opened the door and shuffled inside, pulling the wheelchair in with us.

I quickly made my way over to the bed and began releasing the restraints tethering Bella to the hospital bed. My anger spiked as I took my first real look at her. Her right cheek was red and swollen and a small cut resided just under her eye where red and purple blotches had begun to blossom. The bruises from her previous injuries had begun to yellow around the edges, making these fresh marks stand out all that more clearly. I pulled down her blanket and grimaced. Her creamy skin was mottled with scratches and dark marks, the ones on her upper arms clearly indicative of finger impressions.

"Son of a bitch!" Jasper hissed next to me, having taken his own look at Bella's injuries.

I shot him a scathing glance and held my finger to my lips. We would be caught for sure if he couldn't keep his voice down. I hoisted an unconscious Bella into my arms and sat her gingerly in the wheelchair, positioning her so that she would remain upright while we made our escape. Jasper wrapped her in a blanket and then scurried over to the door, checking that the coast was clear. Luck was still with us as we made our way out of the room and around the nurse's station without incident, heading straight for the exit that would lead us back to the parking garage. Our own echoing footfalls chased us across the near empty lot as we sprinted for my car.

Jasper helped me get Bella situated in the backseat and then climbed in with her, scooting down so that no one would see them. "I can't believe we made it out of there unnoticed," he muttered, buckling his seatbelt.

"Me either," I replied nervously, sliding into the driver's seat. Relief flooded through me as I pulled out of the parking garage, but I couldn't escape the nagging feeling that our escape had gone a little too smoothly.

~oOo~

"Have you heard from Alice yet?" I asked as I stirred my tea at the kitchen counter. The smell of honey and cinnamon helped to soothe my anxiety as I thought of the sweet girl sleeping in the room next to mine just down the hall.

"No," Jasper replied, "but I texted her your home address. Peter will get her here safely, doc."

We'd been home for over two hours. In that time, I'd managed to get Jasper squared away in the guest house. While he was grateful for the accommodations for him and Alice, he insisted on Bella staying in the spare bedroom in the main house. I didn't argue. Having Bella close put me at ease.

I'd originally built the guest house as a sort of mother-in-law suite. Wishful thinking on my part, I suppose, but I still held out hope of finding my mother someday. I wanted her to have her own sanctuary, a safe place to go when her world crumbled around her. Away from my father and his controlling ways.

I set a cup of steaming tea down in front of Jasper along with a bottle of Tennessee whiskey before taking a seat across from him at the kitchen table. "Do you think Alice will be okay with your decision to stay here? From the little I've spoken to her, she doesn't seem the type to relish having her decisions made for her."

He smiled crookedly and poured a little of the liquor into his tea. "Sure, doc. She'll be fine with it. She knew it would happen like this anyway."

"What do you mean, she knew?"

He sighed and took a sip from his cup. "Back at the restaurant when I had Alice on the phone. She said to watch out for Bella's best interests. She said if push came to shove, you'd have a way out for us. A safe place we could go."

I simply snorted in response. "That's a real fortune cookie response, Jasper. You assume Alice's prediction came true because I invited you into my home. I could have just as easily suggested the Holiday Inn a few blocks away."

A soft giggle sounded from my kitchen doorway. "Yes, but their continental breakfast leaves much to be desired. They don't even have biscuits, for crying out loud! As for fortune cookie predictions…well, those happen to be my specialty, sugar."

A young woman, whom I could only assume was Alice, stood leaning against the wall, her deep blue eyes appraising me inquisitively. In a rather fluid movement, she danced into the room amid swishing skirts and bangle bracelets, completely uninhibited by her protruding belly. She came to a stop mid-twirl directly in front of me and extended her delicate hand in greeting.

"Pleasure to finally meet you, Edward. I'm Alice Whitlock." Her lips curled into a gracious smile, setting my frazzled nerves at ease. "I can't thank you enough for putting us up like this."

"It's no trouble at all, Mrs. Whitlock," I replied. I couldn't help but smile back at the small woman in front of me. Her black hair was tied back with a dark blue scarf that only accentuated her charcoal lined eyes and ruby red lips. The peasant top that hung from her shoulders was laced together with satin ribbon and silver jewelry adorned her bare skin in abundance. She was quite simply the epitome of the word gypsy.

But underneath all of the traditional garb, an eerie luminescence radiated from her. Something almost…otherworldly. And her eyes…despite her otherwise calm disposition, I could see a hurricane swirling in those blue depths. A force not to be reckoned with.

In a grand gesture, she was swept away from my casual perusing as Jasper pulled her into his embrace, placing a smacking kiss to her lips. His hands snaked around her waist, travelling up her back before finally settling on her bare shoulders. Pulling back a bit, he scoffed as he released her from his grip, drinking in her appearance. "Oh, peaches. Don't you think this getup is a bit much?"

She shrugged one shoulder and grinned mischievously. "It's what Dr. Cullen expected, sweets. Now what kind of gypsy would I be if I didn't show him the whole package?"

He chuckled and rolled his eyes at her. "Whatever you say, sugarpuss. Now, where's Peter?"

"Oh! He had to go. The airport taxi met us here so that he could get back in time to make his flight."

