A/N: As you know...All characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. This fic is co-written with bonniebelle1107. We are both self professed comment whores so please review. Thank you to everyone for reviews/alerts. It's much appreciated.

Chapter Four - The Promise

Standing in the grand foyer, everything was dark, with the exception of the sliver of light escaping from beneath the doors of Carlisle's study. I carefully measured my steps, trying to avoid any objects that I might encounter on my way across the hall. Just as I reached out for the brass door knob, the stairway light flickered on, and revealed Alice sitting at the foot of the stairs. "I've been waiting for you." She stared straight ahead, as if in deep concentration. I dropped my bag and sat down beside her, placing my arm around her shoulder; a gesture she quickly shrugged off. "Give my love to Alice? What is that? I just...I just..." She let out a loud sigh. "What I wouldn't do to cry right now!" I knew exactly what she meant. Our immorality had robbed us of so many things, our tears among them.

"Alice, I'm sorry. I had to get out." I knew that no amount of words would sooth the anger that was building just beneath the surface.

"Then why did you come back?" She looked to me for the first time since I had entered the room, her eyes squinting as she pretended that she didn't already know.

"Really Alice, playing dumb is beneath you. I need your help." I pleaded with her, hoping that she would soon soften. "I need you to tell me what you see. What do you see for Bella?"

She quickly jumped and began pacing back and forth in the hallway. "You made me promise...Promises may not mean much to you these days ahead, Edward, but they do to me." Obviously her feelings were still hurt, and she was going to make this as difficult for me as she possibly could.

"She's in danger, Alice. I need to know that she'll be okay."

"What? So you can sweep in and save her like some sort of tortured super hero, only to break her heart when you leave her again? No. I can't do it. I won't do that to her. The only thing she needs protection from is you, Edward."

She folded her arms across her chest, and with a stomp of her foot, she turned her back to me. I knew this game all to well. I had played it myself when I didn't get my way as a child. I stood up and made my way to her side. "Alice, this is much bigger than you or me. I found Laurent." I backed away from her for a moment and watched as my words began to register. "Alice, if you ever cared about her at all, you'll help me."

"James is dead. Victoria is gone. Laurent is not a threat to Bella."

"I wish I could be so sure. Victoria is planning her revenge. A mate for a mate. Those were his words and that means that Bella is in a substantial amount of danger." She twisted her face, as she allowed it all to sink in, her anger taking a backseat to the concern that she felt for Bella.

After a moment, she snapped out of her trance. She once again took a seat on the bottom stair of the grand staircase, and rested her head in her hands. Her mood had not lightened. She sat in silence, as if the weight of what she had saw had crushed her words; however, her thoughts came through loud and clear. I knelt down in front of her, holding both of her hands in one of mine. "Alice, tell me, please." I begged her, hoping that she would see the disaster her silence would bring.

"You promised her." Her words were soft, barely audible. "You promised her and I promised you. I'm sorry, I can't help you Edward." I knew it was pointless to beg. Alice's loyalty to her word was one of her most enduring traits, although at this very moment I wished she was just a little less loyal.

"No, I am the one who is sorry." I dropped her hands, and pushed past her on my way up the stairs.

"Jasper won't help you." She called after me. "I wouldn't count on Rosalie or Emmett either." I knew she was right. After our confrontation today, I was lucky that Alice was even speaking to me. They were certainly not going to go out of their way to protect the one that they blamed for their uprooting. I made my way back down the stairs, and sat down a few stairs above her. She did not turn to face me.

"I don't know how to fix this, Alice." She didn't answer right away, leaving my words hanging in the air that separated us.

"You're not stupid, Edward. Maybe a little selfish right now, but you're not stupid. You'll figure this out."

"Selfish? Everything I have done, I have done to protect her." I raised my voice to her, which I regretted the instant that the words left my mouth.

"Right. You broke her heart. You took away everything that mattered to her, all because you want to protect her?" She breathed a sarcastic sigh, and finally turned to face me. "Tell me something, Edward. Do you really think...If what Laurent said is true, do you really believe that she's safer without you?"

"I made my decision."

"Would you listen to yourself? All of sudden now you're intent on living with your decision. Just a few minutes ago, you were asking me to look into her future. You can't have it both ways."

"You're right."

"Of course I am."

"And if I want to fix this, I guess I'll have to do it myself. You've been a big help, Alice. Thank you." I placed my hand atop her head as I walked by the step where she sat. "I'll be in touch."

Slinging my bag on my shoulder, I left without another word, knowing what had to be done and that I was the only one that could do it.