I had to admit, I was damn impressed with the timing and precision with which she had executed her arrival. It all seemed a little too orchestrated and not at all reminiscent of my personal experiences. My life had always felt chaotic and out of control. First with my mother's illness and then later with my father's alcohol abuse. Control and order were not concepts familiar to me.

Jasper merely continued to smile down at his wife while caressing her stomach. They seemed to be carrying on a silent exchange while I sat and sipped my tea, waiting patiently. It was the first time I'd ever felt like a guest in my own home. After several long moments, Alice and Jasper finally broke apart.

"Sorry, doc," Jasper drawled. "I don't like being away from her. Especially with her this close to her due date."

"Completely understandable, Jasper. No apologies necessary." I got up from my seat and headed toward the refrigerator. "Alice, can I offer you anything to drink? I've got-"

"I'll take some of that red Kool-Aid on the bottom shelf, please," she responded with a sly smile.

The door to the refrigerator continued to swing open on its arc even though my hand had dropped from the handle. I swung around to look at Alice, completely shocked by her request. Grown men didn't typically drink Kool-Aid, but I'd been addicted to the stuff since I was a kid. It was my guilty pleasure. No one knew…not even my father. "How did you know?"

"Hmm, that is the question, isn't it?" She smirked and retrieved a glass from the cabinet next to the sink. If I didn't know better, I'd swear she'd been in my house before. "Aw, don't look at me like that, sugar. Everyone keeps their cups in the cupboard next to the sink. Anywhere else would just be plain uncivilized."

With shaking hands, I retrieved the cherry Kool-Aid from the refrigerator and filled her waiting cup. As I put the Kool-Aid away, I contemplated on whether or not to add a little whiskey to my tea. I could certainly use it.

"You should have a drink, Edward. It'll help settle your nerves." She moved past me and sat next to Jasper at the table. "We've still got a few more hours to kill before Bella wakes up. Would you like me to read you fortune?" Alice asked me. Her deep blue eyes appraised me silently, shining with just a hint of humor and mischief.

I shuffled my feet a bit, staring at the floor. "Ah, no...that's okay."

"Please? Come sit," she beckoned, motioning toward my chair. "Indulge me. I promise I won't bite."

She held out her hand, palm facing up, waiting patiently for me to make up my mind. I reluctantly took a seat next to her and placed my hand in hers. She traced my palm with one long, slender finger, sending a cold shiver up my spine.

"See this line right here?" she asked, pointing to a wrinkle set square between my thumb and forefinger. "This is your life line. It travels from the juncture all the way down to the cuff of your wrist. It means you'll have a long life, sugar. That's good news."

I scoffed at her and began to pull away. "That's rather vague, don't you think?"

"A true skeptic. You're going to be a tough egg to crack." She laughed and pulled my hand back in front of her to continue her observations. "Well now, that's interesting. See this line right here?" she asked, running her finger around to the edge of my pinky finger. The line was so faint, I had to lean down a bit to see it. "This line shows that you will suffer a painful blow." With my face mere centimeters from my palm, Alice thrust my hand up into my nose, causing my eyes to water from the stinging pain. "That's what we like to call a self-fulfilling prophecy, sugar."

"Damn it!" I hissed, holding by nose. "What the hell was that for?"

"Just a reminder," she replied with a shrug. "You promised you'd keep an open mind, and yet here you sit mocking me." She stood from her seat and grabbed an ice pack from the freezer, placing it gingerly against my nose. "Hold this there for ten minutes and you'll be right as rain."

I turned her words over in my head as I waited for the throbbing to subside. "I'm sorry, Alice," I said regretfully. "I truly meant no offense." My voice was muffled from the ice pack, but her answering smile told me my apology was accepted. "This is just a lot to process. I mean…I care about Bella and I'd do anything in my power to protect her."

"How can you ever hope to protect her if you don't believe her?" Alice sighed and stared down at her hands for a few moments. "Edward, I want you to do me a favor. I want you to close your eyes and just listen to me. Really concentrate on my voice and my words."

I eyed her skeptically. "You aren't going to hypnotize me, are you?"

"No," she replied with a breathy chuckle. "Now, close your eyes. I want you to imagine for a moment that you were born blind. You spend every day shrouded in this darkness while those around you weave tales bathed in color and light. Those words mean nothing to you, but are described to you in great detail, trying to make association between colors and your other senses. Blue...cool and wet. Red…hot and passionate. Others see them, but you can't. You lack the sense with which to experience this phenomenon. But just because you can't see it, doesn't mean red ceases to exist."

"You're talking about perception," I muttered, opening my eyes.

"Yes," she replied with a wide grin. "All forms of perception. See, there is an underlying current to this existence that you can't see, but that doesn't mean it isn't real. You judge the truth...the absolute validity of this world using the senses provided to you. So do we. It just so happens that we're equipped with another sense. We can see the red that others can't. Understand?"

"In theory," I acquiesced. "I'll admit, there's some natural precedence for what you're suggesting, but you haven't explained what all of this has to do with me. Why come here? Jasper could've just as easily requested Bella's transfer days ago and you'd be back in Arizona by now. What did Bella see and what does it have to do with me?"

She placed her warm hand against my cheek and smiled sweetly. "I can't answer that, sugar. All I know is that Bella needs you."